Blu-ray meets the internet

Samsung's new BD-P1600 serves up way more than the full HD 1080p video and 7.1-channel surround sound for which Blu-ray Disc is known. The combination of Wi-Fi readiness (with separate Wi-Fi dongle) and an ethernet port make it possible to connect the BD-P3100 to your home internet network. From there, the possibilities are astounding. Thanks to Netflix and Pandora readiness, you can stream internet movies and music and send them straight to your HDTV (a Netflix membership is required for some services). Further, BD Profile 2.0 capability (also known as BD Live) gives you the ability to discover on-line extras for many of your favorite Blu-ray movies.

It's all about the Blu

If you haven't heard of Blu-ray Disc before, here's a quick crash course. DVD technology uses a wide red laser to record movies onto the disc. Blu-ray Disc, on the other hand, uses a narrower blue-violet laser to do its encoding. Consequently, a dramatically larger amount of information can be recorded in the same space. In fact, a Blu-ray disc can store over five times the information of a DVD. This makes it possible for both full high definition 1920 x 1080p video and HD 7.1-channel audio to be stored on a single disc. And that's just the beginning. There's also plenty of room left over for special features and behind-the-scenes extras. Samsung's BD-P1600 not only supports a variety of Blu-ray formats, but also gives you the ability to play back DVDs and CDs, as well as audio and images recorded using formats such as MP3, and JPEG.

Surround sound's full potential

While Samsung's BD-P1600 features built-in decoding technology for a variety of surround sound formats, two top the list: Dolby Digital TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio. These advanced technologies allow for decoding of the full HD 7.1-channel surround sound found on many Blu-ray Disc titles. Full 7.1-channel surround sound adds two side surround channels to standard 5.1-channel configurations, creating and even more realistic, enveloping audio experience.

DVD, meet 1080p

Two little words spell out a big sigh of relief for your DVD collection. With all this talk of Blu-ray Disc's full HD 1080p video and 7.1-channels of uncompressed surround sound audio, your DVDs were preparing themselves for the landfill. Thanks to the BD-P1600's DVD video upconversion technology, however, you need to prepare yourself to rediscover your DVDs' potential. Video upconversion technology enhances the standard definition 480i video found on DVD to near HD 1080p levels when you use the BD-P1600's HDMI connection, optimizing it for display on your HDTV. DVD, meet 1080p.

Keepin' connected

While the BD-P1600's Wi-Fi and ethernet connectivity options are great for accessing online content, they aren't the only important connections. No HD device is complete without an HDMI connection. As the most advanced digital interface, HDMI is capable of transmitting HD video and audio via a single cable. Ensuring that all 1920 x 1080 pixels of your Blu-ray Disc movie reach your HDTV, Samsung has outfitted the BD-P1600 with an HDMI output. While a component video output offers further video connectivity, digital optical audio output offers versatile audio connectivity. Finally, two USB terminals make it easy to view photos or listen to music stored on a USB flash drive.

Your life line: HDMI cables

The advent of HDMI has been monumental in the advancement of all your favorite audio and video gadgets. Don't miss out on all that your new BD-P1600 offers — in terms of high-definition audio and video connectivity — by leaving a set of HDMI cables off the list. Vann's sales representatives are here to explain all your options, so you can make the best purchase and get the most out of your HD system. Call the 800 number at the top of this page for expert advice.

Included with purchase

The following items are included with the purchase of the Samsung BD-P1600: Remote Control, batteries, A/V cable (RCA), User's Manual, Quick Start guide.