The Samsung 709 is a good DVD player with a feature list normally only found on much more expensive equiptment. A great bonus is that the player is easily made region free with a remote control hack. Picture quality is only average however, with very obvious grain in dark scenes and pronounced 'light rings' in high contrast scenes (even with a correctly adjusted TV).
The disc can easily be heard spinning during quiet moments in movies but this is not too obtrusive. Layer changes can be slow and are always apparent but this also is not too obtrusive.
The menu system is very easy to navigate and the remote control supplied is extremely intuitive to use.
Overall this is a good player and I would recommend it but not if you are looking for that ultimate picture clarity.