Samsung BD-P3600 Blu-Ray Player

It is about time that I entered the 21st Century by purchasing a Blu-Ray Disc player.  My primary television is a 1080p Samsung Plasma television.  I have been told by the tech geeks at my local big-box store that cable only transmits in 780, which means I have not truly experienced the quality my television can produce.  In retrospect, I haven't noticed much difference between my HD channels through cable and Discs played on the Blu-Ray.  They are both high quality to my untrained eye.  Because I have Netflix, I can also stream live video to my television from my internet connection.  To avoid unnecessary cables, I wanted to find a wi-fi capable Blu-Ray player.  I settled on the Samsung BDP3600 Blu-Ray Player.

When I purchased my Samsung BDP3600 Blu-Ray Player (which includes the wi-fi adapters), I was advised that I needed to invest in a high quality HDMI cable.  The ones recommended at the store I visited were about eighty dollars for a 10.2 GBS six-foot long cable.  Instead, I purchased a Sony 10.2 GBS six-foot cable from Wal-Mart for half that price.  I have read a Popular Mechanics article that suggests little difference from one cable to another.  These cables (Monster, for example) can easily close in on two-hundred dollars.  At some point, I am certain you get a diminishing return.  My forty dollars Sony cables appear more than adequate.  I would probably suggest getting the highest GBS you can get for your money.  There are some decent 10.2 GBS cables starting in the mid-twenties.

When I purchased the Samsung BDP3600 Blu-Ray Player, I though that the wi-fi was built into the unit.  Instead, the unit comes with a USB Adapter and a wireless dongle.  The player also comes with a universal remote control that operates my Samsung television without loading any codes.  The video source button on this remote seems to get a quicker response from my television than the one built into my cable universal.  The remote control has intuitive functions that appear standard.  The package also comes with the two AAA batteries that the remote control requires.  There is a quick setup guide that includes wi-fi instructions as well as a more detailed user guide.

The remote control is an attractive glossy black that matches the finish on my Samsung television.  The keys features on the remote include the television source button for toggling the television between the various input jacks, the power buttons, the exit and select buttons and four color-coded alphabet keys.  These buttons are the primary navigation tools for the unit.  The DVD aspect of the Samsung BDP3600 Blu-Ray Player has traditional forward, pause and rewind features.  The exit and select buttons allow for navigation forward and backward through the menus.  The color-coded alphabet buttons allow for pre-determined selections, which are displayed on the screen.  Aside from menu navigation, the four main internet programs are selected using these buttons.

The four internet content websites are Blockbuster, Netflix, Pandora and YouTube.  Although  I don't have a subscription to Blockbuster, I selected that option to navigate the menu.  The Blockbuster terms of agreement came up, followed by a menu that allows the purchase of videos at rates comparable to the local store ($3.99 on average).  I did not check the options available for payment, because I did not want to accidentally purchase a movie.  It appeared you could scroll through the available library from the television menu.  I also checked out the Netflix menu, which I DO have a subscription to.  Netflix offers a variety of films and television programs available as live content.  However, Netflix requires you to load those movies into a separate queue.  I first had to initialize this content by signing into Netflix and entering a code.  I then loaded several movies into the queue.  When I returned to the Blu-Ray, the video titles were available on my menu on-demand.  I was able to scroll through the titles (video cover included) on my television and select whichever one I wanted.  The content can be paused or stopped and resumed later like On-Demand content through my cable provider.  However, there is a wider selection of video on demand through Netflix.  I also have a free subscription to Pandora, which is a music player available on the internet.  This program also required some set up with a code, which I completed quickly and easily.  The content was then available, with the option to create new "channels" from the television.  I don't use YouTube often, but I also navigated that content, which seemed fairly easy to navigate from the on-screen menu on the television.

Getting to this point was a little bit tricky.  Before I was able to navigate any of the programming available, I had to set up the wireless connection.  My housed is wired for wi-fi over a secure connection.  Luckily, I remember the password.  The setup menu has an automated function, which I thought was conflicting with my security settings.  I started to give myself a headache, going into the setup menu trying to enter IP and MAC addresses manually to no avail.  I finally discovered that my issue was a hardware issue.  I had placed the USB Adapter where the Dongle was supposed to go.  The setup instructions do not have pictures of the included devices along with descriptions, which would make setup much easier.  Once I discovered my issue, I was able to connect to my wi-fi and download the latest version of firmware (which took about ten or fifteen minutes).  Once completed, the unit shut itself off to install the downloads on the next power up, which I proceeded with once the unit reset.

I have watched both video and streaming content using this player.  I have read some articles suggesting that Netflix content streamed over wi-fi was not running smoothly.  I have watched several programs over the wi-fi and have not noticed a bit of lag or interference.  The issues others have had could have to do with their configuration or the capacity (age) of their wi-fi server.  I am using a Netgear wireless N Router, which appears to handle the streaming content without stopping to catch its breath.  The Netflix menu also shows a quality meter when loading a film, which I haven't quite figured out yet.  It shows a power bar, which is normally on the high end, but not quite maxed out.  I have not yet run a Blu-Ray disc on the player, so am unsure if it takes a Blu-Ray to hit the optimal quality level.  The content that I have watched using the player, both internet and disc, has been sharp.  I would equate it to programming I watch via cable on the HD channels.  If it is higher than that, my naked eye cannot discern it.

The cost of Blu-Ray Disc Players appears to be coming down.  Currently, there are players on the market in the low hundred dollars range.  I saw a decent model for $149.  However, the cheaper models do not include the wi-fi or HDMI cable.  So budget that in to your consideration if you go that route.  The wi-fi dongle kit at one big-box store I visited was about eighty dollars.  That would put you directly on the price range of the Samsung BDP3600 Blu-Ray Player, which normally runs a hair under three hundred but is currently on sale at several outlets for $229 (Buy.com, Amazon.com and Best Buy, among them).  With a forty dollar set of decent HDMI cables and tax, I have three-hundred dollars invested in my Blu-Ray.  However, I get unlimited Netflix rentals using this unit, which will feed my movie addiction for a while to come.

The Samsung BDP3600 Blu-Ray Player has a quick load time for movies, which automatically upgrades standard DVD's to a higher definition output.  It can also produce audio and video playback from USB devices.  The operating system has 1GB of memory and operates with amazing speed.  The infrared remote control is intuitive to use.  The price has dropped substantially from the four hundred dollar entry price earlier this year.  The unit is slightly smaller than a typical VCR player, but a bit larger than your average DVD player.  The unit looks sleek and runs smoothly.  The Wi-fi setup was my only complaint, and once that issue was resolved, it was smooth sailing.  The video runs seamlessly over my wi-fi connection, which will pay for this unit over time.  I am thoroughly impressed with the Samsung BDP3600 Blu-Ray Player, which is certain to make someone happy this Christmas!  I would give this unit four stars out of a possible five.