Showing posts with label Sony. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sony. Show all posts
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
SAMSUNG NX10 vs SONY NEX5
Following is a video of the comparison test between Samsung NX10 and Sony NEX5 digital camera.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Reviewed by Tweaknews.net: Samsung SC-HMX10
The Tweaknews.net reviewed Samsung SC-HMX10. The review result was the Top Rank Award.
Product Introduction
We all have to admit, with every passing day, HD is getting more an more popular. Whether it is your new HDTV, your Blu-ray player or your HD connection to your computer, the standard and the related products are getting more popular. Take for example this HD solid state camcorder I will be reviewing today. Seeing most consumers won't want to watch any of their standard resolution on a wide HDTV, a lot of buyers are moving to a camcorder that matches the capabilities of their flat panel TV.
With prices falling and capabilities growing, no user has to settle for a bargain basement camcorder anymore. Everyone can afford a camcorder that only 3-5 years ago would be worth in excess of $1000-$2000. In addition, with HD on the rise, the consumer would be straight out foolish to buy anything other than HD camcorder and essentially future-proof their investment.
Today I will be reviewing Samsung's latest HD camcorder offering which is completely solid state, features full progressive HD recording capabilities and packs it all into a small and tidy package that weighs as much as an old VHS tape that you would use in an older camcorder when they became available to the consumer in the open market. Keep on reading, you will be surprised.
PRODUCT COMPOSITION
Let's take a look at what is included with this HD camcorder. Samsung is pretty hit and miss with their included hardware and sometimes some components are overlooked.
First out is your usual user's manual along with the warranty and helpline registration paperwork. But also included is a full version of DVD Suite from Cyberlink. This essentially allows you to burn your solid state recorded content onto a DVD for archiving or viewing.
I do have to say, the hardware kit is pretty complete with some added additions that even I thought would not be included.
Today I will be reviewing Samsung's latest HD camcorder offering which is completely solid state, features full progressive HD recording capabilities and packs it all into a small and tidy package that weighs as much as an old VHS tape that you would use in an older camcorder when they became available to the consumer in the open market. Keep on reading, you will be surprised.
PRODUCT COMPOSITION
Let's take a look at what is included with this HD camcorder. Samsung is pretty hit and miss with their included hardware and sometimes some components are overlooked.
First out is your usual user's manual along with the warranty and helpline registration paperwork. But also included is a full version of DVD Suite from Cyberlink. This essentially allows you to burn your solid state recorded content onto a DVD for archiving or viewing.
I do have to say, the hardware kit is pretty complete with some added additions that even I thought would not be included.
What comes included is:
- Docking Cradle
- Docking Cradle
- Power Adapter
- HD Component Patch Cables
As you see, there is everything you need to enjoy your camera right out of the box. The one thing I wish was included seeing this was an HD camcorder was a HDMI cable. Seeing it has a direct HDMI connection capability, it should be included to allow most users to connect directly to their new TV with one simple connection.
And at last you have your new camcorder. As you can see in the photo that they still use the glossy piano finish which shows every fingerprint, hair and spec of dust. But over all the camcorder is quite small for a full HD camcorder. But the size, you would think it was a small cheap throw away type of camcorder you take on hiking trips, but other than the size, this camcorder is a lot more powerful than its dimensions. You will see why in the upcoming pages.
PRODUCT PICTORIAL & WALKTHROUGH
Let's take a walk around the camcorder and point out what you, the potential buyer, should know about your upcoming purchase.
Starting off at the front, there is a shutter slide to open and close a protective shutter over the lens as well. This comes in handy and you won't be constantly putting the lens cap on and off, but still will offer perfect protection from dust and debris. Also from left to right your have the recording indicator, and LED light and the remote control sensor. The bottom casing under the lens contains the stereo front facing microphone.
At first glance most will see a rather simple photo with the usual zoom control and the photo capture button, but the top holds more functionality than that.
What most will not see is the hidden door which allows access to the battery and the external MMC memory card slot. The battery can be slipped in and is held in place with a spring slide lock and the MMC card is a simple push into place configuration. You will laugh, but being as stubborn as I am, I tried to find the damn door to insert the batter and searched high and low and had to resort to the manual to find its true location. Of course I thought it was inserted into the bottom like most other camcorders.
The right side of the unit has an adjustable hand strap and a hidden, yet useful function.
The swivel hand-grip allows for comfortable video recording from lower vantage point and allows you to record at lower levels without getting on your knees or crouching.
Moving around to the rear, you have your usual power, record and mode button along with Samsung's Easy-Q setup button for excellent default recording settings along with a LED mode indicator and DC power and external microphone connections at the bottom. Very easy to use and essentially childproof right out of the box.
Once the side display is opened, you will have some other options you can explore. On the display frame, you have an alternate record button, a zoom control and a button to allow you access to the menu. The one thing that fooled me for a bit was some sort of navigation pad to navigate through the menu options. One option is to use the remote which works perfect and the other is seen below.
The display itself is also a VERY handy 2.7 inch touchscreen. Everything is accessible in seconds with a press of a fingerprint. As you can see, it can be rather fun to explore through the hundreds of menu options. I personally will not be walking through the menu system seeing it is so vast and if anyone can setup a TV, you can setup this camera. The Easy-Q is the best option for most users seeing it wraps all the perfect quality and anti-vibration options under one button. Even with all the fiddling I have done to make things just right, they were all essentially the same as what this one button offers.
Through a small door you will see the connections for USB, video and the handy HDMI connections. If something goes wrong, you also have a master reset that can be used if something goes wrong. Above the connection panel is the internal speaker and control buttons for the LCD display brightness boost and the display of recording information on screen. Again, Samsung has kept everything very simple so you will not need a tech degree just to record some video.
The large widescreen display is exceptionally bright, clear and sharp. Even from an arm's length away, the display can still easily be easily read. As seen in this picture, you will be able to keep track of battery and recording time info, quality settings, options enabled and the touch screen options to access the menu system.
PRODUCT USE & TESTING
In this section I will be going through my thoughts on using this product over the course of a couple weeks. I will be updating this review accordingly over time once more recording content is acquired. I will be posting samples as they come available.
Photo Mode
The photo mode on most camcorders I have reviewed in the past wasn't worth being included in the product so I braced myself and winced as I went about doing some basic photo tests in lower light environments. To say the least, I was VERY impressed. The only thing to note is that you have to toggle to the photo mode in order to take a quick shot. I don't mind this seeing I don't want an interruption in my video anyway. I like to keep my photos and videos separate and not have the textbook shutter sound and screen pause when a photo was taken using other camcorders.
This camcorder is essentially an excellent basic digital camera crammed into an already feature filled product. The 1.56Megapixel sensor is capable of interpolated 2048x1536 photo of surprisingly good quality in medium to well lit environments. There is also a macro mode which takes excellent close photos even in low light conditions. In fact, it takes better low light macro photos than my main camera. The picture above is just one of many close photos that were taken and this is in a lower light office environment at night.
Although this camera doesn't have a flash, it is an excellent basic digital camera and should serve as a direct replacement when traveling. with the included 4 GB of memory, this will allow you to take 3813 photos at the highest resolution settings. Unless you are a professional photographer (we all know how snobby they can be when it comes to photo quality), the photos created by this camera are big enough, clear enough and good enough for just about everyone to enjoy. This will also allow you to keep the digital camera at home and save lugging around two different devices during an outing. Trust me, that is a great feature in itself. This camera is coming with me to Vegas and I will love the fact I can enjoy both HD video and excellent photo quality on one package.
Video Recording
Video recording is a simple test. It works well, or it fails. There is not suggestive middle ground. The SC-HMX10A is nothing less than an excellent HD video camcorder for everyday use. Regardless of quality, all files are recorded in MPEG4 format which means you will be strapped to using the DIVX player or *shudder* Quicktime to view any recorded content. Regardless of HD or SD quality settings, content is clear and does reflect the quality setting you actually pick for the particular job.
To be blunt, you really can't make HD recording any easier. the unit comes with 4 GB of memory included and has a slot which will enable you to upgrade the memory through a SD up to 2 GB and up to 32Gb via an SDHC media card. Though 32Gb is an option, Samsung suggests that 32Gb might not work properly so 16Gb is suggested in most cases. Even so, with the included memory you have options of up to 267minutes of recording using the SD Economy setting or 44minutes using the progressive scan 60fps Super Fine HD setting. With either setting you will be limited to 80-85minutes worth of battery life before a charge will be necessary. Samsung's battery estimates are accurate and I saw up to 90minutes when recording in certain lower light environments which ease the LCD's drain on the battery.
Now when it comes to viewing the recorded content, if you can use the camera's player, do so. The HD playback on even a QX9770 quad core computer using the DIVX player or Quicktime is challenging. make sure you have an adequate system before you try to view an HD content. Progressive HD content rendering will stress even the best of machines and even my X6800 Xtreme Dual Core was studdering when playing back the higher quality content. At first I thought there was a problem with the camera, but it turns out it was a system that wasn't fast enough to view the content properly. Just keep that in mind.
But overall, well done. Playing back progressive HD recorded content on a large LCD 1080P HDTV is damn impressive. But with the quality improvement, flaws in everything including your looks will be affected. I didn't know I was that ugly until I saw a recording of myself in HD.....
CONCLUSIONS & AFTERTHOUGHTS
Samsung's first foray into solid state HD recording can be easily summed up to be a success. Everything works perfectly, controls are easy to use and video/photo qualities are excellent for an all-in-one product. With the rise in HDTV sales, HD camcorders are going to get more and more popular. Consider an HD camcorder as future-proofing your purchase so it will be compatible with the new TV standard for several years.
