Official Samsung BD-P3600 Owners/Master thread - Page 2

I'm sitting with a brand new 73" Diamond Mits, a 2550 and 3600 (both in the box) wondering which one to open. I'm not sure about BB return policy. I have had them for over a week. I keep waiting for a decent review, or someone to discover the truth about the Reon chip. It would be a little work but I could get an ethernet cable to the machine. The p3600 is faster loading, supposedly streams content off your desktop, needs no update, what if the picture is even better? Grrrrr...

I called sammy cust service regarding the Reon chip, they had no clue, kicked me up to 2nd level service, some young kid with a lot of opinion but no facts told me not to listen to those whiney forum people that start unfounded rumors and create trouble. If it were him, he would go with the newer one cuz it's cool. And they all produce the same picture because it's digital, 1080P. Someone along the way did suggest I get connected to a tech in a sammy repair shop, since they would have the repair training and specs. Had trouble finding a phone number though. Someone in sammy service actually told me those are new, and there aren't any in the shop yet. I know I've seen postings for people with bad machines. I guess that probably works for the average consumer though. I'm leaning towards taking the 3600 back, I can always pick another up, probably cheaper. I have no need for both.

There is no problem returned an opened unit, even if there is nothing wrong. I have been encouraged on two occasions by BB sales staff to take 2 units home to test and to keep whichever one I wanted more.

On the back of the reciept, the full refund policy is listed. There's no disputing the fact there is no provision for DVD/Blu-Ray other than it falls into the 30 day return window, opened or unopened. I've never had any customer service reps give me problems.

anyone else having issues connecting to a shared (media) directory on their Vista computer? i know it's not the actual network connection -- that's fine and dandy. i can see my computer after a network search, but when i input the user and password (both the admin account and other user account i created) i cannot connect. i usually get a "invalid user name and password" prompt, but i'm sure those are correct as i use them to login daily. normally i would think its a firewall issue, but the invalid password makes me think otherwise. my denon asd-3w has no issues with this (though it generally looks directly for media servers).

anyone know some best practices? maybe from the 2500/2550 crowd?

LFE channel requires 10db additional boost. This is the standard practice for most players. If you're lucky, your AVR may have that option. Otherwise, you will be force to adjust your sub level back and force when you switch from Digital audio source to analog 5.1 source.

Also, you need do all your speaker settings on the player. Whatever you set in the AVR are bypassed for majority of the AVR. Some AVR will let you carry speaker level setting in the AVR at most.

I have the 2550 and though I can't comment on the new chip in the 3600 the quality of the HQV is one of the best if not the best out there. To me it is so good that it makes you think twice about replacing some of my standard DVD's that were mastered really well. The other benifit of the chip is the results with Netflix.

Are you sure it's gone from ALL future Bluray player? That's sort of a bold statement to make.

Personally I'm hoping that HQV/Reon chip or w/e is in the 4600....

And is it confirmed to NOT be in the 3600?

Also I third that call for a comparison between the 2500/2550 and the 3600 in terms of SD up conversion.

To tell whether or not 3600 has HQV chip, you need do HQV benchmark tests. A simple comparison with random DVDs won't tell you much if you don't know what to look for.

Does anybody know if the 3600 is able to force 1080p24 playback even if the display states 24p is not supported?

Is the 2500 able to do this?

Don't think so. I know my projector accepts 24p without being forced running through an Integra 9.8. I was using the Panasonic BD30 and BD55 (which will not force at all). When I hooked up the 3600 it would not go into 24fps mode running through the Integra, but it would straight to the projector. I ended up putting it in the bedroom running through a 4806CI to a Hitachi 47X902. Worked no problem. Go figure.

S~

This is my first Samsung product since the 1000 (which lasted 2 days in my setup). I wanted a wireless connection and was interested in Netflix streaming (yeah I joined. Not buying much anymore unless it's a must have). This particular model comes with a USB dongle already packaged, whereas the 1600 does not. The Samsung only uses their particular adapter and nothing else. The adapter is $89 and on backorder. It also has 1GB of built in memory. It also has 7.1 analog outs (I don't think the 1600 does, but I'm not sure).

Aesthetics:

I prefer either the look of of the sleek Panasonics or the hefty build look of the Denon or Pioneer compared to this model. It looks like an upside down trapezoid. There is a built in fan and it hasn't gotten warm yet running for two hours.

Initial Setup

Unplugged the Panasonic BD55 and put in the 3600. Went into the setup menu and set the time, audio, etc. Here is where the problem started. I could not get 24fps mode set to on no matter what I did running through the processor. It would turn on running directly to the projector. I know for a fact that the processor accepts and passes 1080p/24 because my Panasonic ran in that mode and Panasonic will not force 24FPS period. So I do not think it is the processor.

