Samsung BD-H5100 Blu-Ray Disc Player (2014 Model)

We have a few DVDs and our DVD player gave out. We also have a non-network HD TV and wanted to watch Netflix. This Samsung Blu-Ray player costs less than many streaming players yet provides both functions. This is a non-WiFi player (there is another Samsung model that has WiFi) and installation was simple. Connect to the router with an Ethernet cable. Connect to the TV with an HDMI cable. Put the batteries in the remote. Turn the player on. Done. The first thing the player does is check if the firmware is up to date. It was not, so the player asked for permission to download the latest version. No need for a computer to download the firmware update onto a USB stick, either. Major purpose for this purchase was to watch Netflix. Setup a brand new account using the player itself. Again, no computer needed. And the Netflix application is easy to use and fully featured. What about the other built-in apps? YouTube works fine, and you can pair it with a computer if desired. There is Pandora, AccuWeather (not as nice an app as the Panasonic Blu-Ray version), and a few other free and paid services. There is enough free content on YouTube and the other apps to keep you busy. And if one wants one of the paid apps, great. Thought the loading time for each app was reasonable. Its under fifteen seconds to go from the home screen to either YouTube or Netflix. And within NetFlix, the time to start watching is about the same as on a desktop web browser. The remote has some TV controls, but only for Samsung brand televisions. But that true with other manufactures as well: usually "Brand X" Blu-Ray remotes only control "Brand X" televisions. Five stars because this is a great value. A streaming player that makes any HDMI TV network enabled and a CD/DVD/Blu-Ray player. In one inexpensive, easy-to-setup box.

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I purchased this player "used-like new" from Amazon Warehouse Deals for a very attractive price. When delivered, some packaging was absent from the box, but the player had no visible cosmetic blemishes and worked just fine. I was so pleased that three weeks later I purchased another "used-very good" also from Amazon Warehouse Deals. This one appeared to be new, never out of the box, and the price was about $11. less than the first. The player does everything it is advertised to do, with a very pleasing user interface. It has many apps available, and is reasonably quick to load them. The unit is not WiFi, but if you read the item description, you should know that before purchase - you need an Ethernet cable to connect to the apps and DLNA. Also, be aware that Amazon Prime is not available as one of the apps. If you want Amazon, WiFi, or 3D capability, they are available on other, more expensive Samsung models, or choose a machine from a different manufacturer. Problems with Netflix, reported by other customers, have apparently been resolved, as I have had no problems accessing Netflix. Blu-rays and DVDs also play without any difficulty. As a side note, the Samsung BD-F5100 (thats "F" not "H") is being sold by some vendors, including Amazon, but is a 2013 model and does not offer nearly as many apps as the BD-H5100. I made the mistake of buying the "F" model from another vendor and returned it. All in all, I am very satisfied with my purchases, and I would recommend checking out the savings available by purchasing one of the used units from Amazon Warehouse Deals. UPDATE: 9/6/14. Since I bought this player, Samsung has provided a software update that has added Amazon Prime as an available app. If you own this model, run a firmware update, and you should see that Amazon Prime is available.

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This small, lightweight box is an excellent BluRay player. I bought it to replace a different brand, which I had to send back within a day of receipt for glitches on the screen. I am so glad I made the switch. One unexpected side benefit is the up-converting of standard DVDs, which I had not thought about before installing this unit. I put in a standard DVD from Netflix and was amazed at seeing the movie play full screen with what looked like a much better picture than I would have expected from a non-BluRay disc. There is no display on the front of this unit, and I miss being able to see the elapsed play time, though I can bring that up on the screen. The remote shipped with this unit also controls my Samsung TV, so the shelf of remotes gets a little less crowded.

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All, I entered "blueray dvd player with built in wifi" in the search box and this one was listed so I ordered it. It doesn’t have built in Wi-Fi. I did not notice until I set it up. It’s my own fault and should have read more than just look at the page and order it. I will say returning is a breeze and I have now ordered what I need. Amazon is great but remember sometimes a search returns things that don’t match your search. I did put in one of my old DVD to see how the step-up worked and was very pleased. So, if you don’t need built in Wi-Fi and can connect a network cable to it, you should be pleased with this device and its performance. Also, I have never had to return anything and I am pleased at how easy it is and the on-line chat people who helped me. Thanks Amazon!

