Samsung BD-F5900 Pro Reviews

Though there are tradeoffs with power usage, taking advantage of Quick Start with the BD-F5900 gives you one of the quickest Blu-ray players you could ever buy. Waiting around for your player to turn on and load a disc can now be a thing of the past. The Blu-ray player's picture quality is very good and the interface is very simple, and while some of the features aren't all that useful -- CD ripping, for example -- at least it gets the basics right. The Samsung BD-F5900 is an excellent Blu-ray player offering a mix of usability, performance, and speed, making it a very good value. This unit should be at the top of the list for anyone seeking a Blu-ray player in 2013.

Last year I was impres-sed by the performance of Samsung’s flagship Blu-ray player (BDE6500) and the value it brought to the table. This year, I’ve had the opportunity to review the company’s midline player, and for $150, it’s hard to complain about a noisy disc drive while loading a disc, the clunky Web browser that really requires a keyboard to be of any use, and an ergonomically challenged remote control (and iDevice app). In fact, if you’ve been looking at a Roku to serve your streaming needs, you may want to consider spending a little extra for this Blu-ray player instead. While it falls short of a Top Pick in this price class due to the aforementioned issues, its friendly user interface and wide variety of streaming options still make it a viable option for the budget-conscious consumer.