Unplugged it and moved it into the bedroom replacing the BD35. Running through a 4806CI to a Hitachi Director's Series 47X902. Guess what. I was able to select 1080p/24. Guess I'll leave it there. Put it back into PCM mode since the 4806 doesn't decode.

Next hooked up the wireless adapter and entered the security key. No problem connecting. Up and running. Next I activated the NetFlix. Done.

Video (BD):

Put in Australia BD. Loaded up very quickly. MAybe a little faster than the Panasonic. I originally set the video mode to movie. PQ and AQ was very good. I wanted to change the video setting back to normal. This is where the Panasonic has a true advantage. In the 3600, you have to go back into the main menu to change the settings. Picture seemed better, more vivid in this mode, but I would have liked to have been able to do it on the fly while the movie was playing to get a truer comparison.

One nice thing about the 3600 is the subtitle button. Normally I set it before I watch a movie, but if my daughter comes in after starting, it's nice to be able to just hit one button instead of 3 or 4 to get to the subtitles. Yeah lazy.

Video (SD):

Gone in this model is the Reon chipset. With the Samsung, SD DVD is only able to be played at 1080p/60. No 24fps mode for this model.

I put in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because there is a lot of fast, straight line movement and a lot of bright colors. There was no evidence of jaggies during the conveyor belt scene in the intro. Colors were bright and vivid. It does a fairly decent job at upconverting. About on par with the 35/55.

Netflix:

Well, there isn't a whole lot of HD ready to be streamed on Netflix at the moment. So I queued up "The Office: Season 1". As with most video streaming, PQ was only fair compared to satellite, cable, or BD. There was definitely artifacting visible. I will also need to call up my phone provider to see if a speed update is available in my area. I'm at 3046 kbps right now. We'll see how this pans out in the future.

Overall:

Overall this seems to be a good player. If you want Netflix and wireless streaming, this might be the player for you. If you don't need a wireless connection or Netflix, then I would consider the BD60 or 80 depending on if you need the analogs just for the user interface and SDDVD upconversion at 1080p/24.

Pros:

Quick boot up
Internal Decoding or bitstreaming audio
Vivid colors with BD
Wireless connection
Netflix and Pandora streaming
Subtitle Button on remote

Cons:
Did not connect 1080p/24 to my projector running through the processor (Panasonic does)
No 1080p/24 upconversion for SD DVD (only 1080p/60)
Clumsy user interface, lack of settings while playing a movie or in general.

Enjoy,

S~

Well on mar 12th I bought the 2550, then on the 21st I took it back and bought the 3600! Im happy with it so far, SD dvd upgrading looks as good as the 2550 to me. I know it has no HQV but I still can't tell any difference. The wifi is too cool, I just got done watching some avi and divx files streamed from my computer, no more having to use nero to convert them to dvd! Netflix is so nice, I haven't even turned on my directv hd dvr in days! I did have to call my local roadrunner co. and upgrade to a 7Mbps dl speed to get HD from netflix streaming, that cost me an extra 22 bucks a month, but it was worth it, it looks great to!
The only problem I had was my belkin router firewall blocked the netflix and pc streaming and it took me a day to figure out the problem, right now I have to shut off the firewall to connect, then turn it back on when im done, in time I will figure out how to fix that im sure.
Im so glad they included the 7.1 analog outputs, as I have an older avr. I have one BD movie with dts hd master audio, it definity sounds better coming thru the 7.1 analog than thru the optical cable listening to dts.
Pandora radio is a must have for me! I been listening to it a lot and love it too!

I am running the 3600 into a sammy hl61a750 LED DLP tv, I worry this tv will not last, people are having trouble getting parts already!!!

Well I need to watch some more dvd's for now, will be back later to answer any questions anybody might have!! By the way load time is much quicker than the 2550, I will count and see how many seconds it takes to load a BD and a regular dvd and let you guys know!

I'm curious as to whether either of you, or anybody else for that matter, has tried to stream any content to the 3600 from a UPnP/DLNA compatible NAS setup, or just from your computers?

I may be interested in one of these for a bedroom if they can stream directly from the NAS, but media streamers that need to connect to PC's are deal killers for me.

Sorry, don't have a NAS right now. The 3600 is a bit picky about file types and the navigation to your folders is a bit interesting at times. Found that the best way in Vista is to share via your public shares, but the it is sometimes a bit difficult to access with a password.

