Forget the Atkins Diet, for the Samsung Diet looks to have done wonders in slimming down the Samsung BD-D7500 Blu-Ray Player to astonishing compact proportions. It is the Korean Manufacturer’s 3D flagship model for 2011 focussing a lot on its stylish looks and unique design. Well, looks like Samsung is one-upping themselves! It was only a year before when the Samsung BD-P4600 Blu Ray Player was touting itself as the World’s slimmest player, when the BD-D7500 decided to deprive the former of its crown. Samsung sure does seem to have pushed boundaries again with this Blu-ray player that is scarcely an inch thick. Not only does it sweep you off your feet with its looks, but is also complete with its leading edge tech namely 1080p upscaling, 2D to 3D conversion, 3D playback, DLNA, touch-sensor controls, in-built Wi-Fi, Apps that is Web connected and aides in content streaming. Not to mention the expensive tag that tags along it in comparison to most players in the current market.

Well, for those of you who are tired of sliding their players under your television, you can now wall mount it, provided you figure a way out of the wiring situation. So are we all set to explore this achingly petite player and what it has on offer?

Key Features – A quick Glance:

  • Superior graphic UI.
  • Wi-Fi on board.
  • Along with playing HD movies in 3D, it also up converts 2D titles (blu-ray) to a near 3D image quality.
  • Ultra Fast Play (Samsung touts a less than 3 second start up time)
  • Capable of playing audio CDs and CD-R/RW along with DVDs.
  • Capable of decoding DTS Master Audio and Dolby Digital TrueHD. Multi-channel theatre sound can be enjoyed with the receiver being connected via optical audio out or HDMI.
  • Novel SoC (System-on-Chip) for outstanding 3D up-conversion of pictures, movies, and video streaming.
  • BD LIVE supported – content can be downloaded from the provided blu-ray disc via a network connection; Note, 1GB free space or a USB stick would be required
  • Playing music, videos and photos on your Smartphone, PC or NAS is now possible with AllShare via a network connection.
  • Allowed to play multimedia files via the USB connection. The following file formats are supported – AVI, MP3, WMA, JPEG, MKV, DiVX, MP4 and HD.
  • One Foot Connection compatible player, but then needs a Samsung Wireless Router that supports the One Foot Connection. This helps the player in establishing a connection with the router within 1 foot and doesn’t really require a password. Internet connection is seamless after this even if player is moved all around the house.
  • Samsung Smart TV makes a whole host of entertainment options possible, namely streaming from Vudu, Blockbuster, YouTube and Pandora. You can even update your social networking sites like Twitter or Facebook or if you choose to simply browse the net, all of the above with the tap of a button.
  • Smart Hub makes it possible to download a range of paid and free apps together with Internet services and content namely, weather forecasts, news, Games, stock market quotes, music and movies.
  • DLNA compatibility allows for connecting to the other DLNA compatible stuff in the house for you to enjoy the multimedia files. Additionally, you can turn your android phone into a remote for the BD-D7500 by downloading a special app called iOS, that is free.

Design/Finish

Measuring 0.9 inch deep, this Samsung BD-D7500 slim player comes in both glossy black and trendy silver finish. With a brushed metal silvery look, the slot-loading disc drive is located towards the side. Most of the cost of this player has gone into styling the BD-D7500, which looks to be a charismatic addition to Samsung’s 3S design theory (symmetrical, slim, slot-in). Its sleek brushed aluminium finish proves to be a real feast to the onlooker’s eyes and can be both wall mounted or fitted onto a stand. Well, it cannot be fitted into a cabinet though because of the side slot-in design. Gone are the days of noisy and slow load times. The addition of touch-sensor controls with the incorporated blue lightning sure does make the player to stand out in any home theatre and therefore would be more ideal to place in an area where it can be spotted. As mentioned before, if you find the player’s thinness kind of annoying, the supplied angled pedestal comes to your rescue. You can also just go ahead and wall mount with the brackets provided.

