Netflix via Blue Ray Player

[Hyfi]

Has anyone set this up yet? A friend of mine wants me to hook him up to do this since he just got the latest ugly BRP from Samsung which comes with a wireless internet USB connector. I probably need to upgrade his wireless router but just wanted some info as to whether this feature is worth taking advantage of or just a nightmare to configure and use.

[Mr Peabody]

If your friend is a Netflix member it would be a useful feature. I don't think they stream any HD content yet. The internet connection is convenient way to get upgrades as well.

[02audionoob]

If you sign in and go to this page - http://www.netflix.com/Activate - it will ask you for an activation number. With the BD player attached to an ethernet cable go to the home menu and choose the NetFlix option and the option to activate streaming. The BD player will give you the number to put in on the computer. You can then play whatever movies are in the instant streaming queue on that member's NetFlix account.

Seems like a lotttta data for a wireless device.

[Hyfi]

looks like the newer "N" wireless routers will allow for the streaming of HD Blu Ray movies from netflix.

Now all I need to do is narrow down what router to get...too many mixed reviews of all models.

[02audionoob]

I have a Netgear wireless N router and I don't know of any negatives about it. What do the reviews say?

[Mr Peabody]

If you've never hooked up a router before I feel sorry for you.

[Rudy Gireyev]

looks like the newer "N" wireless routers will allow for the streaming of HD Blu Ray movies from netflix.

Now all I need to do is narrow down what router to get...too many mixed reviews of all models.

For whatever it might be worth, my first preference is, and always has been, a wired router. In fact this is what I use at the moment. I only whip out the wireless one if friends come over and want to use it. Wired is faster, more secure, less expensive and easier to set up.

Just a thought.
Rudy

[Hyfi]

If you've never hooked up a router before I feel sorry for you.

No worries, I have hooked up plenty of routers. Just not one of the newest N routers. I didn't forget everything I learned while getting a degree in networking....

For whatever it might be worth, my first preference is, and always has been, a wired router. In fact this is what I use at the moment. I only whip out the wireless one if friends come over and want to use it. Wired is faster, more secure, less expensive and easier to set up.

Just a thought.
Rudy

Of course hard wired is always better. The person I am doing the job for cannot run a cable from where his service comes in to where his DVD player is or it would have been done with a cable.

[Mr Peabody]

Well, Hyfi, one more reason why I wish you were my neighbor.

[Hyfi]

So I hooked this up the other night. I went with the DLink 655.
http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=530

I did not run the setup disk since I like to just login and manually configure. Setup was pretty simple. I used WEP because the family I did this for has children with wireless laptops and they were not home. I tried to set it up so they would just connect up as if the router was never replaced.

The Samsung Blu Ray player with it's little USB adapter connected right up after entering the WEP key. At once it asked if I wanted to do a Firmware update which I did. After the update and restart of player, it had lost all the wireless settings. The update also now causes a bunch of static and noise to come through the TV speakers when the Blu Ray player is turned on. I need to contact them about it.

Now when I tried to enter all the same wireless settings, it would not connect up with WEP and I had to change the router to use WPA, which I know is better and recommended. It then connected right up with a 3/4 signal strength, which is good for where the router sits.

You Tube linked right up and we started watching some hot TM Stevens clips. Next we configured Pandora which also worked great and sounded good through a little Denon mini system with tiny Mission speakers and a nice ADD sub.

Then we setup the NetFlix account, added some movies to the Instant queue and went back to the TV room and selected the movie on the list and within 20 seconds it started playing flawlessly.

All in all, I was pretty impressed with the results and can see my friend spending many hours with his new toys. Until now, he barely touched a computer but will now become techno savy because he has to.

The DLink Router is highly recommended. The Samsung BR Player is the BD-P4600.

http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/t...ype=prd_detail

[Mr Peabody]

Hyfi, is the man!