Oh, come on—you can't tell me you don't see where this is going. Even though the format has grown 72% in the last quarter, every Blu-ray player we choose to review has an abundance of features that have nothing to do with Blu-ray. In fact, they all have to do with delivering movies in a different way, with more instant gratification.

The joke is, when we were pushing for Blu-ray 2.0 with BD-Live a year ago, we didn't realize that the ethernet port was really not about enhanced Blu-ray at all, but about video on demand. I own a few Blu-rays, like Wall-E, that have BD-Live components. Never even bothered with them. No point. But you'd be a 'tard to buy a Blu-ray player without an ethernet port, and you'd be a 'tard to buy a Blu-ray player without Netflix on demand, and at this point, another service for new-release movies, like Amazon VOD or CinemaNow.

Netflix gives me back seasons of 30 Rock and The Office in high-def. Pop quiz: Will I ever buy them on Blu-ray, or even DVD? No. I can even get stuff I'd have previously hunted down on disc, like The IT Crowd. I can get lots of the movies I previously owned on DVD instantly on demand for no cost other than the $10 monthly subscription. People don't even bitch about DRM with Netflix, because it's instant and always there, so even the copyright owners should be happy. Time Warner's boss even said he's thinking about offering a Netflix-like VOD distribution channel for HBO—nothing like all-you-can-eat Rome, Wire and Band of Brothers to kill DVD sales, and HBO still gets their mad money.

You want to talk video quality? Fine. I own The Dark Knight on Blu-ray. That movie is freakin' awesome, and I am happy to watch it on a Blu-ray player, while I sit exactly 47 inches from a 50-inch 1080p plasma television. But what about Billy Madison? I love that movie too, but I first owned it on a VHS playing in 4:3 at what you might call 240i, and I can verify that the high-def version is no funnier. In fact, instead of fishing out the HD DVD of it I have, and hooking up the HD DVD drive to my Xbox, I'd probably sooner try to find it on Netflix, in whatever video quality they're offering.

Besides, most people—most Giz readers, I'd wager—are watching "high def" movies on LCD TVs they bought at Costco for $899, so you can't tell me that they can see a difference between so-called VOD high-def and real bonafide Blu-ray high-def, even though there definitely is one.

The Criterion Collection belongs on Blu-ray. But six films by Wes Anderson, Terry Gilliam and Akira Kurosawa do not an industry make. Like our discussion of audiophiles, there's a need to preserve (and even appreciate) video at very high quality, but that need doesn't trickle down to the masses, and especially doesn't matter for every single film, or even the vast majority of middle-of-the-road movies and TV. DVDs were a hit because they were the smartest way to deliver most video in the years 1999 to 2007. Now, the smartest way to deliver most video is over broadband, not on high-density shiny discs.

Don't get me wrong. You'll buy a "Blu-ray player." Stats show many of you already are. You may even buy some Blu-ray discs, or pay the extra $2 or $3 for Netflix Blu-ray rental. But the amount of time you'll spend watching Blu-ray on it will continue to dwindle, until, maybe one day, the disc tray just refuses to open from lack of use.

They both have what pretty much every $300 Blu-ray player from Samsung, LG, Sony or Panasonic has:
• An Ethernet port for BD-Live and firmware updates
• DivX and AVCHD playback
• Bitstream Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio, requiring decoding in a separately sold receiver

They don't have Wi-Fi or any streaming video app, like Netflix or Amazon VOD. (You'd have to slum it with a cheaper LG or Sammy if you want those proletarian features.)

They both do have "superior" stereo analog outputs and Burr-Brown digital-to-analog converters for CD listening, if you're still into CDs and have really expensive speakers. Besides, the step-up DBP-2010CI also has 7.1 analog audio outputs, though not sure if the 1610 does (doubt it). That's really only necessary if you have a nice surround-sound system, but don't have the cash to upgrade your receiver when you go Blu-ray.

The 2010 also has an Anchor Bay upscaler for admittedly badass playback of DVDs, and an RS232C so that custom installers can set up remote controls for it. That's really who it's for: Custom installers who go the extra mile—and then bill you for it. Go get 'em, Denon. I'll be here content with my LGs and Samsungs. [Denon]

The BDP 10 will be able to play back 1080p/24 video, and will also support BD-Live and BonusView capabilities for Blu-ray movies that contain that extra online content. Also, not only will the player have the standard analog audio outputs, but also it will come equipped with coaxial and optical audio outputs, HDMI v1.3a, a composite video output, USB ports, and an Ethernet jack.

