Samsung UBD-M9500/ZA 4K UHD Blu-Ray Player

I originally gave this 4k player 5 stars. The picture quality was crisp and clear. The unit was quiet and the apps worked great. So why exactly 1 star now? I was only into 8 months of owning the player and only using it on occasion when it decided to stop working one day. No power to it at all. I purchased it from a so called authorized reseller on amazon for a great price and they even said it included a full manufacturers warranty. So I called Samsung and filed a claim which was rather easy. I was told to send the player into one of their repair centers and it would be repaired in about 7 days. The day after they received it I get a call saying they are not going to honor the warranty and it would cost me $110 to fix the player. This of course upset me. Needless to say they shipped the broken brick back to me. So I wasted $16 to ship it and now have a player that does nothing. I lost all faith on Samsung and their support.

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I ultimately returned this unit in favor of Sony UBP-X80. The Samsung device, apparently this years flagship 4k UHD player, performs admirably. It has a terrific interface, which blended well with my Samsung TVs operating system. It produces video which is at least the rival of many more expensive 4K players, and though some didnt appreciate its minimalist approach to remotes this year, I thought it was a nice touch. So why did I return it? Build quality. During playback, the device would, in occasion, make a really annoying buzzing sound as the spindle motor increased speed (or so it sounded). It got to be so annoying (because it happened multiple times throughout the viewing sessions) that it killed my enjoyment of the film. Finally, I decided to unplug and examine the device. When I lifted it from its resting place, there was a distinct rattling from inside the housing. I was pretty much done. I am aware that it was probably a defective unit. The question that I ask is how something like that gets out of the factory at that price point. Damage during transit? Maybe. However, it was shipped in multiple boxes, was well protected, and the product packaging was pristine. In any case the Sony performs in all those areas as well, and is whisper quiet with all manner of discs. And its build quality is outstanding. Its interface is not quite as pretty or sophisticated, but I bought the thing to watch films. How well it performs in that task is, to my mind, the overwhelming factor in what is usually referred to as "user experience." Ive owned a number of Samsung devices and have usually been impressed. Cmon fellas - really?

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4K Player works like it is supposed to. 4K movies are delivered with amazing color, clarity, and vibrancy to my OLED TV. Sound (Dolby Atmos) sounds great over my dedicate home theater Pre-Amp and separate power Amps. Don’t underestimate the power of HDR! I watched 2 movie sections with and without it. The difference in highlights is amazing! I have not tested any of the players streaming capabilities because I have a dedicated Roku device for that. Is this the perfect 4K DVD Player? No – the only drawback I have found to date is the remote control. The unit they provide has no ‘button feel’ because it is mostly all flush. Grey letters on a black background are impossible to see in dim light. So I rate the DVD Player a 10 out of 10 – but give the remote a “-14” because it is literally the worst remote I have ever used ever. But don’t let that deter you from purchasing this unit. I just use the remote from my TV after plugging in the code for the Samsung. That or buy a universal remote. You will love this player.

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This is a very glitchy device. The audio doesnt switch to the high end codecs. The 4k player will not play 4k discs. I called Samsung customer and performed several factory resets. None of which fixed the problems. The picture quality on Blu-ray 1080p discs is no better than the PS3 Blu-ray player I have been using the past 10 years. The M9500 is a very expensive device and seems very cheaply constructed.

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I have had this unit for only a few days and out of the box I was very happy. It comes well packaged and has a bit of weight to it compared to typical units. The remote is sleek and works very well. It has smart view capabilities and that feature works nice, but sometimes it will lose the audio... Which brings me to the next problem... It will very often not play the audio from disks. It will typically just beep continuously. Turning the unit off and on many times or if that doesnt work I have to unplug the unit for a moment, after which it will play the audio perfectly, until the next disk. The smart view audio works fine when the disk audio fails. But, the biggest disappointment comes from the flat rendering of 4k videos. All the colors look flat and dull without any vibrance. Turning the colors up completely does not resolve this problem. DVDs and BD both have a good picture. I made sure the firmware was updated, it was already current. I researched settings and tried every solution I could find, none made any improvement. I have it connected to a Samsung 7200 UHD tv and tried two different Samsung UHD monitors, all with the same flat dull picture. I have tried different certified 4k hdmi cables, no help... Overall I spent more than I thought was reasonable for this unit and I had high expectations. I ordered several 4k videos disks and they all looks worse than my old DVDs do... This product seems to have some issues that still need worked out. I do not recommend this product...

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If you are tired of your Samsung 8500 player, move on up now to a MUCH better player. I could list a half-dozen issues with my year-old 8500, but so far I cannot find a flaw with this new 9500. 4K movies are theater-quality, and the sound is incredible. If you are always ready for the new best thing like I am, make the purchase. You will not regret it.

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Bought this a couple weeks ago. I have a 55 inch Qled Samsung tv. I had a 2016 k8500 uhd blu-ray player which was good, but this m9500 is a significant upgrade. The 4k movies are more defined, contrast much better and the colors pop. It upscales the blu-ray disc beautifully. Couldnt be happier. My wife even noticed the difference and commented on the difference between the players. Have had this unit over a year now and am still amazed. A couple months ago I began hearing a humming noise while it was reading the disc. Put my hand on the top and noise stopped. I took top off to find the wires going to the indicator panel on the front were loose and touching the top of the unit causing a rattle. I simply taped the wires to the top, problem solved. Highly recommend!

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I am one of the unfortunate folks that doesnt own a 4K smart TV. Im still using my 10 year old Samsung 52" LCD. I wanted to upgrade to a smart 4K player until I upgrade my TV. In the past 4 months Ive been through a Sony (garbage) and an LG (limited functionality). This Samsung unit not only fit my needs, but have exceeded them. The display on my old TV has never been better, audio is outstanding, and connectivity for streaming through the internet and my network connected media server is flawless. If you are in the market for a top notch 4K player with awesome streaming functionality, definitely consider this unit.

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Poor picture quality This Blu-ray player has a terrible picture. When I load an older regular DVD disc it will not go to full screen no matter what I do in the settings. it also does not have nowhere near the sound that a Sony or Panasonic Blu-ray player has. I will be returning mine. Also seems to me it is very cheaply made. Update: Bought a Panasonic dp-ub820-k and love it! Upgrades all DVDs to 4k and also allows you to adjust HDR brightness while watching movie

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This is proof that you get what you pay for. Every blu ray player Ive had before takes forever to load. This one starts up immediately and looks GREAT. Streaming apps work well also. I have a 11 foot screen with a 1080p projector.

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