Pandora Radio on a Blu-Ray
by walter on Jan.01, 2010, under Home Theater, Media Streamers
Visited 2131 times, 4 so far today
After Christmas, I picked up a Samsung BD-P1600 Blu-Ray player for $129. In addition to the standard blu-ray and DVD playback are internet services for Blockbuster Video, Netflix, Pandora Internet Radio, and Youtube. I tried Netflix back in 2000 but quit because the turnaround time to send in a movie and get the next one back was more than week. I know they’ve fixed that by opening more distribution centers, but nonetheless, I haven’t gone back. I’m also not into Youtube except for instructional type videos. It was the Pandora service I was anticipating most.
Samsung’s implementation of Pandora works pretty well. Upon starting it the first time, it provides an identifying number and a web address. You go to that address, enter the number, choose whether this is a new account, or link it to an existing account. I chose to link it to an existing account.
Upon doing that, all your existing Pandora stations appear. The interface is pretty simple using the arrow buttons to navigate and the colored remote buttons for specific functions like creating a new station. Typing via remote is a bit tedious, so I’ll likely create stations at the computer rather than at the blu-ray.
Sound quality via optical digital cable to my receiver is very good.
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4 Comments for this entry
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January 2nd, 2010 on 10:55 am
btw, do you have http://www.youtube.com/twit in the youtube “instructional” category? I do most of my TWiT consumption while exercising, I find the video format to be preferable–more distracting, and I can exercise longer.
January 2nd, 2010 on 5:47 pm
The blu-ray Youtube interface only has categories for Most Viewed, Top Rated, Most Popular, Most Discussed, etc. Instructional isn’t one of them. And while I can search for keywords, I can’t search for a publisher. Searching for Twit only brought up references to twitter and twitches. I presume I could go into my Youtube account on my computer and assign Twit as a favorite and then it would appear on the blu-ray too.
January 1st, 2010 on 9:47 pm
That’s an interesting item, but I’m not a fan of throwing a PC image onto a TV. I’ve tried wired connections to a 32″ TV and beyond about 8′ start having trouble reading it adequately. A well done UI like on this blu-ray player, or XBMC installations are designed for easy use from a distance.
January 1st, 2010 on 9:37 pm
Have you taken a look at this toy?
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/12/31/warpia-wireless-usb-display-adapter-streams-audio-video-in-digital-home/
It looks like a nice capability, to be surfing while watching TV with the wife, and able to quickly share what I am seeing on the internet with her. Another use, in a club meeting, to move the projector input to another source, without dragging cables and just tossing the USB dongle to another user.