Although the May release of the BDP 10 is for Europe only, Harman Kardon is expected to announce a release date for North American sometime soon. [Harman Kardon via Electronista]

It's kinda funny to compare Q1 '09 (upside lots of Blu-ray players, downside recession) to Q1 '08 (more cash in the market, but Blu-ray spec was a mess), but the trends that emerged made sense: 400,000 standalone (i.e. not PS3) units sold this past quarter, up from the low 200,000s way back in early 2008. But the average selling price had dropped substantially, from nearly $400 to $261 now, and headed towards $214. Meanwhile, as most of our readers know, the spec has been ironed out and most players sold nowadays have Ethernet for interactive features. So they're getting cheaper and better.

What's sad is that the people who bought caved and bought Blu-ray players anytime before now were getting the shaft, as the best—or at least the coolest—ones are just coming out, players with Wi-Fi and all kinds of video-on-demand options. (Hopefully, people at least bought upgradeable players like so many are these days.)

Does this mean Blu-ray is going to crack some skulls come Christmas 2009? Not entirely sure there. Fifty-eight percent of people still aren't "very familiar" with Blu-ray. Besides, with all those great VOD apps, who needs actual discs? [NPD via Engadget]

The Price: $500 for style, connectedness and decent—but not perfect—video file support

The Verdict: It's a crazy, unexpected piece of hardware, so thin and light that the press photos don't really do it justice. Still, since it basically does the same thing as Samsung's cheaper BD-P3600, and LG's new wired and wireless Blu-ray players, I can't help but think the $500 sticker price will be a bit prohibitive for anyone not using it as a decorative wall-hanging piece.

Setup was easy. It comes pre-loaded with Netflix and Pandora, and I first connected it via Ethernet to a sweet Linksys Powerline adapter which ran downstairs to my router, and was running with HD 30 Rock episodes in no time. Not forgetting what Samsung wants us all to remember, that this is a Blu-ray player, I popped in T2, and soon saw Arnold emerging naked from a molten sphere of energy.

Despite its thinness, the rear fan (which you see in the gallery) was not noisy at all. I had a movie playing at a low volume, and could hear everything, and couldn't distinguish the fan's white noise from the other white noise in the house.

My only trouble I had was with networking. It says on the box "Wireless" but when you open it up, you find it requires a separate Wi-Fi dongle. My head quickly did the math: "Consumer-electronics software plus plug-in dongle equals call to tech support." Sure enough, even though it recognized my SSID and let me input a password just fine, it was unable to connect. (The solution, it turned out, was to enter my network password under WPA2 instead of WPA.) The other weird thing about the wireless dongle is that it clearly wasn't designed for this wall-hanging player—if you have it plugged in on the side USB port, you can't press the player flush against the wall.

The pleasant surprise was that the video decoder can read XviD and DivX movies, at least the ones I tested. It wasn't down with DivX 7 MKV, but it liked some older AVIs. It also didn't like H.264, but for some reason that seems to be a hard codec for these off-the-shelf software players to master. MP3s played fine, though it was filenames only—no metadata for you.

What's the takeaway? For movies, even ill-gotten ones, it's a good box. Netflix and Pandora are surely only the beginning, too. If Amazon Video on Demand is already on Panasonic, Sony, TiVo and Roku products, it's surely a matter of time before they sign with Ole Sammy. Ditto for Rhapsody, which seems to find its way into a lot of connected devices.

In the end, it makes sense if you have a simple bedroom setup that you don't want to mess up with a big "entertainment center." But bear in mind, when you wall mout, you still have to worry about the wires coming out of the back, and until they make a sleek glassy cable box to go with, you're always gonna have something bulky under your TV set. [Product Page]

In Summary
Not only stylish, but quiet and lightweight—easy enough to hang on a wall.

Netflix and Pandora are currently the only net media streaming apps, but we expect more to come.

Wi-Fi and other networking features are not for amateurs, but if you figure it out, you can watch XviDs streamed from a PC.

Price is pretty damn high, and many functions can be found in other products.

Nice to see some creativity in the BD player zone—the wall-mountable 4600 especially, which reminds me a lot of Naoto Fukasawa's awesome wall-mounted CD player (now if only you could watch the Batman logo spin with no door). And on top of Profile 2.0, (via ethernet or USB slots which can accommodate and included wi-fi dongle) and Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD HR/MA decoding and audio bitstream output, both decks will stream Netflix Watch Instantly or Pandora radio. They're available the first half of 2009.

