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

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When I updated the software over an Ethernet connection, an Amazon app showed up. Amazon instant video works fine using the update. Reason for 4 stars only is that the Netflix app does not show your watch list. This is a pain in the butt and it seems like something that could be easily fixed. Everything else works, including the Plex server connection, which was something I didnt expect. To get to Plex, you have to go to Change System and then navigate to your Plex server. After that, choose videos and the server folders show up. Navigate to the videos you want to watch and the videos play. Although I dont have other video servers in my network, your server may be accommodated.

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I bought this player in 2014, and expected it would have a nice long life. Not to be. After about a year and a half, I started having problems with different discs loading, and then pauses and skips during playback. I even bought a head cleaner, thinking this might help, but the problems only got worse. Now, it will barely play any Blu Ray discs, though it still plays most DVDs. Which is disappointing, since I bought it to watch Blu Rays. Now I need to buy another new player, but will definitely NOT be purchasing the updated Samsung version of this one, since it was a piece of junk. It was nice while it lasted. It just would have been nicer if itd lasted longer than a year and a half.

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I think I paid around $60 for this unit (in August of 2014) and at that price its a fair value. However, depending on how often youll use it and how much spare cash you have you might want to find an upgrade. PROS: Pretty good looking DVD upscaling (by my amateur observation), smallish and sleek design, low cost. CONS: Very slow reaction time to power on/off and tray eject. No display, so you dont know if its working on opening the tray or not. Basically, make no sudden movements with this machine and you should be fine. Glossy exterior really shows dust. And lastly, the four buttons on the top of the unit are nearly invisible. Youre best bet is to memorize the locations or just use the remove. I would really have preferred front buttons and an LCD but didnt see anything that was also low cost and good upscaling so settled for this one.

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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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It works great but you cannot download any apps so you have to go with what is installed which is very limited. The other thing that bothers me is it times out if you pause a movie and you have to start over. Im not sure why this would even be in the programming. Why cant I pause my movie as long as I want? So if you get a long phone call or something you have to start from the beginning of the movie and FFWD to where you left off.

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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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When I purchased this player, I seared for "wifi enabled blu ray players" on Amazon and this player was at the top of the results. When viewing the picture of the product on amazon, the wi-fi enabled emblem was clear on the machine. At the time, 2 of the "Q&A" answers indicated that that the player had wifi, so I purchased it. Despite the above, to my dismay, this version does not have wireless access to the internet. I originally packed it back in the box with the intent to return it, but I changed my mind and decided to keep it, moving it to a room that had access to wired internet. The player is great. Its responsive, has a small footprint, and the picture and sound quality are excellent. For the price, this is a great buy...as long as you know that wi-fi is NOT included.

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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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