Throughout the couple weeks of testing, no real problems have reared their head other than the playback issues on the computer. But that is not a problem with the camcorder, that is a problem with the computer and limited HD MPEG4 viewing software that doesn't take advantage of multi-core processors properly. Other than that, the only omission in my opinion is the lack of the HDMI cable in the hardware kit. If you make an HD camera, supply all the relevant HD connection possibilities and cables.
To boil it down, if you are interested in future-proofing your new camcorder purchase, the SC-HMX10A is practically a foolproof option that should be on your short list of potential buying options. This product is a very good buy.
Pros:
- Build Quality
- Build Quality
- Price
- Ease of Use
- Touch screen
- 4Gb of included memory
- Connectivity
- Included Dock
Cons:
- Should provide a HDMI cable with the camera- Automatic lens shutter cover rather than a manual.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Engadget.com: Samsung SC-HMX20C HD camcorder review
Samsung SC-HMX20C HD camcorder reviewby Darren Murph, posted Jun 17th 2008 at 11:05AM
Shortly after spending some quality time with the world's most diminutive HD camcorder, we were able to corral another remarkably small competitor -- one that shoots 1080p. Samsung's SC-HMX20C wasn't built to fit into the average back pocket, but its array of features more than made up for the size. After a week of wrapping our palm around this critter and capturing clips from everything ranging from America's pastime to a leisurely walk in the 'hood, we're ready to disclose our thoughts on the matter. Interested? Catch the full review after the jump.Design
Samsung's SC-HMX20C is small. Real small when you consider the resolution at which this thing captures at. The unit can fit within one's palm, and while it is a bit heavy, toting it around in a cargo pocket wouldn't be entirely out of the realm of possibility. The device itself felt extremely solid, the flip-out LCD was sturdy, and overall, we were very impressed with how it fit in our hands when shooting. It should be noted that the SDHC / MMC+ card slot is tucked behind the same door as the battery, but it's not like you have to remove the battery to access the card slot. Additionally, the video outputs are hidden behind a small door which is concealed behind the flip-out LCD. Not a problem for us -- just letting the quirks be known.
User Interface
Touchscreen LCD monitors can always be hit or miss, particularly on handheld camcorders. We're pleased to say that the flip-out touch panel on this unit was undoubtedly useful and well implemented. The screen did have a thing for maintaining fingerprints, but it never became more than a minor annoyance. It recognized haphazard touches and only misread our true intentions once or twice during an entire week. Our only real dig here was the slight pause between menu switches; momentary lag was introduced when traversing between a deep menu item and one closer to the top, but it never proved to be anything more than a slight irritation.
The menu system itself was exceptionally well-crafted. A "Quick Menu" button pulled up the six most popular selections (Storage Medium, Resolution, White Balance, Focus, Exposure and Shutter), and at no time did we feel the screen was too cluttered with options. The in-depth menus were yet again well thought out and easy to navigate, making on-the-fly tweaks relatively easy to achieve. Switching between Movie Mode, Photo Mode and Playback Mode was even simpler, as Samsung provided a dedicated button just beside the Photo Capture button solely for swapping between that trio.
We also appreciated the twin record and zoom buttons; users can zoom in / out and stop / start recording by hitting the thumb buttons on the unit itself or by selecting them on the flip-out display. Again, a minor -- albeit thoughtful -- touch. Overall, the SC-HMX20C was designed for the average joe / jane to pick up and fire up without ever having to tear into the user's manual. Sure enough, the only time we ever referenced said pamphlet was just to make sure we didn't miss anything while surfing around the UI ourselves. Granted, this also speaks volumes about its intended audience. Yeah, it does 1080/30p and 1080/60i (along with 480/60p and an SD-only SlowMotion mode), but this camcorder isn't made for professionals. That being said, folks obsessed with archiving every single family outing in stunning HD will find plenty to love.
Video performance
Okay, so the UI is remarkable, but how's about the actual performance? First off, we were quite amazed to find that the 8GB of internal storage space could hold around 71 minutes of 1080/30p or 1080/60i in Super Fine mode. Knock those resolutions down a bit (but c'mon, who is going to do that?), and you can fetch upwards of 2 hours without even slapping your own SDHC card in there. A fully charged battery showed about 90 minutes of life, and even with heavy LCD use, it proved quite accurate.
Capturing video was a cinch, and we really appreciated how the camcorder kept track of files internally. Upon connecting it to a Windows XP-based machine, it simply mounted as a drive and enabled us to pull the MPEG-4 clips over to our PC's hard drive. Simple as that. Be forewarned though -- playing back said clips via QuickTime requires a pretty potent computer. Otherwise, Full HD clips will skip and stutter as your rig attempts to churn through.
Overall, we'd have to say we're pretty pleased with the unit's ability to log clips. Yeah, we wish that totally novel SlowMotion mode was available in HD, and we wish the low light performance was a touch better (as with every other camcorder out there), but we really can't find too much to kvetch about. While shooting in broad daylight, we were satisfied with results when keeping in mind that the target audience is novice / amateur users. Clips were free from excessive grain, the audio capture was sufficient and playback on both a computer and an HDTV was up to par. The 10x zoom was decidedly smooth and snappy, as well.
While shooting in low light, the expected grain monster reared its ugly head, but such is the case with all small, handheld camcorders to be frank. In other words, we wouldn't recommend this unit for those who find themselves using it primarily at night or in dimly lit scenarios, but those who wander outside every now and then during the day (imagine that!) will probably be pleased with what it can do. One other note on the SlowMotion: it's a sweet feature, and it sure adds some wow-factor, but the inability for it to function in HD is a real bummer for us.
Photo performance
Alright, we get that you aren't seeking out a camcorder for its still shot abilities, but hey, Sammy included it, so we tested it. Put simply, the image capture mode isn't half bad, and it's actually passable in daylight. Don't get it twisted, however -- we'd still strongly recommend carrying your trusty P&S / DSLR around and using that when possible, but if you're trying to do everything yourself and just can't find time to fish out that shooter, the SC-HMX20C should suffice. Of course, we're comparing its results to other camcorder results that we've seen in the past, and from that, we came away reasonably happy with what it could do.
Wrap-up
Let us restate: the SC-HMX20C isn't meant to be looked at seriously by pros. The $849.99 (or so) price tag is proof of that. For individuals seeking a small, easy to carry camcorder that will capture family vacations, impromptu get-togethers and your kid's school play, we can certainly say this one's worth the price of admission. If you're looking for expert features and an XLR jack for connecting your boom mic, you won't find that here. But the bundled CyberLink DVD Suite for HD (which includes PowerDVD 7.3, PowerProducer 4.2 and PowerDirector 6.0 for HD) was very much appreciated.
For what it is (and for what it costs), Sammy's latest HD camcorder excels. After a week with it, we simply couldn't find enough niggles to tell you to look elsewhere if you're already close to pulling the trigger. Do we wish the LCD backlight was a wee bit brighter? Sure. Do we wish the low-light performance was a smidgen better? Of course. But at the end of the day, is the SC-HMX20C a solid buy for the price? We think so. Take a peek at the (completely unedited) clips below to get a very loose feel for what this unit can do.
For more information, link to http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/17/samsung-sc-hmx20c-hd-camcorder-review/
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Samsung SC-HMX20C Camcorder Review
Reviewed by Sean
It has been a year since Samsung released the SC-HMX10, a high definition camcorder. Now Samsung released C-HMX20C, the next generation of SC-HMX10 supporting full high definition which is 1920x1080 resolution. SC-HMX10 seems to be a quite competitive product in its design and functionality.
Samsung has offered me to review its new SC-HMX20C camcorder that would be launching soon. Then, I have spent for a while to get to know SC-HMX20C and here is my review.
Let’s look at the appearance first and then its performance.
Appearance
Having only a few buttons, the design of SC-HMX20C looks so simple.
The first impression when I saw the SC-HMX20C camcorder was that it looked like a can of Coke or bear, a cylinder shaped body. Since SC-HMX20C is the next generation of the SC-HMX10, the design prototype seems to be the same and the shape led me to easily grab the SC-HMX20C with my little hand. However, it seemed to be a little heavier than its appearance.
The front side is full of 10x optical zoom lens which has a focal length of 6.3mm ~ 63mm and a 30mm filter diameter. Along the side arc of the lens, the built-in stereo microphones reside. When you use two hands to operate the camcorder, you have to be aware of not covering the microphone area with hands.
The right side is composed of a leather hand strap which rotates 150 degrees downward from the main body. This swivel angle is enough to move the body to capture views.
The back side has the mode button that changes modes: camcorder, digital camera and playback. A record stop/start button is located slightly on the right side with the power switch located underneath. Along the bottom curve, there is a cover in which the removable battery and SD/SDHC memory card can be inserted.
The left side is the main part. When you open the LCD cover, you can see the 2.7” LCD. The LCD panel is composed of the Q.Menu button, zoom in/out jog and the record start/stop button. The LCD panel also rotates 90 degrees upward and 90 degrees downward. On the main body side, the HDMI port and USB port are lined up. You can also find the built-in speaker, an additional Q.Menu/i.Check and flash light button on the main body.
The top side consists of the zoon in/out jog which is located on the right position to control with the right hand.
The zoom in/out jog feels so soft when operating it. This would be one of the pros of this product.
The SC-HMX20C package also includes a docking station where you can place the camcorder on it and which provides additional HDMI, USB, and component connections.