SAMSUNG’S LATEST AWARD-WINNING BLU-RAY PLAYERS OPEN UP A NEW MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENCE PORTAL

BD-P4600 Delivers HD Entertainment for the Whole Family in Contemporary Style;
BD-P3600 Satisfies Home Theater Enthusiasts with Superior Sights and Sounds

LAS VEGAS, January 7, 2009 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader
and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today unveiled the world’s first
wall-mountable Blu-ray player, the BD-P4600, as well as the new standard for Blu-ray
performance and versatility, the BD-P3600. A 2009 CES “Best of Innovations” Award
Winner, the BD-P4600 unites a plethora of multimedia features in a svelte, first-in-class
package. The enthusiasts’ choice, the BD-P3600 promises top-notch video playback,
comprehensive audio decoding, and unprecedented networking capabilities for an
immersive, theater-like experience. Both players set a new direction for the Blu-ray
category with wireless networking, access to video and music streaming services, such
as Netflix and Pandora, as well as sleek designs. Samsung’s new Blu-ray players will
be on display at Booth #11033 during the International Consumer Electronics Show,
which will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 8 -11, 2009.

“Samsung is heralding a new direction for the Blu-ray industry with the BD-P4600 and
BD-P3600," said Reid Sullivan, vice president of Audio/Video and Digital Imaging
Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “The BD-P4600 makes it easier than ever
to bring Blu-ray into the living room with its unique, wall-mountable design, while the
BD-P3600’s comprehensive specs place it on the short list of even the most discerning
Page 2 of 3

- more -

home theater consumers.”

The BD-P4600 and BD-P3600 include BD Live™ (Profile 2.0) and Bonus View (Profile
1.1) support, Full HD 1080p Blu-ray playback with DVD upscaling, and total HD
soundtrack support. Standard CD playback, with support for JPEG photos and DivX
videos, ensure even more entertainment value with the BD-P4600 and BD-P3600.

A New Era of Functional Design
Samsung’s newest Blu-ray players continue the trend of stylish and décor-friendly
electronics, with new versions of Samsung’s groundbreaking Touch of Color™ (ToC™)
design and touch sensitive controls. The BD-P3600’s traditional set-top form is just over
two inches tall, and comes encased in deep black with charcoal gray highlights curving
along the outer edges. The wall-mountable BD-P4600 is just 1.5 inches thin with a
piano black design infused with ruby highlights, and finished with clear, prism-like
edging. If wall-mounting is not an option, an integrated stand lets the BD-P4600 be
placed on a table at a 25 degree angle.

Cutting Wires Without Cutting Back on Entertainment
Both the BD-P4600 and BD-P3600 can wirelessly connect to the latest Blu-ray features
when the included 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi dongle is connected to one of the players’ two
USB 2.0 ports, or via the traditional wired Ethernet connection. The two players can also
instantly stream more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix and Pandora
music services (subscriptions required), to deliver an ever-expanding library of
entertainment into the living room without having to leave the house. And with 1GB
internal flash memory, both players can access the latest BD Live™ and Bonus View
Blu-ray features out of the box, leaving the USB 2.0 ports for wireless networking and
memory expansion duties when needed.

Speedy Control and Upgradeability
Samsung’s newest Blu-ray players improve traditional disc loading time to begin fast
playback and can eject a disc in a single second. The players’ touch sensitive controls
Page 3 of 3

help to create a seamless experience that is pleasing to see, hear, and ultimately, use.
To keep consumers updated with the latest features and improvements, Samsungs BD-
P4600 and BD-P3600 also can easily access upgrades wirelessly via the included
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi dongle, through the wired Ethernet connection, by connecting a USB
drive, or with a CD / DVD / BD.

Total Full HD 1080p Video and HD Soundtrack Support
Samsung’s BD-P4600 and BD-P3600 promise Full HD 1080p playback of Blu-ray discs
and crisp upconversion of standard DVDs through the HDMI 1.3 connection. For a true,
Hollywood-quality experience, both players can internally decode the latest high-
resolution digital multichannel audio soundtracks, including Dolby Digital Plus™, Dolby
TrueHD™ and dts-HD HR / MA®. The BD-P3600 can also output any of the
soundtracks as a bitstream through its 7.1-Channel analog audio outputs, or as an
uncompressed PCM signal, for consumers desiring the best cinematic sound with an
older A/V receiver.

