Samsung BD-C5500 (photos)

Whether you go for an entry-level Blu-ray player or a more expensive midrange model mostly comes down to whether you need one feature--built-in Wi-Fi. Samsung's BD-C5500 lacks built-in Wi-Fi (although it can be added with an $80 USB dongle), but comes in about at $65 cheaper than the step-up BD-C6500 and still offers up the same excellent image quality. The BD-C5500 also features Samsung Apps, the company's expandable platform for streaming media and other Internet services like Twitter. While it may not achieve the same popularity as Apple's App Store, the platform is already well-stocked with names like Netflix, Vudu, Pandora, and YouTube. The BD-C5500 is also one of the few entry-level players to also be DLNA-compliant; both the LG BD550 and Panasonic DMP-BD65K lack the ability to stream digital media over a network.

On the other hand, the BD-C5500 lacks many of the extra features that give the more expensive BD-C6500 its edge over the competition, such as 7.1 analog audio outputs and onboard memory. It also shares its step-up's other flaws, namely sluggish operational speed and the fact that last year's Samsung Blu-ray player seemed to have reliability issues. Overall, the BD-C5500 stands out from the entry-level pack with Samsung Apps and DLNA-compatibility, but if those features are not a priority for you, you might be happier with a faster entry-level player.

The BD-C5500 has a glossy black finish on its front panel, augmented by a silver strip in the upper right that marks the playback controls. The look isn't one of the company's best, with the silver strip reminding us more of the Vizio VBR200W than Samsung's traditionally slick style. There's a large LCD display in the center of the unit and underneath the front panel controls is a pull-away tab revealing a USB port. The front panel controls are actually touch-sensitive buttons, which we found to be plenty responsive. The design is certainly more functional that the top-located buttons on the BD-C6900 and even though we like the look of other Samsungs more, it's still better than the boxy aesthetics of Panasonic's players.

The BD-C55500 sports a front panel USB input, as well as an addition USB port in the back.

Samsung has completely redesigned its user interface, and we like the new look. It's visually appealing, with a wood-grain background and large icons for different media types (Internet@TV, music, video, photos). There are also five large icons at the top for popular streaming services (Rovi TV listings, Blockbuster, Netflix, Vudu, and Pandora), so you can quickly access them without jumping into the more involved Samsung Apps interface. Unfortunately, you can't customize which icons show up at the top, so if you're not a fan of, say, Rovi TV listings, you can't replace that with Picasa. Overall, it easier to jump into whichever service you'd like to use.

If you want to dig deeper into Samsung's online offerings, you can access the Samsung Apps platform (aka Internet@TV; Samsung uses the terms interchangeably). From there you can browse and download new apps, which are categorized into genres like video, game, sports, and lifestyle. All of the current available apps are free, but Samsung said that premium apps will be available in the future.

We haven't seen any new apps pop up since we've had the player, so it's tough to gauge how much additional functionality the platform will provide. We also would have liked the option to rate apps, which would make it easier to find quality programs.

The BD-C5500's AV output selection is basic, but that's to be expected for an entry-level model. There are no multichannel analog outputs, although Samsung does offer 7.1 analog outputs on the step-up BD-C6500. Many Blu-ray players also have both optical and coaxial digital audio outputs, but it's not a major issue unless you're out of open optical inputs on your AV receiver.

Samsung has redesigned its Blu-ray remote this year, opting for a wider, flatter clicker that lacks much of the glossy finish that collected fingerprints on the old remotes. The new button layout is straightforward, with the most important buttons, like the directional pad and playback controls, falling easily under the thumb. The number pad is a bit oversized for our tastes (who uses the number pad frequently?) and the eject button could be more prominent, but those are minor issues. The remote can also control a TV.