Performance
The more I use SC-HMX20C, the more I like it. The video quality is perfect. I have a 47” LCD Full High Definition TV which supports 1920x1080 resolution. I connected SC-HMX20C and my Full HD TV. The recorded videos from SC-HMX20C were perfectly played well and the LCD screen of my Full HD TV displayed the recorded contents as detail as I can see the makeup on my wife’s face. As I watch the screen, I could understand the power of the Full High Definition functionality.
However, the recorded video files could not be played well from my PC directly. The specification of my PC is a Pentium 4 Intel 2.8GHz with a built-in graphic on the main board. The video files seemed to be heavy for my PC to run. I have not tried to use a separate graphic card. But I think you should have a high performance PC to fully enjoy what you have recorded from your PC.
The user’s guide specified the PC system requirements as follows:
OS: Windows Vista/XP (Service Pack 2)
CPU: Intel Pentium4, 3.2GHz/AMD Athlon 64FX, 2.6GHz recommended
Memory: 512MB (1GB or more recommended)
USB Port: USB2.0
Resolution: 1024x768, 16bit color or more
Video Card: nVIDIA Geforce 7600GT or more, ATi X1600 series or more
Also, the provided DVD Suite software runs best under Intel Core2Duo processor or the CPU that supports MMX, SSE, SSE2 or 3DNow.
SC-HMX20C provides 8GB of built-in memory. You can also use an external SDHC or MMCplus card for additional memory. But I think 8GB of the built-in memory is enough. 1GB holds a little over 8 minutes of recording time with the best quality. This allows 71 minutes with 8GB memory. One day, I went to a picnic with SC-HMX20C and I could fully use the built-in 8GB memory with the provided battery. The battery capacity was enough for me to use 8GB.
Since the LCD is the touch pad screen, I could easily manage files and control the menu. Although finger prints remaining on the LCD is a weak point, it was not a big deal.
There are some functions of SC-HMX20C that I liked most as follows:
1. Continuous still image capture during video recording:
When recording video, still images of HD quality in JPEG format can be stored up to 5 pictures per second.
2. Slow motion video recording.
This was a good feature when I analyzed my golf swing to see what I need to correct. The 30 frames per second provided super slow motion speed.
3. Image stabilizer
The electronic image stabilization is another favorite for those who are not quite as steady handed or are in a moving motion. Also it is good when recording video while zooming in. This must be a necessity feature.
4. Still image
SC-HMX20C is also used as a 6.4 megapixel digital camera. This is more than enough to get good quality images for non professional users. Although the sensor is not super high quality and it will not replace a good high quality CCD sensor, the SC-HMX20C camera is worth looking at and using on holidays.
5. Touch screen LCD
The 2.7” touch screen LCD is really convenient when I operate the camcorder.
6. Quick power up
As soon as the power button is pressed to turn on the camcorder, the LCD boots up immediately. This quick response allowed me to get ready to take shots.
Menu and Setting Screens
It would be too much to cover all the setting that SC-HMX20C supports. I took some image cuts of the main setting menu for the camcorder to help you understand more about the camcorder.
There are 6 screens that cover the settings. Each setting has a child setting and so on. Followings are screens shots for the video setting menu and camera setting menu. As you can see, many of the same settings for the digital camera are also available for the camcorder. Some of the exceptions are features such as image stabilization and Color Nite.
The digital camera has a 6.4MP CMOS sensor and it performs quite well as an ordinary digital camera for general users. With setting the Continuous Shot feature on, I could continuously get shots of moving image while pressing the Photo button. This led me to select the best shot among them. Even, I could get still images in the Full HD quality (1920x1080) while recording video. The still images taken at dusk have some noise. This would be more common for the CMOS sensors than high quality CCD sensors. However, it would be OK for me since many other digital cameras have CMOS sensors.
Specifications
Following is the product specification in general.
System
Signal Type: NTSC
Video Format: H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC)
Audio Format: AAC (Advanced Audio Coding)
Sensor Type: CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor)
Sensor Size: 1/1.8”
Number of Pixels: 6.4MB
Lenz: F1.8~2.5 (10x Optical Zoom, 100x Digital Zoom)
Filter Diameter: 49mm
Focus Distance: 6.3~63mm
Storage Media: 8GB built-in Flash Memory, SDHC/MMC+
Dimension: 2.6”x2.65”x5.47”
Weight: 1.01 lb
LCD Monitor
LCD Size/Pixels: 2.7”, 230K pixels
LCD Type: TFT LCD, Touch LCD
Video Recording Spec
Recording Format: H.264
Recording Resolution: HD: 1920x1080i (60i30p), SD: 720x480
Recording Quality: Super Fine/Fine/Normal
Audio Format: AAC
Number of Channel: 2 Channels (Stereo)
Speaker: Yes (built-in)
Microphone: Yes (built-in)
Still Image Spec
Format: JPEG
Resolution: 3264x2448 (8M interpolation), 2304x1728(4M), 3M, 1.5M, 340K
Quality: Super Fine
Interface
USB: USB2.0
IEEE1394: No
Composite: Yes
S-Video: Yes
Component: Yes
HDMI: Yes
Direct Print System: DPOF, PictBridge
S/W and PC OS
Compatible OS: Windows XP/2000/Vista (32bit, 64bit), Not Compatible with MAC
Bundle PC S/W: Cyber Link DVD Suite
Pros:
Easy to use and carry
Good design
Touch screen LCD (2.7” large LCD)
Ultimately quick start up
Good video quality of 1920x1080 resolution: Full HD quality
6.4M CMOS sensor
8GB of built-in memory and 1.5 hours of battery life
10x video/camera optical zoom
Cons:
A little heavier than its appearance
Takes time when changing modes (video -> camera -> Play)
Conclusion
I was quite impressed with the Samsung SC-HMX20C Full HD camcorder. The only thing I could enjoy the full HD quality screen was through watching TV channels proving HD broadcasts. However, I could record and playback the full HD contents that I made by myself from SC-HMX20C. I felt like I was a movie director ^.^ Even though the quality of video and still images in a low light environment are not as good as in a bright situation like outdoors, the quality was perfectly OK for me.
SC-HMX20C is easy to operate. 8GB of built-in memory which holds up to 71 minutes with the full HD quality (1920x1080i) is enough to take video for a day with the provided battery. If you need additional external SDHC card, you would definitely need another battery.
In general, I think that SC-HMX20C would be one of the best Full HD camcorders in the world so far.
Reviewed by Sean: http://goitworld.blogspot.com
It has been a year since Samsung released the SC-HMX10, a high definition camcorder. Now Samsung released C-HMX20C, the next generation of SC-HMX10 supporting full high definition which is 1920x1080 resolution. SC-HMX10 seems to be a quite competitive product in its design and functionality.
Samsung has offered me to review its new SC-HMX20C camcorder that would be launching soon. Then, I have spent for a while to get to know SC-HMX20C and here is my review.
Let’s look at the appearance first and then its performance.
Appearance
Having only a few buttons, the design of SC-HMX20C looks so simple.
The first impression when I saw the SC-HMX20C camcorder was that it looked like a can of Coke or bear, a cylinder shaped body. Since SC-HMX20C is the next generation of the SC-HMX10, the design prototype seems to be the same and the shape led me to easily grab the SC-HMX20C with my little hand. However, it seemed to be a little heavier than its appearance.
The front side is full of 10x optical zoom lens which has a focal length of 6.3mm ~ 63mm and a 30mm filter diameter. Along the side arc of the lens, the built-in stereo microphones reside. When you use two hands to operate the camcorder, you have to be aware of not covering the microphone area with hands.
The right side is composed of a leather hand strap which rotates 150 degrees downward from the main body. This swivel angle is enough to move the body to capture views.
The back side has the mode button that changes modes: camcorder, digital camera and playback. A record stop/start button is located slightly on the right side with the power switch located underneath. Along the bottom curve, there is a cover in which the removable battery and SD/SDHC memory card can be inserted.
The left side is the main part. When you open the LCD cover, you can see the 2.7” LCD. The LCD panel is composed of the Q.Menu button, zoom in/out jog and the record start/stop button. The LCD panel also rotates 90 degrees upward and 90 degrees downward. On the main body side, the HDMI port and USB port are lined up. You can also find the built-in speaker, an additional Q.Menu/i.Check and flash light button on the main body.
The top side consists of the zoon in/out jog which is located on the right position to control with the right hand.
The zoom in/out jog feels so soft when operating it. This would be one of the pros of this product.
The SC-HMX20C package also includes a docking station where you can place the camcorder on it and which provides additional HDMI, USB, and component connections.
Performance
The more I use SC-HMX20C, the more I like it. The video quality is perfect. I have a 47” LCD Full High Definition TV which supports 1920x1080 resolution. I connected SC-HMX20C and my Full HD TV. The recorded videos from SC-HMX20C were perfectly played well and the LCD screen of my Full HD TV displayed the recorded contents as detail as I can see the makeup on my wife’s face. As I watch the screen, I could understand the power of the Full High Definition functionality.
However, the recorded video files could not be played well from my PC directly. The specification of my PC is a Pentium 4 Intel 2.8GHz with a built-in graphic on the main board. The video files seemed to be heavy for my PC to run. I have not tried to use a separate graphic card. But I think you should have a high performance PC to fully enjoy what you have recorded from your PC.
The user’s guide specified the PC system requirements as follows:
OS: Windows Vista/XP (Service Pack 2)
CPU: Intel Pentium4, 3.2GHz/AMD Athlon 64FX, 2.6GHz recommended
Memory: 512MB (1GB or more recommended)
USB Port: USB2.0
Resolution: 1024x768, 16bit color or more
Video Card: nVIDIA Geforce 7600GT or more, ATi X1600 series or more
Also, the provided DVD Suite software runs best under Intel Core2Duo processor or the CPU that supports MMX, SSE, SSE2 or 3DNow.
