My close friends know that I'm not really a fan of Samsung products. However, I have to give credit where credit is due. I recently came across the Samsung BD-P4600 Blu-ray player and the thing that caught my eye was that it was wall mountable AND it has built-in Wi-Fi. It still floors me that most Blu-ray players being produced today have ethernet connections instead Wi-Fi. I don't know of too many people that have ethernet cabling near their TV's. So why ship a device that requires Ethernet to take advantage of the BD Live and over the internet firmware updates?
Samsung gets it!
They designed this Blu-ray player to compliment your wall mounted LCD or Plasma HDTV. This way you can mount it neatly on the wall right below or next to your HDTV and by having built-in Wi-Fi that's one less cable you have to worry about running to it. It's also slot loading (think iMac) so there's no drawer or door to worry about. Not to mention it just looks cool! It looks like someone took a minute to think about the design and I can appreciate that! It also claims to have Netflix, YouTube, Blockbuster and Pandora streaming capabilities, which is also a plus.
I don't have any first hand knowledge with this player. So I can't tell you how well it works, or how it performs. However, the most favorable reviews/ratings on Amazon.com (where people tend to not hold back) tells me that this is probably a good player to investigate.
You can get the Samsung BD-P4600 Blu-ray player at a discount here.
I appreciate your product expertise. One major issue with Wi-Fi is that even under the fastest standard, wireless download speeds are only 20-25% of that over wired ethernet. Where this makes a big difference is in downloading HD movies where the speed difference can substantially lengthen wait times. In addition, the quality of the connection is lower with potential signal breakup at various times depending on what other equipment is being used in the house. I follow a practice of using wired ethernet through a router for all equipment making heavy use of the internet. It just works better. If I have to run a wire, the I do so.
Warren, while I agree 100% that a wired internet connection is best for heavy downloading, the reality is that MOST people don’t have a wired ethernet connection near their TV’s. I’ve also done comparisons of downloading movies to TiVo HD and Apple TV over Wi-Fi and Ethernet and saw no appreciable difference in speed since my over all internet/Wi-Fi connection was faster or as fast as the service delivering the movie. Having a Wi-Fi “option” would be best.
Terry, as far as I can tell the BD-P4600 has BOTH Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity. Just like you said, “Having a Wi-Fi “option” would be best.” And it has just that!
Yep, it has both which is my point. It gives users the option of connecting ether way.
This player currently stands as ‘King of the Hill” for those seeking the fastest load times and compatibility with the Blu-Ray 2.0 spec along with Uncompressed PCM, DTS-MA, and Dolby TruHD Audio.
This BD Player loads faster than the venerable PS3 as well as the latest Sony offerings which for me sealed the deal after using a 1st generation player that took 2-3 minutes at times to load some of the Java based discs.
The only drawback is the side loading/slot mechanism. This location is not the best for those that house their gear in a cabinet or rack but that is the only drawback to operation, If you were planing to set it out on a TV stand or wall mount then there is no problem with space for loading discs then.
The Netflix, YouTube, Blockbuster and Pandora streaming capabilities all function out of the box after setting up your accounts to work with these media providers. I was pleased with the quality and speed of the Netflix download that I tried yesterday and my YouTube videos played neatly on the large screen.
This player has my highest recomendations and the only other I would consider comparing it to right now is the OPPO which has taken the Home Theater enthusiasts by storm but alas is only available online.
Love your blog…but how could you not like Samsung products!? Really TW, I have been impressed and pleased with every Samsung TV and the performance over other purchases.
L.S. thanks. It was due to a bad customer service experience years ago. It just keeps me from wanting to try them again. However, if I were in the the market for another Blu-ray player, I’d seriously look at this one.
Sorry to hear how your customer support issues left a bad taste in your mouth for Samsung products. I have two Samsung HDTV’s, three Samsung DVD players, and the Blu-Ray palyer you blogged about (verdict is still out – could be damaged during shipping). These have been reliable products for me…
Hi Terry,
I purchased the player from Amazon.com a few days ago and once it arrived I did the necessary hardware and network setup along with a firmware update. Must say that synching with services like Pandora and Netflix was very simple – in no time I was watching episodes of 30 Rock and jamming to some of my favorite artists!
Unfortunately, when I went to play some DVD discs it rejected a couple that played just fine in my Samsung DVD player. Also, the player screamed like a banshee while the discs were spinning…I think something may have happened to the device mechanics during shipping – so I am doing an exchange with Amazon.com (love those guys) and will let you know how the new player works out.
Good news! My replacement works like a charm and is as quiet as a mouse when playing discs.
Good stuff here! I, too, got a Samsung with both connections. However, since my router is on a shelf behind my HDTV I simply wired it. Works great! Netflix comes though nicely! 🙂