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I decided to finally make the leap forward and replace my dvd player with a blu-ray player after replacing my old CRT tv with a HD LCD. I noticed how the dvd quality improved when played in this new player - I dont know if its the upsampling the player does or simply how much better an HDMI cable is compared to RCA cables - and I love it. Previous reviews noted this player is noisy and I can attest to that. It is loud but thats not noticeable when the movie starts and the soundtrack is playing, so it doesnt bother me. My only complaint is that the buttons are on the top of the player instead of the front. When I put the player in my component cabinet I could no longer see the buttons. Instead of fumbling about to figure out where they are and which one I want to press, I use the remote. No big deal. I havent used the included apps (like Netflix) as I have a Roku, so I cant give any feedback about how well they work.

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Had to connect player directly to communal router (not Wifi enabled) to stream videos but worth it. Offers access to Netflix and Youtube streaming which eliminates the need for a separate streaming device like Roku. Does not offer amazon prime (the only downside). On the upside it has a usb port to which you can hook up flash drives or external hard drives so that you can enjoy private music and video collections easily. Easy to hook up to the television with an HDMI cable (not included, but easy to order through Amazon). Remote control is compatible with other Samsung devices so could eliminate the need for multiple remotes if you stick with Samsung devices.

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I saw this in a brick and mortar, $84 on sale, at Amazon, $64 with FREE SHIP over $35. It arrived in 3 days with carton and contents in perfect condition. I now have 3 days experience with Samsung BD-H5100. It replaces a PS3 as my BRD/DVD/CD/Streaming (Netflix) player. I plugged in HDMI and Ethernet connectors to BD-H5100, then unit to socket, then hit power button. Home screen in 8 seconds, arrow keys to Netflix, hit key in center of arrows. Netflix screen in a few seconds. First time you will have to enter your login and password, after that when shutting down, DO NOT "quit" Netflix, or you will have to go through login procedure again....instead use "HOME" button and then hit red power button on remote, top LEFT to power down. Netflix will remember login and password that way. BR/DVD/CD play is easy, BUT I recommend using the eject button on the remote to open and close the tray as the tray feels a bit delicate and if youre clumsy, like me, you might damage it. The BR/DVD/CD screens come up quick. I was concerned about the quality of play compared to the PS3 which in my opinion is the bench mark. I played "Avatar" for comparison. The quality ON SCREEN is exactly the same. So is the audio. My audio setup is Sennheiser RS180 and imaging is the same. I recommend navigating "settings" if for no other reason, to familiarize yourself with whats there. You can download updates in settings and today, my third day, a pop up showed an update available so I downloaded it. I didnt notice anything really different except the Netflix greet screen had a different look to it. I changed nothing in settings, just let it do what it does. Power usage must be low because by hand touch toward the back of the unit slightly to right of center it feels just above tepid. The PS3 has a fan to cool it down and you can feel how hot IT runs by putting your hand around the back of the unit. The hotter something runs, the more kWh it uses. Heat = $$$$$. Think incandescent vs. fluorescent. This unit takes up very little space. User friendly, the remote build is high quality, logical and feels good in the hand. Ive read negative reviews but have had none of those experiences. Some might need to read the manual before they begin. There is also a WIFI and 3D version of this player. I HIGHLY recommend this unit. UPDATE 11/28/14: This unit is still operating magnificently. I had read reviews where after a short time there were glitches. I, again, have not had any of those experiences. A few more things I would like to note. I have a Samsung 32" LCD LN32A650A1F TV...a bit ancient technologically. The TV is at about a 90 degree angle difference from the player which makes my line of sight remote difficult to use to the player. However, since it IS a Samsung....the TV picks up the signal and sends the commands from the remote to the player via HDMI. A really nice bonus I discovered accidentally. The TV and player communicate. Isnt THAT sweet?!!! I suggest playing with all the buttons on the remote to see in what ways it helps to navigate through movies, be it BR/DVD/CD or streaming.

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