I subscribe to the theory that any disc player worth owning should have the demeanour of a battleship built by a Scottish shipyard. Rigidity foreshadows integrity, and tells me that a manufacturer takes the player as seriously as I take my media. So Samsung's debut 3D BD player, the BD-C6900, is a challenge.

Its almost impossibly slight frame (it's more kayak than cruiser) contradicts my world view, and teases me with a transparent lid and glimpses of my spinning discs. Yet I need to take it seriously.

This BD player is the first of an advanced 3D Blu-ray breed. So will it float my boat?

Samsung has been a quiet leader in the Blu-ray world. It launched arguably the first player, the BD-P1000, and it's been aggressively raising the stakes ever since. Coincidentally, if you own a BD-P1000, this new model shares the same remote control codes and you'll end up with mirrored actions if the two decks are berthed in the same room.

Okay, so we know it's compatible with next generation 3D Blu-ray discs. What else? Well, it exploits its Profile 2.0 internet connection to deliver extra IP content via Samsung's own Internet@TV portal, including BBC iPlayer, LOVEFiLM movie streaming, video clips on YouTube, picture browsing on Picasa and more.

The deck will naturally stream media from connected devices over a network. If you have a NAS (Networked Attached Storage), it will let you stream a selection and pull content from a PC.

The player is DLNA-compliant out of the box, but you also have the option to install All-Share management software on your PC to enhance functionality.

The player is at its happiest when playing extraneous media from a USB stick. File support is good, although the deck's incompatible with FLAC or MPEG4 AAC audio.

Using the BD-C6900 is a lot of fun. The full-screen GUI is sharp (literally and graphically), with chunky icons for content types. You can even theme the background screen with one of five 'skins'.

One practical complication of 3D Blu-ray is that the HDMI v1.4 output on the player needed to deliver control codes to a compatible 3D screen. If you route it via an older AV receiver with HDMI v1.3 inputs (to get at the lossless audio soundtracks on Blu-rays), you'll lose the control codes at best, thereby causing your TV to go into a strop.

So at first glance, to run hiccup-free 3D, you'll need to forgo lossless audio. To get around this, Samsung offers a full set of 7.1-channel analogue outputs on the back (fine if your amp has a matching set of inputs).

Backside connectivity includes an Ethernet port, although the player has integrated Wi-Fi. Getting on a network and online isn't much hassle.

Samsung currently has no plans to bundle in active Shutter 3D glasses, but these will be bundled with Samsung 3DTVs.

Another world

In use, the C6900 is pleasingly sprightly, thanks to a feature dubbed ultra Fast Play. It can get an image on screen from Blu-ray considerably quicker than last year's models.

Despite the unit's lack of girth, image quality is very good. There's some serious silicon beneath the hood of this player and regular Blu-rays look blisteringly sharp. Fine detail is excellent and colour reproduction is without compromise.

When fed with a 3D Blu-ray, you're asked to accept the 3D setting (as if the player doesn't believe its owner really wants to watch movies wearing 3D spex). But stick with it and you'll be rewarded with fun dimensional images. I used it with Samsung's 40in 7000 series LED TV and was seriously impressed by the depth.

Audio is a more intriguing. The menu system allows you to output over HDMI either LPCM, the original movie soundtrack re-encoded to PCM, or as a bitstream (the so-called 'audiophile' mode).

I auditioned the player with two AVRs, Onkyo's TX-NR906 and Pioneer's Susano SC-LX90. While the player was happy to be partnered with the Onkyo, things didn't go so well with Pioneer. I found that the unit was unable to lock and stream a DTS-HD MA bitstream, causing the display to flicker wildly.

Similarly, when a Dolby TrueHD disc was played, the Pioneer ignored it, maintaining a dignified silence. It's difficult to know if it's either the Pioneer or the Samsung which needs a firmware update (until we know for sure, Pioneer AVR owners should tread carefully).

Converting to PCM within the player is one practical solution. Denon AVR owners should be fine, as Samsung's UK QA labs test compatibility with Denon AVRs.

Slim but serious

Samsung's BD-C6900 punches above its weight, and convincingly undermines my general philosophical love for over-engineered disc players. Despite its slimness, there's all the necessary hardware onboard for the 3D multiview Codec and picture processing engine.

Video quality is excellent, but the player is a little pedantic: I would argue for easier AV networking and more comprehensive file support. And while having analogue audio outputs is appreciated, twin HDMIs would be a more practical solution (provided sync between the two is kept) to maintain compatibility with HDmI v1.3 (and lower) AV receivers.

Still, it remains an attractive first round 3D player. It remains to be seen how others compare.

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