Samsung DVD-N501 Nuon DVD Player

• DVD player with integrated HDCD decoder system
• Dolby Digital/DTS optical and coaxial digital audio outputs
• Component-video output terminals
• High-speed, high-linearity 96 kHz/24-bit audio converters
• Includes universal joystick remote control with 2 AA batteries

I have been very interested in the Nuon technology since I first heard of it. The added functionality it claimed sounded interesting, as did playing games. I waited for the N501 to let the first generation units get the bugs out, so to speak, and I have been amazed by the N501.

DVD playback is very clear and crisp. The Nuon chipset allows for a very unique feature, namely watching the movie play while the menu is on the screen! While this doesn't sound very important, it is helpful when tweaking settings and seeing how the system responds. It has some very nice options allowing for ultra-smooth zooms, screen fit (ok, that's useless as it kills letterbox which is there for a reason), etc.

It also allows you to play audio CD's and MP3 discs, while showing an AMAZING light show. It absolutely must be seen to be believed. Moving patterns of light react absolutely in time with any CD you put in, and every CD behaves completely differently. The fact it can do all this with MP3s is equally amazing. MP3 playback seems very clear, although will only show 13 characters of the filename. It has played every MP3 disc I have put in it with no problems.

The games are also very good, somewhere between N64 and Dreamcast level. Don't get this unit if you're really looking for a game machine, but it's a great plus. Tempest 3000 is amazing and must be seen to be believed. Merlin Racing is also very fun. The unit comes with 1 game, Ballistic, which is a fun puzzler with great gameplay (very addictive!) but with poor graphics. If you plan on buying any additional games for the unit, be sure to get a control pad, as the remote is useless for playing games with. The only reason I give it 4 stars and not 5 (upped to 5/5 on Sept. 1, see below) is I have noticed some slight sync issues sometimes on some discs. It is easily fixed by pausing the playback for a split second and restarting, however. I am not sure if this is just my unit being slightly out of spec, or something Samsung can/will fix in the future. Overall, this unit is HIGHLY recommended. Samsung has put together an incredible unit. I have been absolutely blown away by mine, it surpassed all of my expectations and then some! Granted, at the price it won't compete with [$]+ units, but it's not meant to. For a mid-level player with high-end features, this is the one to get. (.....)

Buy Samsung DVD-N501 Nuon DVD Player Now

I have to warn you that this great DVD player does have some problems with older firmware revs, but you can download new firmware and install it from a CDR. Once updated the N501 works like a champ, and delvers great audio and video quality. The Virtual Light Machine (VLM) feature alone makes this a great DVD player for listening to music while being memorized by psychedelic visuals. The VLM feature works with both audio and MP3 discs. I think the best feature of this unit is one that is hidden, the multi-region DVD playback capability. You can learn more about this "region free" mode by heading on over to the Nuon Dome.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung DVD-N501 Nuon DVD Player Here

Thinking about buying a DVD player? Why not get a Nuon-enhanced DVD player for the same price as a "normal" DVD player? With a Nuon DVD player, you not only get to watch movies, but you can play Nuon games, MP3's, and Video CD's! The N501 is excellent...with the Nuon processor, fast forward advancing is smooth, you can zoom in without any artifacts up to 15X, you can fit the picture to screen and so much more! The N501 works flawlessly and reliably. The remote control is comfortable and will also work with your TV. You get quite a deal for your money and the included puzzle game, Ballistic is highly addictive and fun to play! Great picture, awesome sound and tons of extra features, all for the same price as a regular DVD player. You'll get quite a lot for your money with the Samsung N501! Highly recommended! For more info on Nuon technology...

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This is an amazing little player from Samsung, which can now be found right around the $100 mark. Aesthetically speaking, the player's brushed aluminum casing is attractive and smart, and the angled face is quite stylish, a big improvement over the DVD N2000 (though I do miss the jog/shuttle dial).

The picture is very crisp, and although it lacks progressive scan for those with high-end televisions, most consumers will be more than satisfied by it. Sound is also quite good, though the lack of an internal 5.1/DTS decoder might turn some away (not a problem if you have a DTS receiver thanks to its DTS compatible optical and coax digital audio outs). With built-in HDCD decoding and the Virtual Light Machine (which pulsates and illuminates to the many aspects of whatever music you may be listening to), this is one of the better players for the audiophile as well.

As far as the gaming aspect of NUON is concerned, it may very well have fallen flat, though a couple of the games released, Tempest 3000, an extremely addictive and compelling update of the classic arcade game & Freefall 3050 A.D., an extremely unique, if difficult shooter of sorts, are well worth playing. That aspect taken as it is, the multimedia aspects of NUON are still compelling. Aside to what it allows you to do with any DVD (the 20x ZOOM with image filtering and smooth forward/reverse are the best on any player), the NUON Software Development Kit has opened up quite an underground development core, and there are quite a few applications already available, from the shareware version of DOOM, to Pac-Man, with more on the way. It's not going to replace your Playstation 2, but it's a nice diversion from your standard DVD watching, and a great bonus to one of the best values in DVD (the released games can be had for $10 by the way, with controllers at $10-$15.

This player takes everything that was great about the Samsung DVD-N2000 and improves upon it. The user-interface is better, the features are implemented smoother and even offers new features that include CDR support and MP3 playback. Picture and sound are crisp and clear, the NUON features are great, and the audio sync problems (as another reviewer mentioned) are eliminated using the Firmware Update available on the Samsung website...