The Bottom Line
The Blu-ray quality was very good, with a slight oversaturation of reds. DVD upscaling was good, but could use slight improvement. The audio performance was excellent, with lots of flexbility with different AV receivers. One disappointment: Lack of Profile 2.0 functionality. However, the built-in ethernet port provides access to firmware upgrades.
Pros
- Very fast start-up, disc load, and disc eject time compared to previous Blu-ray Disc Players.
- Good Blu-ray Disc Video Playback - Slight oversaturation of Reds.
- Good standard DVD upscaling.
- Excellent audio performance.
- HDMI1.3a connectivity.
Cons
- Profile 1.1 specification - Needs forthcoming firmware update for Profile 2.0.
- No 5.1 Channel analog audio outputs.
- No SACD or DVD-Audio playback.
- No Digital Coaxial Audio Output.
- Remote not backlit.
Description
- Profile 1.1 Blu-ray Disc Player with 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 Resolution output capability via HDMI 1.3a audio/video output.
- Multi-Format Playback capabilities for: BD-ROM, BD-R/RE, DVD-Video, DVD-R/RW, AVCHD, CD/CD-R/CD-RW.
- Internal decoding of Dolby Digital Plus and TrueHD, Bitstream output (HDMI) for all digital sound formats, including DTS-HD.
- High definition outputs: HDMI, DVI-HDCP video output compatibility with adapter.
- SD video outputs: Component Video (progressive or interlaced), and composite video.
- Audio outputs: Stereo analog, digital optical, digital coaxial and HDMI outputs. There are no 5.1 channel analog outputs.
- Ethernet Port for direct online firmware update access and future Profile 2.0 upgrade.
- Wireless Infrared Remote Control and full color high definition onscreen GUI (Graphical User Interface)
- Samsung Anynet (HDMI-CEC) linked control functions when used with other Samsung products with Anynet feature.
- Suggested Retail Price - $399
For a closer look at the features of the BD-P1500, check out my supplementary Photo Gallery
Guide Review - Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-ray Disc Player - Product Review
Its physical profile is very slim compared to previous Blu-ray Disc players from many companies, and may be mistaken for a standard DVD player upon first glance.
The BD-P1500 had a fast start-up time, about 10-15 seconds, to get into disc loading mode. However, although faster than my comparison Blu-ray Disc players in terms of actually loading a Blu-ray disc, it still took some time, depending on the contents of the disc.
With regards to Blu-ray video quality, the BD-P1500 certainly held its own when compared to other players I have reviewed. However, the 1500 did exhibit more color saturation on reds than I expected.
With regards to standard DVD upscaling, the BD-P1500 does a credible job and did fairly good on the Silicon Optix HQV Tests, but did not provide the stellar upscaling performance of the OPPO DV-983H upscaling DVD player.
On the audio side, the BD-P1500 offers both on-board audio decoding and bitstream output for compatible home theater receivers. One disappointment, however, was the lack of on-board DTS-HD MA decoding. Also, Samsung has chosen to remove the 5.1 channel analog audio output option, which decreases its connection flexibility with non-HDMI home theater receivers.
Another disappointment is that although BD-P1500 offers Profile 1.1 (Bonus View) functionality, it requires a firmware upgrade to access Profile 2.0 (BD Live) functionality. Update: Profile 2.0 upgrade now available.
On the other hand, the Samsung does come equipped with a built-in Ethernet port which makes it convenient to download firmware updates.
Despite a few disappointments, the BD-P1500 delivers good audio and video performance and deserves serious consideration.
