Design
Looking sleek and high tech, size and weight have been trimmed to make the BD-C6500 slimmer. It now measures a mere 1.7” tall and a small footprint of just 8.8” depth, easy enough to fit in most cabinets.It sports a drop down panel on the left to reveal the disc drive. A USB port is located next to the power button. When the device is powered down, the power light is illuminated to provide easy access in a darkened room.
Connectivity
Samsung BD-C6500 Back Panel Connectivity Options
Additionally, it also has a 1GB built-in internal memory that will come in handy when accessing BD-Live’s interactive features. If you need more space, just plug a thumb drive into the player’s USB port.
Features
The Samsung BD-C6500 features enhanced blu-ray playback using Samsung’s Adaptive Servo Technology (AST). It supports video resolution of 1080p/24 for blu-ray discs with film based content without need for further conversion. It also up-converts your DVDs to 1080p.On the audio front it comes with support for the latest high resolution audio codecs including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.
It also comes with built-in Wi-Fi support and Samsung’s latest incarnation of Internet@TV, which puts more widgets on your screen and opens up each app much faster. New for Internet@TV is Samsung Apps which provides you with an expanded, easy to navigate selection of content and applications from online services such as AccuWeather, Blockbuster, Netflix, Picasa, Pandora, Rovi, Travel Channel, USA TODAY, and Vudu.
You can even download optional widgets and catch up with friends on Facebook or Twitter. There’s also the AllShare™ feature which allows you to stream content from a compatible computer (unfortunately Mac is not supported at the moment) on your home network, so you can enjoy music, watch videos, or browse pictures using your TV and AV system.
Additionally, the BD-C6500 supports DivX playback from DVD-R/RW and CD-R/RW discs, as well as USB storage devices. You can even view DivX content from a wired or wireless network connection via its Ethernet port or built-in Wi-Fi. The unit supports DivX video with a resolution up to 1920 x 1080 pixels.
If you have home videos recorded in AVCHD you can play that back on this player too.
Samsung has also designed their new players with improved energy efficiency by using new technologies which contribute to a reduced power consumption of 13W during disc playback, and just 0.1W in stand-by mode.
Actual user review:
“I really liked this unit. I also bought one where the wireless was optional. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND you buy this Blu ray player if you have a wireless network and desire to watch Netflix, Blockbuster, etc. via streaming video. It is really, really cool.
The set up of this Blu ray was very easy following the onscreen instructions. It seems to particularly work well with my Samsung TV.” – D.Barrett (IN,USA)
“I really liked this unit. I also bought one where the wireless was optional. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND you buy this Blu ray player if you have a wireless network and desire to watch Netflix, Blockbuster, etc. via streaming video. It is really, really cool.
The set up of this Blu ray was very easy following the onscreen instructions. It seems to particularly work well with my Samsung TV.” – D.Barrett (IN,USA)
Setup and Performance
Setup is pretty smooth and easy. Firmware update is also a breeze. Although it can be done using the USB, it is easier if you have it connected wirelessly.The new GUI is an improvement on the previous Samsung models with a more pictorial approach. It can be hard to get used to but once you have navigated through the menus a few times you will get the hang of it.
Although it has a strong suit of online streaming features and services, the forte of this player lies in its blu-ray playback. Compared to previous generation Samsungs, disc load speed has improved significantly. It took just 16 seconds to load Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of The Black Pearl blu-ray, a Java heavy disc notorious for slow load times.
The picture quality is nothing short of top-notch with a spectacular sound to match.
On the Star Trek blu-ray disc, the picture was crystal clear and sharp with an abundance of details. There were minor traces of grain in dark scenes of space but every nuance near black was clearly revealed while maintaining superb contrast. Images of scenes on the steps of Starfleet Academy were served with vibrant colors of red uniforms, green grass and blue skies. The sound was clear and dynamic in the 5.1 Dolby TrueHD lossless audio track. Torpedoes slamming into their targets and starships taking off into warp speed set off strong deep bass.
With the BD-C6500 connected online, streaming of movies from Netflix and Vudu went smoothly. However, we did find that when using Netflix it tends to lose the account information after a few days and needs re-activation. We hope that Samsung includes a fix in its next firmware update.
Pandora worked like a charm and so did Vudu. The HDX quality was good enough, as was the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.
Bottom Line
Samsung must be lauded for its efforts in advancing player design, performance and speed with improved energy efficiency. In a strong field of contenders the Samsung BD-C6500 stands out with an ample set of features, performance and technological innovations for less than $250.Key Features
- Full HD 1080/24p
- Supports Internet@TV/Samsung Apps, which will provide content from Netflix, Pandora, Vudu, Blockbuster, Picasa, and Twitter
- Enhanced Blu-ray playback using Adaptive Servo Technology
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- BD-Live Ready
- Streams Photos/Videos/Music From a Compatible DLNA-enabled Windows PC
- EnergyStar® 4.0 Compliant
Specifications
- Full HD 1080p/24
- Playback Media : BD, BD-R, BD-RE, DVD-V, DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA, MP3, JPEG
- Built-in Audio Decoders : Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus
- BD profile : BD-Live (2.0)
- DVD Upconversion : Yes (up to 1080p)
- Output Resolution : 720p, 1080i, 1080p
- 1GB Media Storage
Connectivity
- HDMI Output : 1
- Component Video Outputs : 1
- Composite Video Outputs : 1
- Optical Digital Audio Outputs : Yes
- Coaxial Digital Audio Outputs : No
- Analog Audio Outputs : Stereo & 7.1 Ch
- Ethernet LAN: 1