Netflix and Samsung Partner to Instantly Stream Movies on Next Generation Blu-ray Disc Players

Samsung BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray Players Transformed into Gateways
that Give Consumers Access to More Than 12,000 Choices of Movies and TV
Episodes from Netflix
Partnership will Include Streaming to a Range of Home Entertainment
Products

LOS GATOS, Calif. and RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., Oct. 23
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX), the world's largest
online movie rental service, and Samsung Electronics America, a market
leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today announced
a broad partnership to offer consumers the ability to instantly stream
movies and TV episodes from the Netflix Web site directly to their living
rooms via Samsung's BD-P2500 and BD-P2550 Blu-ray disc players. The
companies also said they are collaborating to enable Samsung to integrate
instant streaming from Netflix into a range of home entertainment products.

The BD-P2550 and BD-P2500 are currently available at $399.99. Consumers
who already own one of these Samsung players can upgrade their device at no
additional cost to enable instant streaming from a growing library of more
than 12,000 movies and television episodes from Netflix. The upgrade is
available at http://www.samsung.com/bluraysupport.

Instantly streaming movies and TV episodes from Netflix on the BD-P2550
and BD-P2500 is done through a wired broadband connection and a Netflix
Queue-based user interface. Netflix members visit the Netflix Web site to
add movies and TV episodes to their individual instant Queues. Those
choices will automatically be displayed on members' TVs and available to
watch instantly through the Samsung players. Once selected, movies will
begin playing in as little as 30 seconds. With the players' accompanying
remote control, Netflix members will be able to browse and make selections
right on the TV screen and also have the ability to read synopses and rate
movies. In addition, they will have the option of fast-forwarding and
rewinding the video stream.

Samsung's Blu-ray players offer Full HD 1080p playback and feature the
award-winning HQV(TM) processing chip for the highest quality viewing of
Blu-ray discs and astounding upconversion of standard DVDs. The players
also provide a truly immersive HD home theater experience with capabilities
to decode high-resolution multi-channel digital audio soundtracks and
7.1-channel analog audio outputs.

"Samsung has been at the forefront of innovation in consumer
electronics and has established a market leadership position in Blu-ray and
digital television," said Netflix Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Reed Hastings. "We're excited about the upgraded Blu-ray disc players.
Moreover, we look forward to working with Samsung in the years to come to
deliver a variety of outstanding products on which consumers can watch
movies delivered over the Internet from Netflix."

"In its new form, Samsung Blu-ray players become the ultimate content
delivery box, combining on-demand access to movies and jaw-dropping Full HD
viewing," said Reid Sullivan, Vice President of Marketing, Audio/Video &
Imaging at Samsung Electronics America. "Samsung presents a new value
proposition for Blu-ray players by positioning it as a portal to a world of
engaging digital content, be it Blu-ray discs, movies from Netflix or other
online content."

About Netflix, Inc.

Netflix, Inc. (Nadsaq: NFLX) is the world's largest online movie rental
service, with more than eight million subscribers. For one low monthly
price, Netflix members can get DVDs delivered to their homes and can
instantly watch movies and TV episodes streamed to their TVs and PCs, all
in unlimited amounts. Members can choose from over 100,000 DVD titles and a
growing library of more than 12,000 choices that can be watched instantly.
There are never any due dates or late fees. DVDs are delivered free to
members by first class mail, with a postage-paid return envelope, from over
100 U.S. shipping points. More than 95 percent of Netflix members live in
areas that generally receive shipments in one business day. Netflix is also
partnering with leading consumer electronics companies to offer a range of
devices that can instantly stream movies and TV episodes to members' TVs
from Netflix. For more information, visit http://www.netflix.com/.

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
(SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets
a broad range of award-winning, digital consumer electronics and home
appliance products, including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players,
digital imaging products, refrigerators and washing machines. A recognized
innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is
the HDTV market leader in the U.S. Please visit http://www.samsung.com for
more information.

[Panasonic]

Five would be great, 30 would be lame. It's certainly going to be better than some of the first HD DVD players we tested last year at this time, which took nearly a minute to show first video after inserting the disc.

Specific pricing for the BD-HP20S wasn't announced, but it's been widely assumed that this lowest-end Sharp player will cost less than $500. It'll also be using the latest HDMI 1.3 interface, and of course, will be able to crank out luscious 1080p video at 24 frames per second as well as Dolby TrueHD sound. Expect to see it rolling out this fall.

Sharp: BD-HP20S HDMI 1.3 Blu-ray player planned for Q4 [High-Def Digest]