Samsung BD-D8500 Tests (Blu-ray Players)

There's something decidedly low-rent about the word “combi”, but this two-into-one effort from Samsung is most definitely upmarket. Costing a whopping £380, it darn well should be, but wait until you see what it can do: 3D Blu-ray playback, Freeview HD...

Freeview HD, PVR functions, 3D pictures, BBC iPlayer

Single Freeview tuner, 2D-to-3D conversion, no multichannel 7.1 outputs

The high price and heavyweight size will put many off, but this 3D Blu-ray player-cum-HDD recorder’s combination of unusual features make it a niche product extraordinaire. Top quality 3D is the icing on an enticing high-end package that marries BBC...

The Samsung BD-D8500M Blu-ray player appears to offer it all -- a 500GB PVR, 3D support and Internet connectivity. But its multitasking issues and unconvincing media-streaming capability rather take the shine off this ambitious package.

Good 3D Blu-ray playback ; Spacious hard drive ; Access to Smart Hub Internet TV and apps portal

Slow disc-loading times ; Key functionality disabled during recording to hard drive ; Component output restricted to standard-def images

Samsung's BD-D8500M is an attractively specified deck, albeit one with enough foibles to warrant pause for thought. Its inability to multitask when recording rather undermines the all-in-one convenience pitch, and its generally bumpy media performance...

Generally pleased, however this unit does not record two channels at the same time. My old Sony did. Shame because you can normally record two channels and watch a third using the TV tuner. The menu system is not the best.. a lot of button pressing...

I have owned this device for about a month and used it daily as a PVR and also as a media player. I bought it because my Panasonic DVD/HDD recorder had lost its DVD capabilities. I almost always watch recorded TV rather than live and wanted to see that...

Had the same problems as Andrew, unit doing very bizarre things, switching itself and the TV on in the middle of the night etc.