Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas
Chris,
Thanks for your discernment of the differences between these two new players. I want to buy one to go with my Panasonic Viera TV. However, I need to have a Blu-Ray that has integrated wireless capability. Do either of these have it, or do I have to buy a LG 390 or Samsung with one of those lame dongles?
Thanks,
Thomas
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If you want *integrated* WiFi, then I believe the only player you can get is the LG BD 390, or Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3). The Samsung USB dongle does work pretty well (included with the BD-P3600 and BD-P4600). I didn't have to do any special set-up to get it to find my network other than providing the WEP key. It can go in the Samsung's rear USB port, leaving the front port open for BD-Live and/or media viewing.
But honestly, making WiFi a *requirement* for your player is going to be a bit limiting for you. There are plenty of options if you don't want to run a network cable to your player, including
Powerline Networking, Networking over coax, and either a wireless "gaming adapter" or a wireless bridge. I've read that the Linksys WRT54G wireless router can be flashed with a specific type of firmware that will turn it into a wireless bridge. This way you plug the player into the bridge, and it connects back to your wireless router via standard 802.11g WiFi.
And yes, in case it was not clear, neither the BD60 nor the BD80 has integrated WiFi - they each come with a standard Ethernet port for network access.
Good luck!
-CB