This blog post provides a review and covers a firmware upgrade of a Samsung BD-E5300 network blu-ray Player.
Note: Whilst the outside of the blu-ray player clearly looks like a BD-E5300, the firmware installed is for a E5400. This is possibly because there are some E5400 components installed. So I might not be using the an actual E5300 model! Perhaps there are two or more versions of the E5300? I don’t have a clue and this blog post details what I purchased and my related experience and thoughts.
Introduction
I purchased this old blu-ray player at a car boot sale for £2.50 GBP. It isn’t unusual to see blu-ray and DVD players at car boot sales, but often they don’t have the remote controls with them! I was pleased to see the Samsung remote control taped to the top of the device.
When I asked the lady at the stall the price, she grumpily responded, which I suspect with to try and discourage haggling. I didn’t mind and thought it was a fare price, so immediately purchased.
The player is small, unlike the old days with my VHS tape recorders and the ethernet and HDMI connections on the rear are all I need to meet my current needs.
Cleaning the blu-ray player
The device was very dirty so before I began, I removed the dead batteries from the remote control and cleaned the remote and the player.
I’m used to dirty items being at car boot sales and part of grabbing a bargain at a sale and then gaining satisfaction from the purchase is improving its condition.
Testing a blu-ray disc
Before I went any further, I decided to test whether it still functioned and played a blu-ray disc. My fiancée had purchased a blu-ray disc and it played it without any issues.
Updating the firmware/software
I connected the BD-E5300 to my network via an ethernet cable. Then via the menu system I looked at the current version and was surprised to see E5400 referenced and not E5300. Then I got the player to check for an update and it listed another E5400 update, which I installed.
I was surprised that I was installing a E5400 update on a E5300 device. I found others mentioning this and it could be because there are some E5400 components installed in my E5300 player.
I did download the 2017 E5300 firmware/software from the Samsung website and tried to update via USB, but it wouldn’t take. So I’m using the BSP-E5400WWB-1015.5 firmware on my Samsung BD-E5300 device. Strange, but it’s working.
I cannot say whether the age of the firmware will result in any playback issues, as I don’t have that knowledge and own just one blu-ray disc currently!
I assume for other people with a Samsung BD-E5300 blu-ray player, the firmware will actually appear different!
Using the player
I’m not interested in using the USB feature for audio or video and the YouTube feature no-longer works. Shame, but I purchased this to play blu-ray discs and I’m happy with how easy it to use the player.
I manually set it to 1080p, which my TV can support. This is definitely a basic blu-ray player, but I’m okay with that and don’t need more.
If anybody is interested the remote control that came with my player is a Samsung AK59-00149A remote control.
Conclusion
At the car boot sale I saw the blu-ray disc for one of my favourite movies. I already own the DVD version and whilst it was tempting to buy the blu-ray version, I’ve decided not to.
To replace my favourite DVD’s with blu-ray versions will be costly and instead, I would prefer to have the option to buy blu-ray versions of movies I don’t own.
I often visit charity shops and see blu-ray discs and now with a compatible player, I’ve increased the variety of purchases available to me. Plus given the option between a blu-ray or DVD disc, if I want to, I can choose a high quality viewing experience. Not bad for £2.50 GBP!
muchas gracias amigo solucionaste mi proble EXITOS
Hola Alex,
Gracias por dejar un comentario.
I found your post while trying to solve a weird problem with my Samsung BD-E5300 blu-ray player.
The TV does not like the blu-ray any more, in any HDMI port, with any cable.
Everything else works fine in the TV.
Then I tried the blu-ray in the HDMI port of my monitor – it was ok at first, but then the screen would black out for a few seconds, and then the picture would come back for another 20 seconds or so.
So then I bought a FIBBR HDMI cable for £10 – it turns the HDMI into fibre optic, and then back at the other end. I thought this would be a clever way of “re-writing” the HDMI signal.
With the new cable, the blu-ray appeared on the TV crisp and clear for about 15 seconds, and then started rapidly flickering, then interference, then green, the “no signal”. Until I changed to a different input and then back again.
Then with the new cable in the monitor, the signal was fine for 20 seconds, but then went away, and only came back if I either unplugged and re-plugged the FIBBR cable, or turned the player off and on (but not the monitor).
I’ve opened up the blu-ray, I don’t see any bulging caps, the hdmi port is clean and undamaged (sprayed electrical cleaner in for good measure), I’ve reset everything several times, and checked for new firmware. Interestingly, it says “model code BD-E5300/ZF” but “software version BSP-E54000WWB-1015.5” is installed, and it won’t take the newer 2017 firmware for the E5300.
This seems to be the same as you found.
All I can think of is that something is causing the HDMI signal to “drift”, which is why the FIBBR cable works fine for 20 seconds but craps out totally on everything, and the standard HDMI cable doesn’t work at all on the TV, and with flickers on a newer monitor.
Weird, huh?