SC-HMX20C provides 8GB of built-in memory. You can also use an external SDHC or MMCplus card for additional memory. But I think 8GB of the built-in memory is enough. 1GB holds a little over 8 minutes of recording time with the best quality. This allows 71 minutes with 8GB memory. One day, I went to a picnic with SC-HMX20C and I could fully use the built-in 8GB memory with the provided battery. The battery capacity was enough for me to use 8GB.
Since the LCD is the touch pad screen, I could easily manage files and control the menu. Although finger prints remaining on the LCD is a weak point, it was not a big deal.
There are some functions of SC-HMX20C that I liked most as follows:
1. Continuous still image capture during video recording:
When recording video, still images of HD quality in JPEG format can be stored up to 5 pictures per second.
2. Slow motion video recording.
This was a good feature when I analyzed my golf swing to see what I need to correct. The 30 frames per second provided super slow motion speed.
3. Image stabilizer
The electronic image stabilization is another favorite for those who are not quite as steady handed or are in a moving motion. Also it is good when recording video while zooming in. This must be a necessity feature.
4. Still image
SC-HMX20C is also used as a 6.4 megapixel digital camera. This is more than enough to get good quality images for non professional users. Although the sensor is not super high quality and it will not replace a good high quality CCD sensor, the SC-HMX20C camera is worth looking at and using on holidays.
5. Touch screen LCD
The 2.7” touch screen LCD is really convenient when I operate the camcorder.
6. Quick power up
As soon as the power button is pressed to turn on the camcorder, the LCD boots up immediately. This quick response allowed me to get ready to take shots.
Menu and Setting Screens
It would be too much to cover all the setting that SC-HMX20C supports. I took some image cuts of the main setting menu for the camcorder to help you understand more about the camcorder.
There are 6 screens that cover the settings. Each setting has a child setting and so on. Followings are screens shots for the video setting menu and camera setting menu. As you can see, many of the same settings for the digital camera are also available for the camcorder. Some of the exceptions are features such as image stabilization and Color Nite.
The digital camera has a 6.4MP CMOS sensor and it performs quite well as an ordinary digital camera for general users. With setting the Continuous Shot feature on, I could continuously get shots of moving image while pressing the Photo button. This led me to select the best shot among them. Even, I could get still images in the Full HD quality (1920x1080) while recording video. The still images taken at dusk have some noise. This would be more common for the CMOS sensors than high quality CCD sensors. However, it would be OK for me since many other digital cameras have CMOS sensors.
Specifications
Following is the product specification in general.
System
Signal Type: NTSC
Video Format: H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC)
Audio Format: AAC (Advanced Audio Coding)
Sensor Type: CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor)
Sensor Size: 1/1.8”
Number of Pixels: 6.4MB
Lenz: F1.8~2.5 (10x Optical Zoom, 100x Digital Zoom)
Filter Diameter: 49mm
Focus Distance: 6.3~63mm
Storage Media: 8GB built-in Flash Memory, SDHC/MMC+
Dimension: 2.6”x2.65”x5.47”
Weight: 1.01 lb
LCD Monitor
LCD Size/Pixels: 2.7”, 230K pixels
LCD Type: TFT LCD, Touch LCD
Video Recording Spec
Recording Format: H.264
Recording Resolution: HD: 1920x1080i (60i30p), SD: 720x480
Recording Quality: Super Fine/Fine/Normal
Audio Format: AAC
Number of Channel: 2 Channels (Stereo)
Speaker: Yes (built-in)
Microphone: Yes (built-in)
Still Image Spec
Format: JPEG
Resolution: 3264x2448 (8M interpolation), 2304x1728(4M), 3M, 1.5M, 340K
Quality: Super Fine
Interface
USB: USB2.0
IEEE1394: No
Composite: Yes
S-Video: Yes
Component: Yes
HDMI: Yes
Direct Print System: DPOF, PictBridge
S/W and PC OS
Compatible OS: Windows XP/2000/Vista (32bit, 64bit), Not Compatible with MAC
Bundle PC S/W: Cyber Link DVD Suite
Pros:
Easy to use and carry
Good design
Touch screen LCD (2.7” large LCD)
Ultimately quick start up
Good video quality of 1920x1080 resolution: Full HD quality
6.4M CMOS sensor
8GB of built-in memory and 1.5 hours of battery life
10x video/camera optical zoom
Cons:
A little heavier than its appearance
Takes time when changing modes (video -> camera -> Play)
Conclusion
I was quite impressed with the Samsung SC-HMX20C Full HD camcorder. The only thing I could enjoy the full HD quality screen was through watching TV channels proving HD broadcasts. However, I could record and playback the full HD contents that I made by myself from SC-HMX20C. I felt like I was a movie director ^.^ Even though the quality of video and still images in a low light environment are not as good as in a bright situation like outdoors, the quality was perfectly OK for me.
SC-HMX20C is easy to operate. 8GB of built-in memory which holds up to 71 minutes with the full HD quality (1920x1080i) is enough to take video for a day with the provided battery. If you need additional external SDHC card, you would definitely need another battery.
In general, I think that SC-HMX20C would be one of the best Full HD camcorders in the world so far.
Reviewed by Sean: http://goitworld.blogspot.com
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Samsung S3: A New DAP from Korea, the Mp3 Player Motherland
The AkiabaraNews.com posted Samsung's New YP-S3 MP3 player. Following is the info:
This morning Samsung released news of its new Mp3 player, the S3. It will be available in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB versions and available worldwide in June.
Our little DAP (44x95x9.8mm 53g) features a 1.8” TFT LCD, supports DNSe 2.0 technology, as well as MPEG-4, MP3, WAM, OGG and TXT. As for audio playback you should expect something like 25 hrs of play time and 4 hrs of video.
SEOUL, KOREA – April 30, 2008 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has recently unveiled the S3 (YP-S3), an MP3 player true to the fundamental value that multimedia player concept is meant to provide. This is the successor to the K3, a million-seller last year thanks to its outstanding audio quality and aesthetically pleasing design.
The design and sound are even better this time around, and a video playback function has been included to expand utility. The listening experience, too, is improved by new features involving sight and touch.
The new S3 employs the upgraded version of Samsung’s proprietary Digital Natural Sound engine. (DNSe 2.0) Users get outstanding sound quality along with twelve preset “audio equalizers” (EQs) such as Concert Hall, Studio, and Rock. Street Mode assists the listener in noisy environments, and the user can adjust the EQ, 3D Sound and Bass Boost to create a customized auditory effect.
For visual stimulation, the S3 comes in five different vivid colors (black, white, red, green and blue) and offers three beautiful screen saver patterns. An LED lighting effect is linked rhythmically to the on-screen images for greater listening enjoyment.
Samsung engineers sampled the hand shapes of numerous users to improve the form factor and design for optimal gripping comfort. The corners have been rounded off while the back of the player is curved by being set at different angles horizontally and vertically to provide the best feel in the hand.
S3 users can play music, watch video clips, listen to and record FM radio broadcasts, view photographs, read text, and be awakened by an alarm. The suite of multimedia features includes five fun built-in games. Also set for launch is a speaker cradle (YA-SD210) that provides a new music listening environment that integrates the design concept.
The S3 comes in with storage capacities of 2, 4 or 8GB, and will be available in June worldwide.
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You may click the following link for more info:
http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-15928-Samsung+S3%3A+A+New+DAP+from+Korea%2C+the+Mp3+Player+Motherland.html
http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-15928-Samsung+S3%3A+A+New+DAP+from+Korea%2C+the+Mp3+Player+Motherland.html
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Images of Samsung YP-S3 MP3 Player
Samsung is releasing YP-S3 MP3 player soon. Here are images of YP-S3. 
There are various colors.
There are various colors.
Like an iPod, S3 has a pretty docking station. It looks like a little spaceship.
Here are the earphones.
Black is also available.
Samsung YA-SBR510 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
Samsung is ready to release a wireless Bluetooth speaker, YA-SBR510.
It is composed of hyper 3 channel surround speaker, Bluetooth auto seamless playbak, premium desing with a wave light, remote controller sensor, and motion detection sensor.
Its excellent sourround sound with 3 channel speakers makes the listenner feel comfortable and convenient.
Its excellent sourround sound with 3 channel speakers makes the listenner feel comfortable and convenient.YA-SBR510 is slim and has stylish body with a premium blue wave light.
YA-SBR510 is compatible with not only Bluetooth, but also with optical, USB, and AUX analog. It is the best for music and movie. Place it anywhere you want to listen to without connecting long cables. The wireless Bluetooth speaker is coming this May. The price is not yet determined. But I believe the feature should worth.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Samsung Progressive HD Camcorder SC-HMX10C
The Gadgeteer.com reviewed Samsung SC-HMX10C HD digital camcorder as follows:
In the two years since I reviewed the Sanyo VPC-HD1 camcorder, I've been using it as my main method of capturing video. I love it for its size and ease of use, but have always been disappointed at its low light performance. Since I don't include a video spot in all the reviews I do, I just kept putting up with the Sanyo instead of replacing it. That changed recently when the folks at Samsung invited me to review their SC-HMX10C Progressive HD camcorder. I've been using this camera for several weeks now, so let's take a closer look....
In the two years since I reviewed the Sanyo VPC-HD1 camcorder, I've been using it as my main method of capturing video. I love it for its size and ease of use, but have always been disappointed at its low light performance. Since I don't include a video spot in all the reviews I do, I just kept putting up with the Sanyo instead of replacing it. That changed recently when the folks at Samsung invited me to review their SC-HMX10C Progressive HD camcorder. I've been using this camera for several weeks now, so let's take a closer look....