The reads off USB devices are pretty quick and easy though.

Here is Samsung's response after I complained that the BD-P3600 was in stores but not on the web site and I wanted to know about the HQV chip.

"Either the site has not been updated yet or the model has not officially been released. It has a newer VQE (Video Quality Enhancement) chip."

Would be nice to know how the VQE compares to the HQV. "Newer" doesn't necessarily mean better.

Can anyone with a DB-P3600 manual find out if the PC streaming is supposed to support MP4 H.264 or is it DIVX only?

DivX only.

I don't have that, im just running a pc with xp. So I can't say.

Well another report back after watching a BD movie and a standard DVD that I watched on the 2550. The 3600 does not put out as good of an LFE effect on the 7.1 analog output! It just doesn't have the impact listening to dts hd master audio that the 2550 did. I have a pioneer thx select2 avr that doesn't have hdmi inputs so it doesn't decode hd audio. At this point I refuse to upgrade my avr, I've spent enough money on the hd TV and blu-ray player and will just have to forgo the hd audio for a few more years. I was able to turn up the lfe 10+ DB on my avr, but it still is noticeably weaker than with the 2550. I even went into the speaker setup on the 3600 and set all speakers to small hoping it would send the sound to the sub, it didn't do much either.

As for the missing HQV feature,
I remember watching regular DVDs on the 2550 and saying I can't really see any difference in PQ than blu-ray, now I went back and watched the same DVDs on the 3600 and I can see that blu-ray is better. So I guess the HQV on the 2550 does do a little better job upgrading the picture. I know this contradicts what I said in my previous post, but I've just had the 3600 for 1 day so I guess I jumped the gun. And I've spent a lot of that time getting the wireless networking and PC streaming to work! I really am a dummy when it comes to networking, I know nothing about how to set it up so the past day has been a real aggravation and learning experience!!!

Anyway I must say im still pretty satisfied with the 3600, being able to wirelessly stream avi and divx files from my PC as well as mp3's and I thought I read in the owners manual it does MKV files to, but haven't tried it yet, Im going to keep it!!

I've had the 3600 for a week now, needed the analog outs and full decode ability to connect to old NAD 754. Was concerned about the complaints of weak LFE using analog out. So far, the LFE sounds perfectly balanced (set speakers to small in menu and LFE on). I haven't tweaked the subs dials at all or boosted it from the receiver. The sound watching blu-rays seems fuller and more detailed (before, was using PS3 and optical bitstreaming for receiver to decode). Have not tryed sd dvd yet, but blu-rays look very good.

This is what I would expect: there's a reason they included the HQV chip in the 2500/2550 series (to differentiate with the competition), and I suspect there's a reason they REMOVED it from the 3600/4600 series (my guess is cost), but until someone from Samsung tells us (and they wouldn't at CES), we'll never really know why. I'm just glad I was able to get a 2550 before they're gone.

This is interesting - I've also been looking at 2550 vs 3600. I have the Denon 3930 DVD player which has the Realta chip (a step up from Reon). So, I don't really need a BR that does a good job with SD DVD's - the 3930 is extremely good at that.

On the other hand, I do need the BR player to output either 1080i or 720p. So if its interlacing or downscaling, you still want a good video processor, and it looks like the 2550 might be better for that purpose.

So, has anyone evaluated the downscaling/interlacing capabilities of the two players?

-Reid

Well the saga continues....

I rented a new bd movie called twilight, the lfe effect on the analog output was so weak I got better sound listening to the digital output via the fiber optic cable, my avr decodes the dts hd master audio as dtsneo6, the analog output on this 3600 is unacceptable!!! I called samsung level 2 tech support, told them my problems, which also include the bd live not working, and the wirless networking having bugs, I have problems connecting to my computer and even reading a bd disk, then I turn off the bd player and then back on and then it can read the disk and access my network.

He basically told me he has no info on the 3600 and will record all my problems and send it to a higher level and maybe they will address these issues in a firmware upgrade!!!

Well I dont know, Im going back to best buy and if they still have my 2550 than I returned saturday I might just get it back and call it a draw!!! Its a shame, he told me the reason they didnt include the HQV Reon chip was cost issues, I paid 50 more dollars for the 3600, what do they want blood???

So what does everybody think, should I get the 2550 back or keep the 3600 and hope they do a firmware upgrade??? The tech support guy also said people need to start calling in and letting them know there is a problem or they will not address it!!!!

