Samsung BD-P4600 Blu-ray player   

By Matthew Moskovciak, CNET.com, CNET Asia
May 7, 2009

Samsung likes to say its "Touch of Color" design scheme elevates products to become a "work of art", but really, it comes down to three main principles: Rounded corners, translucent red highlights, and a glossy black finish. The Samsung BD-P4600 is the epitome of that design philosophy. It looks like no other Blu-ray player we've tested--reminding us of nothing so much as a thin plate balanced on a stand. The BD-P4600 has a feature set that bests most of its competitors, including Wi-Fi compatibility with an included USB dongle, and 1GB of onboard memory.

In all, we had very few complaints with the BD-P4600's functionality, but its S$799 (US$567.63) list price will probably scare off most consumers, especially when the step-down Samsung BD-P3600 (S$699 (US$496.59) list price) offers all the same functions, albeit in a more conventional design. The BD-P4600 is an excellent Blu-ray player if you have no qualms about paying an extra S$100 (US$71.04) for its peculiar look or wall-mount capability, but most buyers will be perfectly satisfied with the cheaper BD-P3600.

Design

Since the step-down BD-P3600 has all the same features and performance, the only reason to buy the BD-P4600 is its unusual design. Looking like a rectangular UFO, the BD-P4600 is relatively flat (1.6 inches (40.6mm) thick) with round corners and a red, translucent finish. Perched on the included stand, it sits on an angle sloping downward, which exposes its touch-sensitive buttons. When the BD-P4600 is unplugged, it appears to have a completely buttonless, smooth design, but when you turn it on, the buttons light up seemingly from nowhere, along with a red LCD display right in the middle of the unit. Because the BD-P4600 is so slim, there's not enough room for a standard disc tray. Instead, it features a slot-loading design similar to the PS3, with the opening on the side of the unit.

Flip the BD-P4600 over to its bottom and some design compromises become apparent. Beneath a plastic cover is the BD-P4600's input/output bay, with the ports angled into the unit. Snaking cables into the compartment is a tight squeeze, and if you've got a thick HDMI cable (like the premium Monoprice cables we have in the Lab) you might find that it just won't fit.

There's also a USB port in this compartment, which is skillfully designed so you can plug into the included USB Wi-Fi adapter and still have it concealed by the plastic cover. The power port is also found in the compartment, which leads to the external power supply--another reason why the main unit is able to be so slim. There's an opening at the back so you can snake the cables out in an orderly fashion.

The BD-P4600 includes hardware for wall-mounting, and to us, that's the application where its slim design makes the most sense. Of course, the BD-P4600 requires at least two wires (HDMI and power), so you'll need to hide those wires in the wall. Otherwise, the slickness of your setup will be marred by a couple of dangling cables.

The included remote is a substantial redesign over previous players, but in some ways it's a step back. Most of the buttons are logically positioned, but important buttons--like Popup Menu, Disc Menu, and Title Menu--are stuck at the bottom of the remote.

User Interface

The BD-P4600's user interface is visually appealing, with vibrant colors and HD graphics. While the eye candy is nice, we weren't fans of the layout for the setup menus as we found the vertical alignment confusing. (Those with high-end Denon receivers, like the AVR-3808CI, will notice a resemblance.) Luckily, you'll rarely need to access the deeper setup menu system, so it's a minor issue.

Tags: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Compartment, USB Port, Adapter, disc

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