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By Philip Wong, CNET Asia
Jan 21, 2008

It has been a long and winding road for Samsung when it comes to its past and current lineup of standalone HD players. The Korean company did beat the competition with its world's first Blu-ray player, the BD-P1000. But in the process of rushing out the product, it missed a software bug, plaguing its pilot offering with softer-than-expected visuals. This development may have prompted its Asia regional office to bypass the BD-P1200 altogether for a more polished BD-P1400, a feature-packed kit to unlock the full potential of the blue laser-based disc media.

Design

When it comes to aesthetics, you can trust the Koreans and their relentless quest for perfection--think plastic surgery for starters. In the same light, you will hardly be disappointed with the BD-P1400's beaming frontal. Aside from an attractive black piano finish, there are plenty of curves to break the usual boxy from factor, most notably, a recessed decorative stripe along the bezel's bottom in contrasting silver. An ultra-bright blue power button/indicator and equally glaring (can be dimmed) but stylishly flush-mounted white LCD display round up the player's X factor.

Putting aside the pretty face, the set features a traditional layout. Beginning from the left, we have the above-mentioned button followed by a disc tray, display and a somewhat unresponsive four-way playback control. Shifting our attention to the rear, there is a battery of gold-plated A/V jacks as well as a quiet cooling fan. Missing though are the familiar hi-fi feet which theoretically dampen vibration for enhanced disc playback. In retrospective, there are more pros than cons if you sideline its stain-prone glossy material (applies to all brands) and its taller-than-normal bulk.

Once again, we have the all-too-familiar black-and-gray 2007 standard remote controller bundled in the package. Perfectly functional and ergonomic, its existing customers will find this a snap to learn and operate. The rubbery controls here are not only snappier than their main unit equivalent, they are also well-labeled, offering a nice tactile feedback. As bonus, its designers have also given the crucial playback controls a glow-in-the-dark treatment, plus a set of auxiliary keys to manipulate common TV functions from 58 other Japanese, European and Korean brands.

We aren't expecting any extras for its software menu and this was exactly what was delivered in its six setup submenus. You will have to rely on your TV for indepth video-tuning such as noise reduction and sharpness, although there are detailed 5.1 speaker settings to configure internal surround sound decoding. Navigation-wise, the software is organized in a multilevel structure that drills down progressively from the left to right, providing user-friendly instant feedback on the actual flow of options. If you still need help to get things moving, there is always a handy 61-page manual for quick reference.

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