Slots & Controls in BD-7500

Akin to life, there seems to be compromises here too. The connections at the rear have been kept to a bare minimum to match the 1-inch frame. So the only connections that you get to see would be a single HDMI output, a USB, optical digital out, a LAN port. There is also an A/V mini-jack output that comes with a breakout cable for stereo analog audio and composite video. It lacks a dual HDMI out that was on offer in its predecessor BD-C6900, which proved to be real handy, especially if you have an older version of A/V receiver that has issues getting through 3D video. Again, it lacks multichannel analog audio out too. The On/Off is the only physical button that you get to see on the player. Additionally, there is also a Play/Pause logo in the centre encircled by 4 touch-sensitive buttons that controls playback. Fortunately, you really don’t have the need to use the USB slot for the Wi-Fi dongle, as it is in-built. Just follow the setup wizard and your deck would be networked in couple of minutes. Though the entire thing lights up similar to a Christmas tree, thankfully there is an option to switch this off, such that it doesn’t prove to be an annoying distraction while watching your favourite movie. Kudos to Samsung for having equipped the player with a slot-in disc drive due to which movies are played in less than 20 seconds from the time the spinner sucks in your disc. Well, this avoids the endlessly waiting time spent on the disc tray to pop out and go in. Definitely the fastest load time that we have seen so far!

Audio/Video

There is an on-board DTS-HD Master Audio decoding and Dolby TrueHD in the BD-D7500 3D Ready Blu Ray Disc Player that helps pass Hi-Res audio formats in their inherent bit stream format via HDMI, helping your A/V receiver decode the same. The setup menu offers a choice between 3 preset modes and a user mode, wherein the latter allows for adjusting noise reduction and sharpness. The depth of a 3D image can be adjusted with 2D to 3D conversion.

Playback is supported in the following formats in the BD-D7500 – CD audio, DVD, BD, MKV, AVCHD, WMA, Divx HD, MP4, JPEG and MP3. The player can be added to your home network via either a wireless 802.11n module or via Ethernet port. It is also equipped with 1GB of internal memory for storage of BD-Live content together with a USB port for additional storage. The latter also supports movie playback, music and photos. But then, the deck is devoid of advanced control ports like the IR or RS-232.

Features

The online platform in the Samsung BD-D7500 seems to be the richest in terms of online content. A rapid-growing App store has a whole host of casual games together with left-field infotainment, namely the Yoga Helper, which enhances your yoga poses and How to Tie a Tie etc. You get to amuse yourself by browsing pictures from Picasa. Again, the streaming video options also are abundant that goes on to include YouTube, Acetrax, BBC, Vimeo, iPlayer, DailyMotion etc. Social networking is also here in the form of Picasa, Twitter, Facebook, Google Maps, AccuWeather etc. Talking about social networking, while it indeed has a big nod to it on the Smart Hub portal, it is kind of disappointing to know that Twitter and Facebook are not really included in the TV experience. Well, you might have to relent to Samsung’s very own account login and creation tolerating the hurdles associated with it, which looks to be a part of the package.

In terms of streaming/downloading content the Smart Hub Portal literally smokes ahead in the race. It packs a literal mix of VOD services together with miscellaneous apps as mentioned above. The Your Videos Section forms a part of the Smart Hub Package that is more IMDb-lite. Streaming movies from within makes more sense, though presently that is not an option.

If you are looking to entertain yourself by streaming TV shows, music or movies, the BD-D7500 is only too happy to comply. The same can be played via a networked PC or via the USB stick; files such as MKV are reeled too. In case you have your stuff stored using a NAS (which we think you do), do not be surprised if the support is kind of pedantic. Well, that is because the player is kind of finicky when it comes to media servers.

Last but not least, check out yet another novel feature, BD-Wise, which helps the deck in outputting a disc at its inherent frame rate and resolution upon being connected through HDMI to a Samsung TV that is BD-Wise compatible. Well, this works if you let the TV control the frame-rate conversion and the upconversion.