Hardware Specifications
Image SensorSensor type - CMOSSensor size - 1/4.5"Number of pixels - 1.56 MLensF Value - F1.86-2.3Optical Zoom - 10xDigital Zoom - 20xFilter Diameter - 30mmDisplay2.7" Touchscreen LCDNumber of pixels - 230 KVideoSignal - NTSCRecording Format - H.264, MP4Resolution - HD: 1280x720/59.94p, SD: 720x480/59.94p 720x480/59.94i (Line in mode)Low Light Sensitivity - 15 luxPhoto / Still ImageFormat - JPEGResolution - 1440 x 1080, VGA (640 x 480)Memory8gb built inSDHC / MMCPlus memory card slotInterfacePC - USB 2.0Video - Composite, Component, HDMIAudio - Earphone jackPowerBattery - 7.4V 850mAh Lithium PolymerSizeDimensions - 2.42 x 2.66 x 4.63 inchesWeight - 0.7lb
Image SensorSensor type - CMOSSensor size - 1/4.5"Number of pixels - 1.56 MLensF Value - F1.86-2.3Optical Zoom - 10xDigital Zoom - 20xFilter Diameter - 30mmDisplay2.7" Touchscreen LCDNumber of pixels - 230 KVideoSignal - NTSCRecording Format - H.264, MP4Resolution - HD: 1280x720/59.94p, SD: 720x480/59.94p 720x480/59.94i (Line in mode)Low Light Sensitivity - 15 luxPhoto / Still ImageFormat - JPEGResolution - 1440 x 1080, VGA (640 x 480)Memory8gb built inSDHC / MMCPlus memory card slotInterfacePC - USB 2.0Video - Composite, Component, HDMIAudio - Earphone jackPowerBattery - 7.4V 850mAh Lithium PolymerSizeDimensions - 2.42 x 2.66 x 4.63 inchesWeight - 0.7lb
Package Contents
SC-HMX10C camcorderBattery packAC power adapterMulti-AV cableComponent cableHDMI cableUSB cableUser manualQuick start guideCR2025 remote batteryRemote controlCradleSoftware CDCarrying pouch
If you pay much attention at all about video formats and terms, the word progressive, is probably familiar to you. It is a scanning method. A video frame is made up of many lines of video that are scanned onto a television screen so closely that they appear to be a solid picture. The scanning method can be either interlaced or progressive. Interlaced scanning (also used in today's analog TVs), indicated by an "i" in the video format, fills in the odd number lines (1,3,5,7...) and then fills in the even number lines (2,4,6,8...) until the frame is complete. Progressive scanning, "p" fills in each line consecutively until the frame is complete, like a computer display. So, basically speaking, progressive is good. :o)
SC-HMX10C camcorderBattery packAC power adapterMulti-AV cableComponent cableHDMI cableUSB cableUser manualQuick start guideCR2025 remote batteryRemote controlCradleSoftware CDCarrying pouch
If you pay much attention at all about video formats and terms, the word progressive, is probably familiar to you. It is a scanning method. A video frame is made up of many lines of video that are scanned onto a television screen so closely that they appear to be a solid picture. The scanning method can be either interlaced or progressive. Interlaced scanning (also used in today's analog TVs), indicated by an "i" in the video format, fills in the odd number lines (1,3,5,7...) and then fills in the even number lines (2,4,6,8...) until the frame is complete. Progressive scanning, "p" fills in each line consecutively until the frame is complete, like a computer display. So, basically speaking, progressive is good. :o)
Hardware Tour
The SC-HMX10C has a small compact design that I really like. As you can see here, it's about the same size as a can of Diet Coke. It won't take up a lot of space in your gear bag.
For more information, you may link to:
Review: Samsung SC-HMX10
The Labtopmag.com reviewed Samsung SC-HMX10 digital camcorder as follows:
by Russ Fischer on April 1, 2008
Pros:
* Lightweight
* Easy-to-use design
* Captures moving subjects well
Cons:
* Slightly dull colors
* Low light detail and focus problems
Samsung’s HD camcorder is light (5.0 ounces) and unassuming. Shaped more or less like a soda can, the HMX10 creates 720p video (1280 x 720) compressed to the H.264/MPEG-4 codec and stored either on the internal 8GB of flash memory or to SDHC/MMC+ cards. With a minimal control layout, it's a user-friendly camcorder, but it won’t be so appealing to serious shooters. The video output has enough flaws that the cam is strictly for weekend warriors.
In terms of physical design, the HMX10 is very easy to use. The rear side is decorated with Record and Mode Select buttons, a power switch, and an Easy Settings button (which sets white balance, exposure, focus, shutter, and stabilization to ‘auto’), with photo shutter and zoom controls riding on the camera’s top side. The LCD—from which we’d like to see a bit more brightness in sunlight—handles all the UI menus through a touchscreen interface. While some on-screen buttons are small, the screen responded well, and the menu system was generally easy to use.
We have a few small complaints. The swivel grip, located on the right side, seems fragile and generally unnecessary. We’d like a better lens cap option; what appears to be an electronically controlled slider is actually operated by a switch located inconveniently at about five o’clock when viewing the camera from the rear. Finally, we’d like a mode-select dial instead of the single electronic button, which requires waiting for the camera to load each mode (photo, video, playback) before you can select the next.
In full daylight, subjects were extremely natural in appearance. Details were sharp and colors rendered with a neutral cast. But clips were arguably dull; a little saturation bump wouldn’t hurt. Because the MPEG-4 codec is not as adroit with shadow detail as AVCHD, darker details tended to fall away in bright light; fine colors and detail were also out of the camera’s range, again due in part to limitations of the codec.
The HMX10’s progressive shooting mode is good for moving shots and subjects, as you’ll see less blur and more detail per frame than shooting in an interlaced format. Low light introduced significant noise and pronounced contrast. We also had problems obtaining and keeping focus and noticed more compression artifacts due to the contrast. The cam’s mic captured realistic, very clear audio in all our clips. Samsung rates a full battery charge at 90 minutes for “continuous shooting,” but when using zoom functions and other options you can expect about 50 minutes of use.
The combination of average video quality and minimal controls decidedly make this a camera for casual shooters. However, comparably priced models from Canon and Sanyo deliver much better results. Families looking for a simple HD solution will do well with the HMX10; others should look to more robust options.
by Russ Fischer on April 1, 2008
Pros:* Lightweight
* Easy-to-use design
* Captures moving subjects well
Cons:
* Slightly dull colors
* Low light detail and focus problems
Samsung’s HD camcorder is light (5.0 ounces) and unassuming. Shaped more or less like a soda can, the HMX10 creates 720p video (1280 x 720) compressed to the H.264/MPEG-4 codec and stored either on the internal 8GB of flash memory or to SDHC/MMC+ cards. With a minimal control layout, it's a user-friendly camcorder, but it won’t be so appealing to serious shooters. The video output has enough flaws that the cam is strictly for weekend warriors.
In terms of physical design, the HMX10 is very easy to use. The rear side is decorated with Record and Mode Select buttons, a power switch, and an Easy Settings button (which sets white balance, exposure, focus, shutter, and stabilization to ‘auto’), with photo shutter and zoom controls riding on the camera’s top side. The LCD—from which we’d like to see a bit more brightness in sunlight—handles all the UI menus through a touchscreen interface. While some on-screen buttons are small, the screen responded well, and the menu system was generally easy to use.
We have a few small complaints. The swivel grip, located on the right side, seems fragile and generally unnecessary. We’d like a better lens cap option; what appears to be an electronically controlled slider is actually operated by a switch located inconveniently at about five o’clock when viewing the camera from the rear. Finally, we’d like a mode-select dial instead of the single electronic button, which requires waiting for the camera to load each mode (photo, video, playback) before you can select the next.
In full daylight, subjects were extremely natural in appearance. Details were sharp and colors rendered with a neutral cast. But clips were arguably dull; a little saturation bump wouldn’t hurt. Because the MPEG-4 codec is not as adroit with shadow detail as AVCHD, darker details tended to fall away in bright light; fine colors and detail were also out of the camera’s range, again due in part to limitations of the codec.
The HMX10’s progressive shooting mode is good for moving shots and subjects, as you’ll see less blur and more detail per frame than shooting in an interlaced format. Low light introduced significant noise and pronounced contrast. We also had problems obtaining and keeping focus and noticed more compression artifacts due to the contrast. The cam’s mic captured realistic, very clear audio in all our clips. Samsung rates a full battery charge at 90 minutes for “continuous shooting,” but when using zoom functions and other options you can expect about 50 minutes of use.
The combination of average video quality and minimal controls decidedly make this a camera for casual shooters. However, comparably priced models from Canon and Sanyo deliver much better results. Families looking for a simple HD solution will do well with the HMX10; others should look to more robust options.
For more information, you may click:
http://www.laptopmag.com/review/camcorders/samsung-sc-hmx10.aspx
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Review: Samsung HT-BD2T
CNet.com reviewed Samsung HT-BD2T. Please check it out:
http://reviews.cnet.com/home-theater-systems/samsung-ht-bd2t/4505-6740_7-32553619.html?tag=bubbl_1
Product summary
The good: 7.1-channel all-in-one home theater system with built-in Blu-ray player; built-in support for latest Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio surround processing; elegant styling, with four tallboy speakers; full-size subwoofer; upscales DVDs to 1080p.
The bad: Very expensive; only Blu-ray Profile 1.0 compliant, so it will not play some bonus features on some new discs in 2008; few jacks for connecting external sources; slow disc loading; no auto speaker calibration.
