a bit of a shakey start for a new format

Author's Rating:

Pros: glorious pictures, great sound, ease of use

Cons: remote issues, dvd-r/-rw issues ,price ,loading times

The Bottom Line: 
great if you can get it at a knock down price!

Author's Review
ah the much anticipated release of the latest hi def format... or should i say one of the latest formats for we also have the rival hd-dvd platform to contend with!!! don' you just love format wars....anyway havin' used this product for the last 3 mths i have grown to like it very much. i say grown because it's not without flaws that marr its otherwise high spec high tech feel. firstly it can take an age to read and load a blu ray when first inserted into its somewhat flimsy disc tray,but you are rewarded with a picture that can look absolutely stunning (although the quality of your hi def display, or lack of, also greatly affects picture quality). i have it hooked up to the 46s2030 sony bravia using a monster hdmi cable and the colour pallette produced is rich, punchy, with a tremendous depth of field. however fast motion can show some juddering... but it's not too distracting and can depend on whether you are watching film or video based material( different frame rates are used ). picture thru' component looses some impact but is still very pleasing. sound wise you can output uncompressed linear 5.1 over hdmi if you have a compatible amp that can cope ( i don't )and a digital optical output is on board to connect to your surround processor or amp. the samgsung will also play your standard dvds but the ability to upscale would have been a nice touch especially given the hefty price tag. however i had some trouble trying to play some discs recorded at home using a sony dvd recorder.... the discs would not load, a worry if you intend this deck to replace your existing dvd player. build quality could be slightly better... that disc tray is thin and will not take too kindly to rough handling. the remote is pretty standard, finished in black to compliment the player, well layed out ,but the deck can be slow to respond. initally i found myself entering commands twice ,only to find the player would carry out both commands..... paticence is a virtue i suppose! all in all though, despite its flaws, i am pleased