Performance

The Samsung BD-D7500 3D Blu Ray Player doesn’t really disappoint you in terms of performance and does a fabulous job when it comes to putting life into 3D elements. It kicks off right from the minute the Warner Bros logo pops on the screen. It is a real treat to the eyes to watch 3D ingredients like a tennis ball being dangled in mid air, proving to be attractive additions. This is made possible thanks to its radiant convincing depth levels together with a realistic touch to the movies. Textures are flawless with vivid-looking clothing and fur. With the audience of a movie being kids, it is the colours that tend to attract them and colours are indeed impressive and captivating with dynamic rich hues. Blacks were impressive as well.

In terms of audio quality, the BD-D7500 Blu Ray Player player is capable of Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS-HD HRA along with supporting 7.1 channels through HDMI output, thus providing you with crisp and sharp surround sounds perfect for any of your favourite movie that you decide on watching. The quality of audio in the BD-D7500 is good too with the fabulous decoding of the supplemented MA 5.1 DTS-HD. More importantly, the dialogues are crisp and are not flooded neither by the music nor by the sound effect. Again, be it a subtler or action packed sequence, the experience is wonderfully immersive. Bass brings about a dramatic scenario with action-packed sequences. In fact, it looks to be a perfect match for the kind of 3D performance that you get to witness.

In terms of picture quality the player scores extremely well with both 2D and 3D images. Images literally pop up to life on the screen by way of brilliant, vivid, crystal clear quality. Load times are rapid and the BD-D7500 upconverts old DVDs seamlessly to HD quality. Though we do admit that the quality of up-converting DVDs has improved dramatically in comparison to its predecessors, the BD-D7500 still has a lot to make up in comparison to some of the high-end players or the Sony PS3 for that matter. Again, though the spinner upconverts conventional 2D images to 3D, the image quality might differ based on the source material.

Do not get dodged with the deck’s feather light weight, as the HD quality of the picture coming from within is a real killer with bustling playback detail, that you can literally peer into the smoggiest of scenes and yet come out with abundant details. 3D movie playback is cool too. Well, there is also the option to depth convert conventional 2D DVDs and Blu-rays to 3D. Though, it doesn’t really convince many of you out there that there is no real reason to use 3D glasses for content that is not designed to be watched in 3D format, you eventually cannot help but admire Samsung’s smartness in presenting 2D in the best ever possible fauxD. DVD playback also looks to be okay, though you will possibly find a more precise upscaling in the rival decks. Again, the spinner cannot be taken seriously to be a dedicated CD player, especially with its music playing capabilities being limited to functional. Nevertheless, this limitation doesn’t really matter much. Also we do not really think this deck is too very compatible with several AVRs as it evidently devised to be directly connected to a TV. On the flip side, you sure can connect it with a home cinema amp and the BD-D7500 would only be too happy to bitstream DTS Mater Audio and Dolby TrueHD. Then again, you might want to be aware of the fact that it lacks a persistent memory and the single slot for USB will have to be backed up with an additional 1GB, especially if you are looking at downloading stuff from the BD Live.

Remote Control

The BD-D7500 is backed by Samsung Anynet Plus (HDMI CEC), a network system that controls AV devices of Samsung by default eliminating the need for different remotes for various devices. This Anynet + feature offers you an experience that is seamless and user friendly and all you really need is just one remote. That being said, though the BD-D7500 is touted to be a remarkably stylish deck, we guess the same cannot be said about its remote control, which is neither fascinating nor really practical in use. It lacks backlighting with just the playback buttons being lucky enough to be treated with a fluorescent finish.

Power Consumption

Thankfully, the Samsung BD-D7500 3D Smart Blu Ray Player is not too very power hungry and uses only just about 14 to 16 watts when it comes to Blu-ray playback with only 0.3 watts while on standby. Well, it might not sound to be the best, but it is definitely above average in comparison to the other players in the market.