The bottom line: The Samsung HT-BD2T delivers the sort of top-notch video quality you'd expect from the world's first home theater system with built-in Blu-ray--but its high price, average audio quality, and lack of extras make it tough to recommend.
Specs: Product type: Home theater system; Components: Speaker system,; DVD player / AV receiver; DVD type: Blu-Ray disc and HD DVD player See full specs >> See all products in the Samsung Blu-ray player series (2007)
Reviewed by: Steve GuttenbergEdited by: John P. FalconeReviewed on 3/21/08 Release date: 12/15/07
Now that Blu-ray has officially triumphed over its HD DVD rival, it's only natural to begin seeing the high-definition disc format begin to become a bit more, well, standardized. Take the Samsung HT-BD2T: It's the first home-theater-in-a-box system in the world to feature a built-in Blu-ray player. It's exactly the sort of gorgeously styled system--curvy disc player, matching 7.1 channel speaker/subwoofer system--that's dominated the top-end of Samsung's home theater line-up for the past few years, except that this one plays Blu-ray Discs in addition to DVDs and CDs. The skinny speakers don't make much bass, but the hefty powered subwoofer supplies ample low-end thunder. The Blu-ray player, meanwhile, is essentially identical to that of the Samsung BD-P1400: it offers all of the current Blu-ray niceties, including 1080p video with 24 frames per second playback over its HDMI 1.3 output, upscaling of standard DVDs to 1080p resolution, and the capability to decode the lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio found on the latest Blu-ray movies. Of course, the BD2T's emphasis on style means that those skinny speakers don't quite have the oomph to let you discernibly hear the improvements of those soundtracks versus their lower bandwidth DVD equivalents. Likewise, the Blu-ray player performed well, but the dearth of upgradeability to newer Profile 1.1 and 2.0 Blu-ray specs means that it's already outdated. Also, the HT-BD2T's scant connectivity--just two digital and one analog audio input--means that your TV will need to handle the video switching duties for your system. None of those are necessarily a deal breaker, but to us, that sounds like an unnecessarily long list of caveats on a $1,500 system.
Design
The Samsung HT-BD2T is a 7.1-channel Blu-ray home theater in a box. That translates to a 9-part system: seven speakers, a subwoofer, and a curvaceous head unit that houses all of the electronics, including the disc player and amplifier.
The high-gloss black top of the head unit slopes down to meet a protruding silver control panel that houses a row of basic controls--Volume Up/Down, Play, Stop, Previous/Next, and Function buttons. On the left side there's a disc-loading slot; on the right, a not so easy to see display that indicates track times and surround processing information. The unit is 3.5 inches tall by 17 inches wide by 16 inches deep and weighs 9.3 pounds--in other words, it's larger than a standard DVD or Blu-ray player, but not extraordinarily so.
The long, slender remote control is nothing fancy. Considering the HT-BD2's flagship pricing, we expected the remote to be at least backlit, but no such luck. The Volume Up/Down and cursor controls are well placed, but the rest of the buttons are crowded together and too small. It can also be programmed to control basic functions on most brands of TVs (naturally, it works out of the box with Samsung models).
The speaker package includes four tallboy speakers--two main-front and two side-surround-- that require some assembly if you intend to use them as floorstanding speakers. Your alternative is to wall-mount the speakers with their keyhole slots. We listened to them assembled, and the 51-inch tall towers were reasonably stable. The 21.6-inch wide center speaker has a table stand or can be wall-mounted, that's also true for the 10.6-inch tall rear surround satellites. The gloss and matte black speakers are all-plastic designs with perforated metal grilles. They're attractive in a home theater in a box way; build quality is merely average for HTIBs, and well below average when compared with even sub-$1,000 speaker/subwoofer packages. You are, in effect, paying a premium for the convenience of buying a packaged system. A well-chosen separate Blu-ray player, AV receiver, and speaker package will offer superior audio performance for about the same money as the $1,500 HT-BD2T.
The HT-BD2T's matching medium-density fiberboard subwoofer looks and feels a lot more substantial than the speakers do. It's 19.7x11.4x17.2 inches, and weighs 35.3 pounds. It also requires its own power cord.
While assembling the speaker stands can be time consuming, setup is straightforward: each speaker plugs into the main unit with a color-coded plug, so there's little chance of error.
We were a bit surprised to note the HT-BD2T's feature set doesn't include auto speaker calibration; but the sound was reasonably well balanced without any fussing on our part. Still, chances are you'll have to navigate the onscreen setup menus to get the video squared away, so while you're there you can fine-tune the volume levels of all the speakers (the subwoofer has its own rear-mounted volume control).
FeaturesThe main unit of the HT-BD2T is probably best described as the guts of a Samsung BD-P1400 Blu-ray player paired with a built-in amplifier. The unit plays Blu-ray and DVD movies and audio CDs, as well as burned DVDs and CDs, including those with JPEG photos and MP3 audio.
The amplifier delivers 135 watts to each speaker channel and 150 watts to the subwoofer. Its surround processing modes are comprehensive: Dolby Digital and DTS for DVDs; Dolby Pro Logic IIx for generating a faux surround effect (using all seven speakers) from stereo sources; and--for Blu-ray Discs--support for Dolby Digital Plus, uncompressed linear PCM, and lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks. Those last items--sometimes missing from Blu-ray players and AV receivers--mean that the Samsung HT-BD2T should play any Blu-ray movie with its optimal soundtrack.
Like all Blu-ray players, the HT-BD2T can output video at 720p, 1080i, or full 1080p via HDMI. It can also upscale standard DVDs to those resolutions as well, and it supports 24-frame playback at 1080p, which may offer smoother playback on some compatible TVs. The system is upgradeable via an Ethernet connection, but only for minor fixes such as disc compatibility issues. The Blu-ray player doesn't support Profile 1.1 (picture in picture) or 2.0 (BD-Live) Blu-ray features, nor can it be upgraded to do so. It's not a total loss--it will still play the movies and other extras found on 1.1 and 2.0 discs--but given the premium you're paying for the HT-BD2T, we'd prefer state of the art.
The HT-BD2T connectivity offerings are slim. Aside from HDMI, video output choices are limited to component and--for non-HD televisions--composite. There are no audio outputs (which makes sense, since you're buying this package to use the surround speakers). Inputs are limited to just two optical digital ports and one set of stereo analog connectors. Combined with the dearth of video inputs, that means you'll need your TV to handle video switching duties for other AV components, such as game consoles and cable/satellite boxes. It also means that you're limited to plugging in three audio sources--two surround and one stereo--to take advantage of the HT-BD2T's speakers. In addition to the disc player and the ability to toggle among three external audio sources, the only other built-in functionality of the HT-DB2T is an FM radio.
Aside from the built-in Blu-ray player, the feature list of the Samsung HT-BD2T is actually pretty thin. That's par for the course for "lifestyle" home theater systems, but at this price, we would expect to see plenty mores--Sirius or XM satellite radio support, HDMI passthrough, video switching, or a more current Blu-ray compatibility (Profile 1.1 or 2.0 built-in, or the ability to upgrade). Also missing in action are bass and treble or any sort of tone controls. There's also no headphone jack.
PerformanceFor the most part, the Blu-ray player of the Samsung HT-BD2T performs pretty much in line with most other Blu-ray players we've tested--which is to say, it's pretty slow. Disc loading times varied--some Blu-ray discs were up and running in 35 seconds, but the Sunshine Blu-ray needed a full two minutes to come to life (DVDs rolled in 15 seconds). The HT-BD2 needed five seconds to change CD tracks. Gee, we thought new technology was supposed to be not only better, but also faster. More gripes: the rear-mounted cooling fan is noisy enough to be heard during quiet movie scenes. On the bright side, the player had no trouble playing the 3:10 to Yuma Blu-ray, a disc that's proved to glitch on other Samsung players. Otherwise, we found the Blu-ray playback on the BD2T to be essentially in line with the Samsung BD-P1400, the standalone player upon which this model is based.
To assess the HT-BD2T's sonics we started with Dolby's The Sound of High-Definition Blu-ray demo disc. Switching between lossless TrueHD and standard Dolby Digital revealed little difference on the well-recorded San Francisco Symphony tracks; the Dave Matthews' Live at Radio City tracks didn't benefit from TrueHD's technically superior sonics. The HT-BD2 sounded smooth and bass was full. Detail was only average for upscale HTIBs.
With our old HTIB torture test standby now on Blu-ray, House of Flying Daggers, the HT-BD2T was unfazed by the circle of drums scene. The huge drums sounded powerful and the "thwack" sound as Ziyi Zhang kicked the massive drumheads was fairly well defined. Still, the swordplay's metallic clang sounded muted and lacked detail. We were more impressed with the HT-BD2T's capability to create a seamless, wraparound soundfield, even when we only used five speakers. Moving up to full 7.1 channel surround provided only slight improvement in the surround experience. The HT-BD2T can play loud enough to fill even moderately large rooms with sound.
We next used a Blu-ray Disc, Sunshine, to see if we could hear a difference between the regular and lossless DTS Master Audio tracks. The sci-fi flick has a great, deeply layered soundtrack, but we could not detect a sonic advantage for the lossless format. Also of note: we couldn't use the picture-in-picture commentary feature on the disc, as that only works on newer Profile 1.1 Blu-ray players.
CD sound was a step down from movie sound; we felt that the HT-BD2T blurred Radiohead's atmospheric sound mixes on their In Rainbows CD. "Walk of Life" from Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms CD felt dynamically flat. Like most home theater systems, the HT-BD2T was more satisfying with movies.
