I decided I was going to break down and buy a BluRay player. I'm not really all that interested in buying too many BluRay discs, but there are a few movies I'd like to see in HD. I'd also like to take advantage of some of the innovations like upconversion and the Network connectivity in modern players. I've been casually shopping for one over the past few months and was nearly ready to get a Playstation 3 when I read that Samsung had released their new 3D BluRay player, the BD-C6900.

Now, I don't give a darn about 3D. I think it's ultimately a gimmick at best, and a distraction for a bad plot at worst. The reason I bought it is because it was specifically advertised as supporting DLNA, something I hadn't seen in too many devices, although I'm sure there's other players that do. They also make a big deal about Internet streaming and connectivity.

It was delivered on Friday. I set it up after work. Setup was about as easy as it gets. Since I was very interested in it, the first thing I did was go into the Internet section. It found my NAS without any problems, and even played most of the ripped DVDs I have on the NAS. Then I got to the music section. There's just a flat directory structure that can't be searched or anything. Also no way to make a playlist on the fly, and if you move up a directory, the music stops. This thing has enough horsepower to stream uncompressed video out an HDMI cable at 240Hz, but can't play an mp3 while I browse for the next song? And where's my album cover art?

Then there's the "streaming Internet." This basically is an interface for Netfilx, Vudu, Pandora and You Tube. There are also a few games. All the selections except YouTube require you to register on a PC before you log in to your account(s) on the BluRay player. Of course, all the video streaming services other than YouTube are subscription in one form or another. I like to check in on Twit.TV once in a while. On the N900 it is relatively simple, point the browser and go full screen (using the same flash player that YouTube uses). If I wanted to I could just get the direct URL to the stream and I'm sure I could watch it through media player or whatever. I listen to audio streams all the time by coping/pasting the URL into the media player, and can even save a stream location as a favorite. Another app is USA Today. It is just a lousy screen scrape of the web site with a pretty background. No embedded audio/video, no interactive maps or anything. Just a flat text page.

This is not in any way a cheap player. In fact I'm sure I paid the early adopter tax on this, figuring it would do what I wanted seeing how it is the latest and greatest, and the Internet has been around long enough for engineers and marketeers to know what we want from our devices. Instead we get walled gardens and app stores. It's AOL all over again. It does upconvert DVDs very well and the sound quality of MP3s over the network is about as good as it can get, staying digital right up to the receiver input. I think I'll keep it, but only because I don't expect anything better from other devices on the market today. From what I've read on the message boards, Samsung does update firmware, and one of the first things that happened after I got it online was a FW update, so maybe they'll add functions down the road.

So this may be the end of the second golden age of the Internet, as far as I can tell. We went from AJAX and HTML4 to app stores, subscriptions and walls. This isn't the global network they promised. I should be watching Hong Kong game shows and Russian documentaries. Instead I can watch more Hollywood reruns, but this time in 3D. Are we all to be fated to the thin gruel of the lowest common denominator, stuck in a world where only 2 systems dominate and everyone else is marginalized?

I say there is a place for the N900, warts and all. There's been a lot of negative threads going through TMO lately, and it's easy to get sucked into wining about all the things wrong with the N900, Nokia, etc. But we really need to keep our focus on what's right and where the Internet is heading. Steve Jobs has made it clear that he likes walled gardens and limited experiences. It does make it easy on Apple to take that road, and they have the market share to do just that. But the N900 way is ultimately the better way, although more difficult to use, there's not a single wall to be found, even on the default applications. I don't have to sync it with iTunes like it's a computer peripheral, it has more than enough power to work as a stand alone device.

Anyway, enough ranting for one day. I just wanted to get that off my chest.

.I just got an ultra short throw 3d viewsonic projector off of amazon and this is my first projector so no experience.
There is no hdmi input!
You blow up 1024x768 to fill up the whole wall and it looks like crap
coming from my 3 year old hp slimline pc with no graphics card.
I'm screwed because it only has composite, s video and monitor hook up.
I planned on buying the ps3 Friday to use with it because I thought it would play 3d but now I gotta buy this Samsung 3d player too:
Frack!
I'm getting the impression that if I want 3d and a good picture I have to replace my pc with a modern one too.

I'm with you on the 'gimmickiness' of 3d and the walled garden analogy. Comparing it to AOL illustrates it nicely. Good rant, I say. Well done, sir!

This Summer 3D Movies and Games for PS3 too with a firmware update, so why buy an extra blu-ray player?

The thread title sucked me right in, but I thought, "where could this possibly be going?" I like your writing style; you keep a level head about a topic that makes my head want to come clean off. Thanks for the post.

How much did you pay for the Samsung Blu-Ray player? You do know the PS3 supports DLNA also, and has a web browser so you can watch streaming video. Given It does have its occasional issues, but it does work. It streams all my videos and music. Only problem it has is with mkv files. Also for 3d viewing. Dont all these players require HDMI 1.4? Atleast if you want to watch HD 3D video. Not to mention you need Active Shutter glasses with Samsungs 3D setup. Of course thats pretty much a requirement from all these 3d Home Manufacturers. But still, the PS3 is a better purchase for the price.

Then build one yourself. Get a ion based atom pc (I'm pretty sure it'll cost less than that player) and slap linux and xbmc on it.

You can do it, just head to thepiratebay.org (or your favorite torrent tracker).

I don't have a PS3. I was thinking of getting one, but mostly as a media player. I'm just not that into games other than the occasional flash game or the standard Linux card games.

And again, I really wasn't all that interested in the 3D aspects of the player, it's just that it had all the other features I was looking for and it looks good on the shelf. 3D is just another feature to me. I'm sure I could have saved a few dollars and bought something else, but I've basically come to the realization that if I want something that will be useful for over 5 years or more, I should just get the latest and greatest now and just use it. My DVD player is nearly 10 years old now and right up until the upconverting DVD players became common it was as good as anything out there.

Hopefully I'll be able to get 2-3 years out of my N900, but who knows? If it supports IPv6 I might even get 3+ years out of it.

I think the question is why pick the Samsung 3d blu ray player over buying a Ps3, that has a lot more functionality. Especially for the things you are wanting to do.

I started out building a HTPC using MythTV (actually Mythbuntu). It started out OK, but then I had a lot of trouble getting the TV and video card to play nice together at something other than 640X480. I started looking at scan converters and it seems the good ones cost as much as a BluRay player anyway. Then I found that the Firewire port on my cable box is under the control of content providers and when they shut it down they lock out the whole set top (including the built-in DVR... Amazing!), and I lost interest in the project. At any rate, I'll likely go down that road again at some point, but I'm not ready to buy a new TV at this time, so it will have to wait until then (and I'll be sure to look for a VGA input at least on the TV).

As for torrents, I'm well aware of what's possible. I'm just wondering why manufacturers won't start including some better IPTV options in their products. I have a feeling it has something to do with the Hollywood copyright cartels, but I also think it has something to do with people sitting in meetings deciding that 'Mericans are just too dumb to want to watch anything but the latest J. J. Abrams/Jerry Bruckheimer script (written by the photocopier and the "Edit-Replace all" button). Of course, we did all run out and watch Avatar, and totally ignored the awful acting, lack of story line and terrible writing (Unobtainum? Really? That made me laugh out loud... and then cry).

But there I go off on a rant again!