Pros

  • Stylish form factor
  • Smart Hub Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi Onboard
  • Wall mountable
  • Ultra fast play
  • Touch-sensor controls
  • One Foot connection

Cons

  • Limited Connectivity
  • Run of the mill DVD and CD playback
  • Lacks advanced control port such as RS-232, dual HDMI outputs and multichannel analog out for audio
  • Pricey
  • Uneven file support with media streaming

To Wrap-Up

Guess the Korean manufacturer would do everything possible up their sleeve in devoting an exclusive team to downsize technology with their sole mission being breaking their own record. This is the only possible reason that we could think of, for the Samsung BD-D7500 touting to be the world’s slimmest deck. No wonder it was waltzing all over the CES 2011 after being crowned the World’s slimmest Blu-ray deck. Let us say that this player is exclusively for those hankering for a high-end and hot Blu-ray player packed in an attractive case. Then again, the deck doesn’t really rely on its looks alone and packs a whole host of features in its tiny packing like DLNA compatibility, integrated Wi-Fi, 3D support, in-built storage and Smart Hub with Web-connected Apps, to name a few. On the flip side, if you are someone that doesn’t really give much of importance to the form factor, then you might step down a bit to the BD-D6700 with almost the same features, but with a more traditional design, together with a dual HDMI output which the 7500 lacks. Again, if you are not a great fan of 2D to 3D conversion, you could step down even further to the BD-D6500 forking out a relatively smaller sum for almost the same features.

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Samsung BD-D7500 Blu Ray Player – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer Samsung
Model Name BD-D7500
Form Factor Tabletop
Dimensions (W x H x D) 380 x 23 x 158 mm
Weight 1 kg
Colour/Finish Black, silver
General Features Control Button: Touch keys
BD profile: 2.0
Deck Type: Slot-in
Ultra Fast Play: Yes
3D Converter: Yes
Hyper Real Engine: Yes
Front Display: VFD
AllShare: Yes
BD Wise: Yes
Local Storage (in-built Memory): Yes
Smart Hub: Yes
Video Upscale DVD: Yes
Physical Feature Energy Rating: 2 star
Stand by/Operating: 0.3W/19W
Video Feature Decoding Format: AVCHD, MPEG2/4, JPEG, GIF,
PNG, DivX HD, HD JPEG, MKV, WMV(1, 2, 3, 7, 9)
Audio Feature Decoding Format: AAC, Dolby Digital Plus (7.1ch),
Dolby TrueHD, LPCM, MP3, DTS, DTS HD Hi-Res Audio,
DTS HD Master Audio, MP3, WMA
Sound Output Mode Stereo
Supported Audio formats AAC, HD-AAC, MP3, AC-3MPEG1/2 Audio, WMA, PCM
Additional Features Wall Mountable
AllShare
1GB flash memory in-built
USB host function
Playback VCD 1.1
Blu-ray Video
DVD Video/DVD+R/ DVD-R/DVD+RW/DVD-RW
CD DA/CD-R/CD-RW
Supported Digital Video Standards DivX, DivX HD, AVCHD, MPEG1, 2, 3, WMV9,
XviD, AVI, H.264, VC-1
Blu-ray Features Picture Zoom, 4x Picture Zoom Power, Parental Lock
Blu-Ray Media Format: NTSC
BD Profiles: Profile 1.1 (BonusView) 2.0 (BD Live)
Media Load Type: Slot-in
Slow Motion Speed: 1/8, 1/4, 1/2
Blu-ray Repeat Modes: Chapter, Title and A-B repeat
Upscaling: Yes
Connectivity Analogue Audio Outputs: 2ch
Aynet+ (HDMI-CEC)
Component/Composite Video output
Ethernet
HMDI output: 1EA
Optical digital audio output
USB Host: 1EA
Built-in Wireless LAN
Wireless LAN ready
Connector Type 1 x HDMI output – Bottom
1 x Composite Video/Audio output – Bottom
1 x Digital Audio output (optical) (TOSLINK) – Bottom
1 x USB 2.0 – Side
1 x Network (RJ-45) – Bottom
Remote Control Type Infrared
Cables Included 1 x A/V cable
Energy Star Qualified Yes
Power Power Adaptor – External
Consumption (operational) 19W
Warranty 1 Year Parts and 3 Months Labour

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