Samsung BD-C5500 Blu-ray Player Review
The BD-C5500 is a new entry level Blu-ray Player from Samsung. It has a Price listing of under $180.00. But do not let this fool you in thinking this Blu-ray Player is in any way inferior or lacking some of the newest features. The BD-C550 provides online streaming services, wireless internet capability, internal memory and great video and audio.
As with all of Samsungs 2010 Blu-ray players, the BD-C5500 meets all of the Energy Star 4.0 guidelines. It also has low power consumption - 13 watts during playback; .1 watts in standby. This low power consumption can not be found in the more expensive BD-C6500. The design of the Blu-ray Player also follows Samsungs newer models, it has a slim down look (39mm) with a high tech glossy black finish. There is a dop down panel on the front concealing the disc loading tray.
Video Quality: The video quality is great on the BD-C5500 on playback of Blu-ray disc. Providing Full 1080p display on corresponding HDTV. The video connections are located on the back and they consist of HDMI, Component and Composite video outputs.
Audio Quality: You will not find as many audio connections on the BD-C5500, as you would the higher level players.(No 7.1 analog outputs) You do have the following: HDMI, analog audio outputs (2.0ch) and an Optical Digital Audio Outputs. But it does have internal audio decoders for Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus. Proving great high resolution sound.
One nice features on the BD-C5500 is the Internet@TV feature. This gives you streaming content and downloadable apps such as Netflix, BLOCKBUSTER, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Pandora and many more. Firmware upgrade in the future will provide even more content. This Blu-ray player is Profile 2.0, so it can handle BD-Live content found on Blu-ray Disc. Giving you access to online material like movie trailers, movies scenes, chat rooms, live commentary, trivia games and so much more.
Of course to take advantage of these online features you will need to be connected to the internet. The BD-C5500 has an Ethernet connection located on the back of the player or you can connect wirelessly via an USB port. To do this you would require a LAN adapter which is sold separately. You can also connect to a Home Network. Then use the AllShare feature. This allows video and audio content on your computer to be streamed to the Blu-Ray Player (either wirelessly or through the Ethernet connection). You can then view this content directly on your TV.
THE PROS: The Samsung BD-C5500 has great picture and audio quality. It has low power consumption and meets Energy Star 4.0 guidelines. It is Wi-Fi Ready and has 1GB of internal memory. Also supports online media services: Internet@TV/Samsung Apps(provides content from Netflix, Pandora, Vudu, Blockbuster, Picasa and Twitter) ; and is DLNA compliant.
THE CONS: No built-in Wi-Fi, an USB adapter is required to go wireless. Have to wait for some online apps to become available through firmware upgrades.
THE FINAL WORD: The Samsung BD-C5500 is a very good entry level Blu-ray player. It has 1GB of internal memory, which is great for accessing BD-Live content. It has online streaming services and is DLNA compliant. For a very reasonable price, you get a very competent Blu-ray player. Price you should look for when purchasing -- Under $170.00
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