Editors' Note: The Samsung HT-BD2T is available exclusively at retailer Fry's.
http://reviews.cnet.com/home-theater-systems/samsung-ht-bd2t/4505-6740_7-32553619.html?tag=bubbl_1
Product summary
The good: 7.1-channel all-in-one home theater system with built-in Blu-ray player; built-in support for latest Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio surround processing; elegant styling, with four tallboy speakers; full-size subwoofer; upscales DVDs to 1080p.
The bad: Very expensive; only Blu-ray Profile 1.0 compliant, so it will not play some bonus features on some new discs in 2008; few jacks for connecting external sources; slow disc loading; no auto speaker calibration.
The bottom line: The Samsung HT-BD2T delivers the sort of top-notch video quality you'd expect from the world's first home theater system with built-in Blu-ray--but its high price, average audio quality, and lack of extras make it tough to recommend.
Specs: Product type: Home theater system; Components: Speaker system,; DVD player / AV receiver; DVD type: Blu-Ray disc and HD DVD player See full specs >> See all products in the Samsung Blu-ray player series (2007)
Reviewed by: Steve GuttenbergEdited by: John P. FalconeReviewed on 3/21/08 Release date: 12/15/07
Now that Blu-ray has officially triumphed over its HD DVD rival, it's only natural to begin seeing the high-definition disc format begin to become a bit more, well, standardized. Take the Samsung HT-BD2T: It's the first home-theater-in-a-box system in the world to feature a built-in Blu-ray player. It's exactly the sort of gorgeously styled system--curvy disc player, matching 7.1 channel speaker/subwoofer system--that's dominated the top-end of Samsung's home theater line-up for the past few years, except that this one plays Blu-ray Discs in addition to DVDs and CDs. The skinny speakers don't make much bass, but the hefty powered subwoofer supplies ample low-end thunder. The Blu-ray player, meanwhile, is essentially identical to that of the Samsung BD-P1400: it offers all of the current Blu-ray niceties, including 1080p video with 24 frames per second playback over its HDMI 1.3 output, upscaling of standard DVDs to 1080p resolution, and the capability to decode the lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio found on the latest Blu-ray movies. Of course, the BD2T's emphasis on style means that those skinny speakers don't quite have the oomph to let you discernibly hear the improvements of those soundtracks versus their lower bandwidth DVD equivalents. Likewise, the Blu-ray player performed well, but the dearth of upgradeability to newer Profile 1.1 and 2.0 Blu-ray specs means that it's already outdated. Also, the HT-BD2T's scant connectivity--just two digital and one analog audio input--means that your TV will need to handle the video switching duties for your system. None of those are necessarily a deal breaker, but to us, that sounds like an unnecessarily long list of caveats on a $1,500 system.
Design
The Samsung HT-BD2T is a 7.1-channel Blu-ray home theater in a box. That translates to a 9-part system: seven speakers, a subwoofer, and a curvaceous head unit that houses all of the electronics, including the disc player and amplifier.
The high-gloss black top of the head unit slopes down to meet a protruding silver control panel that houses a row of basic controls--Volume Up/Down, Play, Stop, Previous/Next, and Function buttons. On the left side there's a disc-loading slot; on the right, a not so easy to see display that indicates track times and surround processing information. The unit is 3.5 inches tall by 17 inches wide by 16 inches deep and weighs 9.3 pounds--in other words, it's larger than a standard DVD or Blu-ray player, but not extraordinarily so.
The long, slender remote control is nothing fancy. Considering the HT-BD2's flagship pricing, we expected the remote to be at least backlit, but no such luck. The Volume Up/Down and cursor controls are well placed, but the rest of the buttons are crowded together and too small. It can also be programmed to control basic functions on most brands of TVs (naturally, it works out of the box with Samsung models).
The speaker package includes four tallboy speakers--two main-front and two side-surround-- that require some assembly if you intend to use them as floorstanding speakers. Your alternative is to wall-mount the speakers with their keyhole slots. We listened to them assembled, and the 51-inch tall towers were reasonably stable. The 21.6-inch wide center speaker has a table stand or can be wall-mounted, that's also true for the 10.6-inch tall rear surround satellites. The gloss and matte black speakers are all-plastic designs with perforated metal grilles. They're attractive in a home theater in a box way; build quality is merely average for HTIBs, and well below average when compared with even sub-$1,000 speaker/subwoofer packages. You are, in effect, paying a premium for the convenience of buying a packaged system. A well-chosen separate Blu-ray player, AV receiver, and speaker package will offer superior audio performance for about the same money as the $1,500 HT-BD2T.
The HT-BD2T's matching medium-density fiberboard subwoofer looks and feels a lot more substantial than the speakers do. It's 19.7x11.4x17.2 inches, and weighs 35.3 pounds. It also requires its own power cord.
While assembling the speaker stands can be time consuming, setup is straightforward: each speaker plugs into the main unit with a color-coded plug, so there's little chance of error.
We were a bit surprised to note the HT-BD2T's feature set doesn't include auto speaker calibration; but the sound was reasonably well balanced without any fussing on our part. Still, chances are you'll have to navigate the onscreen setup menus to get the video squared away, so while you're there you can fine-tune the volume levels of all the speakers (the subwoofer has its own rear-mounted volume control).
FeaturesThe main unit of the HT-BD2T is probably best described as the guts of a Samsung BD-P1400 Blu-ray player paired with a built-in amplifier. The unit plays Blu-ray and DVD movies and audio CDs, as well as burned DVDs and CDs, including those with JPEG photos and MP3 audio.
The amplifier delivers 135 watts to each speaker channel and 150 watts to the subwoofer. Its surround processing modes are comprehensive: Dolby Digital and DTS for DVDs; Dolby Pro Logic IIx for generating a faux surround effect (using all seven speakers) from stereo sources; and--for Blu-ray Discs--support for Dolby Digital Plus, uncompressed linear PCM, and lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks. Those last items--sometimes missing from Blu-ray players and AV receivers--mean that the Samsung HT-BD2T should play any Blu-ray movie with its optimal soundtrack.
Like all Blu-ray players, the HT-BD2T can output video at 720p, 1080i, or full 1080p via HDMI. It can also upscale standard DVDs to those resolutions as well, and it supports 24-frame playback at 1080p, which may offer smoother playback on some compatible TVs. The system is upgradeable via an Ethernet connection, but only for minor fixes such as disc compatibility issues. The Blu-ray player doesn't support Profile 1.1 (picture in picture) or 2.0 (BD-Live) Blu-ray features, nor can it be upgraded to do so. It's not a total loss--it will still play the movies and other extras found on 1.1 and 2.0 discs--but given the premium you're paying for the HT-BD2T, we'd prefer state of the art.
The HT-BD2T connectivity offerings are slim. Aside from HDMI, video output choices are limited to component and--for non-HD televisions--composite. There are no audio outputs (which makes sense, since you're buying this package to use the surround speakers). Inputs are limited to just two optical digital ports and one set of stereo analog connectors. Combined with the dearth of video inputs, that means you'll need your TV to handle video switching duties for other AV components, such as game consoles and cable/satellite boxes. It also means that you're limited to plugging in three audio sources--two surround and one stereo--to take advantage of the HT-BD2T's speakers. In addition to the disc player and the ability to toggle among three external audio sources, the only other built-in functionality of the HT-DB2T is an FM radio.
Aside from the built-in Blu-ray player, the feature list of the Samsung HT-BD2T is actually pretty thin. That's par for the course for "lifestyle" home theater systems, but at this price, we would expect to see plenty mores--Sirius or XM satellite radio support, HDMI passthrough, video switching, or a more current Blu-ray compatibility (Profile 1.1 or 2.0 built-in, or the ability to upgrade). Also missing in action are bass and treble or any sort of tone controls. There's also no headphone jack.
PerformanceFor the most part, the Blu-ray player of the Samsung HT-BD2T performs pretty much in line with most other Blu-ray players we've tested--which is to say, it's pretty slow. Disc loading times varied--some Blu-ray discs were up and running in 35 seconds, but the Sunshine Blu-ray needed a full two minutes to come to life (DVDs rolled in 15 seconds). The HT-BD2 needed five seconds to change CD tracks. Gee, we thought new technology was supposed to be not only better, but also faster. More gripes: the rear-mounted cooling fan is noisy enough to be heard during quiet movie scenes. On the bright side, the player had no trouble playing the 3:10 to Yuma Blu-ray, a disc that's proved to glitch on other Samsung players. Otherwise, we found the Blu-ray playback on the BD2T to be essentially in line with the Samsung BD-P1400, the standalone player upon which this model is based.
To assess the HT-BD2T's sonics we started with Dolby's The Sound of High-Definition Blu-ray demo disc. Switching between lossless TrueHD and standard Dolby Digital revealed little difference on the well-recorded San Francisco Symphony tracks; the Dave Matthews' Live at Radio City tracks didn't benefit from TrueHD's technically superior sonics. The HT-BD2 sounded smooth and bass was full. Detail was only average for upscale HTIBs.
With our old HTIB torture test standby now on Blu-ray, House of Flying Daggers, the HT-BD2T was unfazed by the circle of drums scene. The huge drums sounded powerful and the "thwack" sound as Ziyi Zhang kicked the massive drumheads was fairly well defined. Still, the swordplay's metallic clang sounded muted and lacked detail. We were more impressed with the HT-BD2T's capability to create a seamless, wraparound soundfield, even when we only used five speakers. Moving up to full 7.1 channel surround provided only slight improvement in the surround experience. The HT-BD2T can play loud enough to fill even moderately large rooms with sound.
We next used a Blu-ray Disc, Sunshine, to see if we could hear a difference between the regular and lossless DTS Master Audio tracks. The sci-fi flick has a great, deeply layered soundtrack, but we could not detect a sonic advantage for the lossless format. Also of note: we couldn't use the picture-in-picture commentary feature on the disc, as that only works on newer Profile 1.1 Blu-ray players.
