No FF/Rew or Pause option for shared network streaming video files!
This is a good BD player in general, but one of the main reasons for the purchase was for playback of shared video files on my network. They play fine, but you don't have an option to FF/Rew or Pause these files during playback. My other Samsung player does this without an issue. In contacting Samsung, they confirmed this is not an option on this model and offered no explaination or solution in sight. If this function is not an issue for you, then go for it. Otherwise, look for another purchase option. I'm waiting to hear back from Vanns to see if they will take it back in exchange for another model...

Slow, freezes, and no resume play
Bought this at Costco, and three months later am very disappointed. First, the unit is very, very slow. Often, it takes a few minutes to load and start playing a DVD or BluRay disc. Sometimes, the player gets stuck and must be restarted to play a disc. Skipping previews or segments on the disc is very, very slow and often impossible. Second, the Netflix interface is not great. Even the Netflix interface on our Wii is significantly better than the BluRay. In fact, we bought a Roku to watch streaming content because we thought this unit was too slow and unpleasant to use. Third, there is no "resume play" feature. When you play a disc and stop it half way through a movie, the player cannot remember where you left off and simply begins the disc again from previews and leaves you at the initial menu. This is especially annoying when you have small children who only watch portions of movies at a time, and even more annoying when you want them to watch the movie in Spanish, which requires going through the initial setup every single time you push play. I'm returning this to Costco and getting a different brand.

Good++ with some quirks
I've been using this player for three months now. Overall, I'm pleased. The setup was pretty straightforward and software updates installed without a problem. The network connection is hardwired to my router. DVD and Blu-Ray quality is very good and Internet streaming from my Netflix account is actually better quality than it was when I hooked up my Vista based laptop using the same HDMI connection. There are a few drawbacks. First, is that the machine will occasionally hang when trying to access a Netflix movie. This is probably due to my Internet connection (10Mbps/5Mbps) being congested, but the problem is that there is no way to back out of the connection screen without turning the player completely off and then back on. Very occasionally, the player will reconnect during playback and throttle down to a lower quality. Again, probably due to Internet congestion. Luckily that does not happen very often.

Second, the machine will hang if I insert a DVD before it is completely booted. The DVD will start to play and get as far as the FBI warning screen or so and then stop. The remote becomes unresponsive. Again, the only way around is to remove the DVD, restart the machine and insert the DVD after it is completely started and the main menu is onscreen. I've learned to let the machine boot before inserting the disk.

Third, when accessing Netflix, I will sometimes have to re-activate the machine. I don't know if this is a glitch on the Samsung or at Netflix, but it means running to my computer to re-enter the activation code. Slightly annoying. This has happened maybe four times in three months.

Finally, navigating the net is agonizing using the remote and the simulated cell phone keypad. You have to use the arrow keys to navigate the onscreen keypad and then tap for the right letter. Maybe someone who does a lot of texting won't mind this, but I found it to be excruciating and it limits the usefulness of other features like YouTube videos. Searching for a favorite video is just too slow and inaccurate. The ability to attach a Bluetooth keyboard would be a great feature. Maybe that's reserved for a higher price point.

I use this machine almost exclusively for DVDs and to access my Netflix instant queue and for that it works very well, if you follow its protocols. For the price, I'm pleased not to have to hook up my laptop and to have a remote to pause/play instant movies.

No Apple Support, no Hulu Plus
I have a Samsung plasma TV, and bought this player because it integrates incredibly well with it using a nice single remote. Very happy.

BUT the built-in PC connection is only for Windows computers. No love for Apple owners. So a big piece of functionality stares at me, unusable, because Samsung doesn't play at all with Apple. Very unhappy.

AND this player does play some digital content, like Netflix, very nicely. BUT It does not play the new Hulu Plus. For that you need a Samsung 3D player, even though Hulu is not 3D. Double extra unhappy.

Don't waste your money
After I got this, I wish I hadn't. I had to configure the player in order to play DVDs, a feature that should have been set before I opened the box. Worked fine for a few months after that, but then started acting up. The player makes a whining noise while playing many DVDs and BDs, but not all. It also beeps and makes awful noises through the speakers when the disc tray is open. And it started turning subtitles on by itself and the only way I could turn it off is by shutting down the player then opening and closing the disc tray.