I finally saw this player in BB. OMG it is ugly. What were they thinking with the bulbous shape and the buttons on the top? Ironically the 1600 is much classier and better looking. They made some weird choices with this player.

interesting. i am not having the wireless network, connection or lfe drawbacks that you are. it is difficult to get access to a password shared (in Vista) folder, but that is the only thing.

i do note that on startup, it will take a little bit for the wireless to recognize the network -- but at that point, no longer than any other wireless device powering up (i think i can usually press the Pandora button after the startup screen pops up and be denied about 3-4 times before the wireless kicks in -- but its fine after that). i look at that as somewhat normal and similar to a laptop initializing wireless after it gets into windows. now, if you're fully powered and at some point later, your wireless dies out, thats another issue. you might want to also check your interference levels, as another member pointed out that other wireless equipment like phones disrupted their connection.

side note: it is rather odd that samsung doesn't have any posted info on the 3600. they have the 1600 posted...and even best buy has some vague info on their website. very curious. only logical thinking i have is the info will be released when the 4600 comes to market -- being similar models.

all depends if you want wireless. if you don't, then no big deal. however, if you do, the 1600 requires the proprietary samsung wifi dongle (~$89, backordered) and an additional usb stick for memory (i don't believe it has onboard memory). this also means you have a usb device stopping that nice cover from closing as it only has 2 usb slots (1 front, 1 back). i hear people were trying to experiment with usb hubs. not sure about the results.

i found 2 interesting points on samsung's website that i must have missed in the manual for the 3600:

Playback Formats: VC-1, MPEG2, H.264

USB 2.0: No

i know the 3600 has DivX support, but i didn't read anywhere about a H.264 support. I will have to test that tonight. Also odd that anyone would still use the 12Mb/s USB 1.0 spec.

I was under the impression that none of these Samsung Blu-Rays can do 24fps upconversion for SD disks, while 24fps output is available across for the board with their Blu-Ray output. Am I wrong?

I have a BD-P1500 that is rated for 24fps for Blu-Ray, but all the articles I've read so far say that neither it nor the 2500/2550 can upconvert SD to 1080p24.

I'm asking/commenting on this because I want my SD disks to look their best and don't have any Blu-Rays. I picked up a 1500 a while back but haven't installed it because I thought it might be better to step back and just buy an SD upconverter with better ratings (or even a Toshiba XDE-500 that CAN do 24fps for SD) aather than have to mess with the supposedly slower-peforming patch-loving 1500 or even a 2500.

But... the other thought I have is that the 1500 is probably better than Samsungs upconverting SD players. The Samsungs, in general, get pounded on their bugginess and reliability on the Big River online reviews; and the DVD-1080P and F-1080 and all the combo units are especially disliked by reviewers. And then there's there is my Samsung LNA630s supposed full feature set of de-juddering and AMP features. Maybe 24fps for an SD disk isn't even a big deal if you've got a 6 series LCD?

Sorry to post this in the 3600 forum, but it sure seems like Samsung goes out of its way to muddy the product feature mix. I don't know what to settle on.

This is unbelievable, I decided to return the 3600 for another one, I get home with the new one and hook it up, no sound out the fiber optic cable! So I take it back for a 3rd one, when I go to get the next one off the shelf, there sits my old one being sold as an open box buy from best buy for 349. I know it was mine because I ripped the box opening it, I just can't believe they didnt defect it!!!! I'll never buy anything else from them! Anyway I get home with the 3rd one and its working fine, I still need to watch a bd movie and see it the lfe works any better, will let you know soon.


By the way the 2550 I returned saturday was already gone, and I was told they will not be getting anymore, so im stuck with the 3600.

that makes sense, with the analog outs. my receiver will not allow me to increase the sub out +10 db. i can drop the levels of the other channels to compensate, but that would affect all input sources. just trying to avoid replacing the receiver. others report that the sub out is fine & others are saying it is not acceptable leaves me wondering what their firmware versions are. could people please let us know what firmware versions they have ?

They all have the latest firmware, id have to look and see what the numbers are, but when I tried to upgrade it said no upgrade available, samsung doesnt even have this bd player on their websight yet for support or dl of owners manual. I even called their tech support today and they had no info they didnt even know it was for sale yet!!!

Best buy nolonger sells the 2550, its a shame, I wish I would have held on to it and tested the 3600 then took one of them back, now Im stuck with it and can only hope they fix some of these issues in a later FW upgrade. Im on my 3rd one today of the 3600, haven't played a BD movie in it yet, netflix will mail me one thursday and ill let you know if I still have the problem with the low LFE on the analog outs.

By the way a Bd movie loads in 12 seconds, a regular dvd in 7. Much better than the 32 second wait of the 2550.

They can't and it's a shame.

S~