CD sound was a step down from movie sound; we felt that the HT-BD2T blurred Radiohead's atmospheric sound mixes on their In Rainbows CD. "Walk of Life" from Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms CD felt dynamically flat. Like most home theater systems, the HT-BD2T was more satisfying with movies.
Editors' Note: The Samsung HT-BD2T is available exclusively at retailer Fry's.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
PC Magazine: The Best Stuff
PC Magazine listed the Best Stuff in key categories.
Here is the link:
http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0%2C1738%2C198%2C00.asp
Here is the link:
http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0%2C1738%2C198%2C00.asp
Sunday, March 9, 2008
What A Looker! Samsung Proves It Has The Touch
If I was single and Samsung's 8GB YP-P2 digital music player was a girl, I wouldn't be single very long. I'd marry this little beauty (3.9 x 2.1 x 0.4 inches [HxWxD]) on the spot if she'd have me. Dazzlingly attractive (she comes in red, black, and white), intelligent, multifaceted, cutting-edge, and boasting a glorious singing voice, the P2 has me very much atwitter these days. I don’t even mind she has expensive tastes. I’m way under her spell, and it’s a beautiful place to be. This cutie has so many fantastic qualities it’s difficult to know where to begin gushing. How about the obvious? The P2’s 3-inch, 16:9 widescreen display (480 x 272 top resolution) not only shows movies, photos, and video clips smoothly with sharp, accurate colors, it also doubles as a touchscreen. Finger taps and swipes let you skip through video clips at various intervals, scroll photos, and tunnel through a slick Cosmos user interface. Cosmos displays menu icons (Music, Video, Pictures, Settings, etc.) in a 3D style that rotates the icons at various depths of field as you slide a finger across the screen. The P2 also offers a Matrix menu that lays the icons in a grid. There is a third My Skin option that overlays menu icons on a photo you choose. If all this weren’t enough, the P2 also has three font choices. (Told you she was multifaceted.)
The P2’s touchscreen is a little oversensitive at times and prone to fingerprints and smudges, but I don’t think you’ll mind. Of the scores of digital music players I’ve used, none has won me over as quickly as the P2 did while zooming on individual photos, tuning in FM radio stations, turning ebook pages, and incessantly flying through the four visualization options you have for song playback. Touchscreens definitely aren’t for everyone, but I haven’t minded the P2’s shortage of tactile buttons once. (There are Hold, Play/Pause, and two volume buttons.)
Wait, there’s more. The P2’s audio quality is maybe the best I’ve heard from any digital music player. Volume levels are strong without distortion, and midtones are fuller even at default settings than what I’ve heard with the vast majority of players. Samsung builds in Street Mode and Clarity sound effects, as well as nearly a dozen DNSe (Digital Natural Sound Engine) options (Normal, Rock, Classical, etc.) designed to output audio that’s more accurate and natural. Configuring the P2’s seven-band equalizer gave me the best audio performance.
Can you handle more gushing? The File Browser simplifies navigation through data on the P2, including text you can read with a built-in text reader. The reader is on a submenu that has a World Clock, Calendar, and Alarm Clock with multiple-alarm ability. Elsewhere, a Datacasts menu holds RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds you can transfer from Samsung’s Media Studio, a decent media player and file converter.
Arguably, the P2’s best feature (at least potential-wise) is its built-in Bluetooth 2.0 functionality, which lets you pair the P2 with wireless headsets or Bluetooth speakers for stereo-quality audio playback. You can also pair the player with an enabled cell phone to take calls from P2 and speak through the player’s microphone. Further, Samsung recently released details of a Blue Wave program that will entail periodic releases of consumer-centric functions taking advantage of the P2’s Bluetooth ability, including extended phone-calling chores and wireless file sharing. Adding such abilities means you’ll have to perform some firmware upgrades, but if Samsung follows through, you’ll also have a player that will grow older gracefully. The P2 is drawing comparisons to Apple’s iPhone and touch iPod, which both have touchscreens and Wi-Fi for Web surfing (something the P2 can’t do).
The P2’s audio and video file support could be better (MP3, WMA [Windows Media Audio], and AAC [Advanced Audio Coding] through firmware and MPEG-4 [Moving Picture Experts Group-4], SVI, and WMV9 [Windows Media Video 9] for video). Compatibility with Rhapsody (http://www.rhapsody.com/), Vongo (http://www.vongo.com/), and other subscription services, plus CinemaNow (http://www.cinemanow.com/) gives you decent content-download choices.
Despite her flaws, the P2 is without question a knockout.
by Blaine Flamig,
Article from: http://www.smartcomputing.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles/2008/s1904/03bs04/03bs04.asp&articleid=46497&guid=31A830356459411D898DC16C2A0A394
Sony, Samsung offer best value in Blu-Ray players
Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Now that Toshiba Corp. has conceded the battle over next generation DVD technology to Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray, it's time to evaluate high-definition players.Unlike current DVDs, Blu-ray can store a full-length, high- definition movie on a single disc. When viewed on an HD television, a Blu-ray movie should look amazingly sharp and rich in color. The selection of movies should improve, too, as Hollywood focuses on one standard.
I tested Blu-ray players from four companies: Sony, Panasonic, which is owned by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Tokyo-based Pioneer Corp., and Samsung Electronics Co., based in Suwon, South Korea. I also played Blu-ray movies on my Sony PlayStation 3 game console to see how it stacks up against the standalone players.
The image quality on all five devices was impressive, ranging from very good to excellent. I connected each player, one at a time, to my plasma TV and watched the Blu-ray versions of ``Planet Earth'' and ``Spider-Man 3,'' as well as the standard DVD versions of ``Lord of the Rings'' and the animated film ``Tarzan.''
Samsung's BD-P1400 and Sony's BDP-S500 showed a slight edge over the other devices. Images looked extra sharp on my plasma and colors were truly vivid. Even standard DVDs looked better because the Blu-ray devices I evaluated can perform a technique called upconversion which takes standard definition content and converts it to high definition by adding pixels on the screen. Both of my DVD flicks looked great on the HDTV, although movies on Blu-ray discs appeared even richer.
Start Speed
Startup speed -- the time between pressing the power button on the remote and the player showing the movie on screen -- was where I noticed a difference. The PlayStation 3 and Panasonic's DMP-BD30 were the fastest at 31 and 32 seconds, respectively. The Samsung came in next at 55 seconds, followed by Sony's BDP- S500, clocking in at 1 minute and 1 second. The Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD was the slowest at 1 minute and 11 seconds.
In general, Blu-ray players cost between $400 and about $1,000. Based on my tests and online research, the higher priced models don't provide noticeably better performance or features than their lower priced counterparts. For most users, I don't see a significant advantage to buying a more expensive player. The $999 Pioneer BDP-95FD was slower than the others and has features almost identical to Samsung's $400 BD-P1400.
The key difference is the additional infrared port on the Pioneer, which allows you to connect an external infrared box for a specialized remote control designed to access the Blu-ray player even through cabinet walls. This would be useful for someone who wants to hide their equipment. Pioneer said you can also access movies and photos from your computer with the BDP- 95FD player using an Ethernet cable.
Play Music
The four Blu-ray players can be plugged in to high-end, surround-sound speakers and they all support high-definition audio. They all play music CDs, although to play MP3s on the $600 Sony BDP-S500, you must have the content saved on a DVD.
The BD30 from Osaka-based Panasonic is the only player I looked at that's designed with a SecureDigital memory card slot, which can let you view videos from a camcorder or photos from a digital camera. Convenient, but you can also just plug your camera or camcorder directly to a TV with a standard audio/video cable.
The Samsung and Pioneer Blu-ray players, as well as the Sony PlayStation PS3 game console, have an Internet connection, allowing software upgrades. They all come with remote controls, though only Samsung's and Pioneer's are designed with handy, glow-in-the-dark buttons.
Good Looks
Sony's BDP-S500 is the most aesthetically pleasing for my taste, thanks in part to the glossy blue, auto-sliding front cover. Pioneer's 95FD looks classy and would fit right in with an audiophile's home theater setup. The $500 Panasonic BD30 is the lightest and smallest -- ideal for tight spaces.
All companies plan upgrades this summer or fall. Sony said this week that it will introduce two models, the $400 BDP-S350 and the $500 BDP-S550. Enhancements will include an Internet connection for software updates and the ability to access interactive content, a feature that the industry calls BD-Live.
Sony's new players will also have a feature called Bonus View or Picture-in-Picture. Typically, this is used for extra material on a movie disc, such as a director's commentary while the movie is playing. Panasonic,
Pioneer and Samsung also promise to add Bonus View to new Blu-ray models. None of the Blu-ray players I reviewed have Bonus View and BD-Live. The PlayStation 3, though, can be upgraded for those features through its online connection.
Samsung's BD-P1400 and the Sony PlayStation 3 have the most bang for the buck, although I read several reports on Amazon.com from people complaining that the Samsung machine wouldn't play new releases in Blu-ray format. Samsung said it will provide software updates that users can download via the Internet. To possibly avoid such hassles, consider the pricier Sony DBP-S500 or Panasonic BD30.
One advantage of the PlayStation 3: You can also play video games on it.
Blu-ray Players Scorecard
Panasonic DMP-BD30 $500 7/10 http://www.panasonic.com/
Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD $999 6/10 http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/
Samsung BD-P1400 $400 7.5/10 http://www.samsung.com/
Sony BDP-S500 $600 7.5/10 http://www.sonystyle.com/
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