Samsung in general has been going down in quality over the past few years. If I were you, I would buy a different brand.

A sleek, stylish paperweight
Really a disaster of a machine. After a few months of basically fine service (long enough to get past the warranty), it has begun freezing and skipping around at the one hour mark of every disc we play, with no solution but to turn the player off and leave it alone for a while. We've moved it around to no effect. Naturally, it handles Blu Ray discs much worse than DVDs. And it's grown progressively worse with each Samsung firmware update.

It also locks up during the opening chapters (FBI warning, previews, etc) of about half of all discs. Netflix streaming is the one bright spot - haven't had any issues with that.

I've noticed that most positive reviews come from people who've had the player for a few weeks, and most negative reviews come from people who've had it for a few months. It seems to consistently conk out around nine months. So if you were hoping for more than a few months of use...this isn't the player for you.

new firmware = golden
The first couple months I had this player, there were issues with streaming freezing from netflix. A re-boot usually cured it, but it got annoying. 5 firmware (over internet) updates later, and I can finally say that I have 0 issues with this device. I'm tempted if I get prompted again to NOT upgrade the firmware again, as i'm afraid it might break something. I watch at least 1 streaming video/tv show as I don't have cable a day over netflix and it works perfect for me.

Wireless takes a wep/wap key and saves it. Range on it is a bit lame, but is enough for me. I have a my wireless router in the next bedroom from my master suite (10') and I only get about half "service bars" to show on my wireless settings.

Pandora works great, and even 'upgrades' your web streaming account so you don't have to click on anything every half hour for free, just by register this device. Big bonus IMO. youtube on it isn't that great, but it's mostly because of youtube, not the player. I haven't used the blockbuster module as i don't feel like paying to rent stuff each time for .99 or buy from 17-22 each time.

The stand is a bit wacky to get positioned. Would suit better as a wall mount.

It's basically HDMI only.... so check your available connections first.

my tv is only 768p, so i have little use for blue ray just yet. I bought this for the netflix streaming capabilities and future-ready. Too bad 3d came out. lol Always something new 'tomorrow'.

Good buy in the 250+/- price range. There are newer better models out already in the same price range though it seems.

What a nightmare!
We bought our Samsung Bluray in September of 2009. Within 6 months it stopped working. But not just not working, it would grind our movies to the point of being unreadable. So I contacted Samsung on 5/24 because it was still in warranty for parts. They had me send them a copy of the receipt and gave me a service number. They even gave me a call to confirm my service request. Then...nothing. No e-mails, no call tag, nothing in the mail...nothing. It wasn't really high on my priority list and I kept expecting something from them. Pretty soon too much time had passed so I called and the request had been canceled. Well, not by me! They were perfectly happy to start over and make a new request only this time the woman I spoke to said that I was out of warranty on parts (as of 5/31) on now the parts too. Huh. How convenient for YOU, Samsung! Doesn't matter that I originally called while under warranty. I asked to speak to her supervisor. The supervisor told me that warranty covered parts for 1 year. So...nobody knows what's going on, is that it?

Even while it was "working" it would turn itself off randomly while we were using it. Even when the remote wasn't it the room. My parents have this same blu ray and the HD TV to go with it. It's the quirkiest system I have EVER come across.

I will NOT be buying anything Samsung EVER again. Hopefully when we get it back it will work for longer than 6 months.

They spent more R&D on making it look cool rather than having it function properly.

The only redeeming feature is that we could watch Netflix wirelessly

should have sent it back
There was a delay and loud humming sound whenever I tried to play a movie. Had a hard time getting to the movie without seeing all the previews. Thought I could deal with this but now I have to reinsert the disc about 5 or more times because it keeps saying unable to read the disc. So now it is too late to send it back and I don't have the packaging anyway. Guess I'm going shopping for a new one and it won't be samsung.

Broke after 6 months! Bad Warrenty service
This was an ok player I guess at first. I dont really know about blu-ray players because this is my first one. It broke three months after purchase...ok nothings perfect i still have a 1 year warrenty. Wrong, its one year parts and 3 MONTHS labor. Samsung has lost their quality and has never been that great in costumer service. I will never buy samsung again.