Samsung BD-F5700 Wi-Fi Blu-Ray Player (Black)
Product Information
Technical Details
| Brand Name | Samsung |
| Item Weight | 2.2 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 10.6 x 7.6 x 1.5 inches |
| Item model number | BD-F5700 |
| Batteries: | 2 AAA batteries required. (included) |
| Color Name | black |
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I got this simply as a blu-ray player to use with my 1080p non-smart HDTV, and to my surprise, this unit has the entire Samsung Smart TV capability (aka. Smart Hub) built into it which instantly turned my old dumb TV into a very smart TV!!! Also, I have checked, it actually turns out to be cheaper to get a standard LED TV and add this than getting a full fledged Smart TV,The playback and sound etc. basics work perfectly fine. Wi-Fi reception flawless. And Smart Hub is truly smart. Very highly recommend.
I had some very specific requirements for what I wanted a Blu-ray player to do that, ironically, did not include the ability to play Blu-Rays. I just wanted it to play everything else! This thing pretty much does.Streaming: When I first turned it on, it had Netflix preinstalled, but not Hulu or Amazon Video. It quickly updated, and there was Hulu, but still no Amazon. And I don't see any way to install it. Oh well, Amazon, it's time to start pushing your video service more!
Files: In addition to streaming services, I wanted the ability to play mp3s, jpgs, and mp4s, which this thing does, extremely well. Just put it on a thumb drive and pop it in the front USB port. Go to the home screen and choose "select device", and there is your USB drive. Then select music, movies, or pictures, and it will find them on the USB.
Discs: As for discs, it works equally well with commercially produced DVD discs as it does the ones you write on your home computer. As I mentioned, I don't have any Blu rays, so I can't speak to the picture quality of those.
Sound: I also wanted a Blu-ray player that I could use with my 8 year old Sony Surround system (Analog.) This was one of the few players that had a coaxial digital out port (Uses the orange tipped cable in the old color coded system). I hooked the HDMI up to the LCD TV and plugged in the orange cable to the receiver, and voila, I got sound and picture on the TV, and sound through the receiver. I tested it on DVDs, MP4s, and streaming, and it all worked. I don't know if it was doing surround sound or not, but it was coming through all 6 of the wired speakers, including the subwoofer.
Stylistically it's small and sleek.
The one thing I haven't tried yet is the DLNA function, but when I do, I will try to get back here to update this.
All in all, a great little machine for a great price.
I just got a Samsung BD-F5700, hooked it up and found that it does NOT have the NetFlix or YouTube apps that it is supposed to include. Also, Samsung's website says that an app for Hulu Plus has been added with a recent firmware upgrade, but the firmware updated that's available for download from Samsung's website (for USB installation) is an OLDER version (1010.0) than the version that came factory-installed (1012.2), and there is no Hulu Plus app either.I've played a couple of Blu-ray disks on it, and they looked great. However, the ability to stream video from NetFlix, YouTube and Hulu Plus is absolutely essential for me, and one of the main reasons that I chose this particular player. I am attempting to resolve this issue with Samsung tech support online, and will update this review according to the results of that. If there is no way to get the apps installed and working on it, then I will have to return it and find something else.
UPDATE 02/25/2014: After two days Samsung responded to my email support request with a generic email that had no actual content relating to the problem. I just finished a "live chat" with a Samsung agent through their website. She said that they are "aware" of the "missing NetFlix app issue" and "hope to have an update ready some time next week". I don't think it is acceptable that Samsung is advertising and selling the BD-F5700 as including NetFlix and YouTube apps that they KNOW it does not include, and they don't even have a fix available. Also, I've been working with a variety of computer and network technologies for over 20 years, and I have never before encountered a situation where a vendor's website has software updates for download that are OLDER than the software that came with the device.
UPDATE 05/18/2014: Apologies for the belated update, but I was eventually able to download and install a newer firmware update from Samsung's website, which added the Netflix and Hulu Plus apps. The Netflix app works fine, although it is a bit clunky -- basically you will want to do your Netflix browsing and selecting at the computer, and add things you want to watch to your list for easier access from the Samsung. The video streaming performance is fine and the video quality with a Samsung LED HD TV is excellent. So I wound up keeping it after all. I do advise prospective purchasers to be prepared for firmware issues, though.
UPDATE 05/18/2014: Apologies for the belated update, but I was eventually able to download and install a newer firmware update from Samsung's website, which added the Netflix and Hulu Plus apps. The Netflix app works fine, although it is a bit clunky -- basically you will want to do your Netflix browsing and selecting at the computer, and add things you want to watch to your list for easier access from the Samsung. The video streaming performance is fine and the video quality with a Samsung LED HD TV is excellent. So I wound up keeping it after all. I do advise prospective purchasers to be prepared for firmware issues, though.
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