Unlike a few years ago, 4K UHD Blu-ray players are everywhere and finding the right one can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Today we’ll be taking a look at the Samsung UBDM7500 to see if it’s worth your hard earned money…
Like most things in life, design is paramount. In this department the UBDM7500 doesn’t disappoint, having the recognisable sleek and slightly curved exterior that has come to symbolise Samsung’s range of Blu-ray players over the years. It also has the control buttons on a slightly angled edge, so you not only see them more clearly but are easily accessible which is ideal if the player is being put into a cabinet or at a level where seeing the top may be troublesome. Overall, the design is one of the better of the Blu-ray brands out there.
When it comes to electronics though, one thing always trumps design and that’s performance. Of course, with this being a 4K UHD player it’ll play all your new purchases but it also has the ability to play older standard Blu-rays and even traditional DVDs as well, so there’s no need to have multiple units stacked under your TV. On top of that, it will also play any media stored on a memory stick and can even playback user created discs as long as they have been finalised correctly onto a compatible disk. The final icing to the cake is the unit’s in-built smart apps which let you stream multiple online services as long as you have a physical connection between your router and the Blu-ray player.
Connection wise the UBDM7500 isn’t going to break any boundaries with its minimalist approach, but it does have a digital optical out making it easy to run it directly into a soundbar or an older AV system without HDMI. It also has one HDMI output and one Network RJ45 input for internet and streaming usage. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any Wi-Fi ability so it does have to be hard wired in to access the Smart functionality.
Enough about specs though, let’s talk about how it ranks when actually using it. For me, it was an easy setup that never felt too demanding and this carried over into general use as the SmartHub user interface was a breeze to use being clear and concise, letting me navigate the menus and smart functions with ease and speed. The image itself was also fantastic looking when I ran through a 4K UHD copy of Guardians of The Galaxy 2 through it (which not only highlighted its 4K ability but also its dynamic HDR ability), also impressing me with its upscaling when I watched a few scenes of The Matrix Reloaded and noticed how it was subtly improving the image.
In closing, I think that if you’re looking for a good modestly priced 4K UHD HDR Blu-ray player, then the Samsung UBDM7500 could be for you, and even though it may not have wireless capability the fact that it’s UI is so seamless more than makes up for it in my opinion.
Of course there’s more than one Blu-ray player in the sea so don’t hesitate to pop on down to your local Richer Sounds or give them a ring to see this player for yourself and see what else there may be available for you.
Click here to learn more about the Samsung UBDM7500
Author: Hal, Plymouth store
