Samsung GX-SM530CF Cable Box and Streaming Media Player with Built-In Wi-Fi (2013 Model)

This thing is awesome: small, silent, frugal with power, and works perfectly with a "Multi-Stream" CableCARD (M-Card) from Verizon FiOS.Very responsive menus, and features a clean layout to the information overlays and channel guide. The setup procedure is user friendly, with a surprisingly competent predictive text entry.The WiFi is 802.11n, and can connect over either 2.4 GHz or the much faster 5 GHz band. Because of these networking capabilities, there's no need to inject programming data into the coax via a router with MoCA (as FiOS requires with their STBs).Surprisingly, this product supports the DIAL protocol, meaning that you can use this to send YouTube or Netflix videos from a smartphone or desktop computer. It works really well for YouTube casting, and performs noticeably better than Google's Chromecast (which can only use 2.4GHz wi-fi). This is in addition to Allshare Play/ Samsung Link, which I haven't tinkered with and so can't comment on. There is also plenty of DLNA functionality that exists, but I haven't done much with yet. The media player functionality from the local USB port is just OK.Compared to FiOS's Motorola 2500 Standard Definition Set-Top Box, this thing is a huge step up, while still being cost-effective. The CableCARD rental fee is a couple bucks per month less than just the SD STB. But also considering the power savings on both this STB and the unnecessary MoCA router from FiOS, the GX-SM530CF should pay for itself in about two years. Better still, compared to a HD STB, it pays for itself in about 13 months.Strong recommend.

Final Update:Avoid. I purchased three of these. One has failed. The other two are very flakey. The guide function doesn’t work and has never worked on any of them. They are junk————Fellow FIOS people, this took me one entire day to get properly working. My loss of a Sunday is your gain.1) Samsung tech support is worthless. They transferred me 8 times before they got me to the correct department. And the correct department transferred me two times. Honestly, their tier 2 was terrible as well. Don't bother calling them unless its out of the return policy and you need to send it in for warranty.2) Basic setup was simple. Plug in the cablecard, turn the device on, hardwire it(works much better if your using plex or netflix then wifi) and complete the wizard.3) Go into the Setting tab, then search for the cablecard area. The cablecard id and data # are in there. Call verizon fios at 1-888-897-7499 to sync your cablecard to the new device. Takes up to 30 minutes to complete.4) Download the onscreen guide.5) pray it works.5) Check to see if all of the channels work. Yea, check above channel 50. If you get the dreaded "Scrambled channel or weak signal" message, continue on. if not, skip the rest of this.6) since jesus doesn't love you, then you have to call verizon tech support. Call the same number and yell into the phone "tech support" into the automated voice prompts. it will eventually connect you.7) explain you are trying to connect a cablecard to a device. the csr will put you on hold and speak to a network person. After about 30 Minutes of troubleshooting, they should get it to work.rock on.

I like this cable box because it allowed me to return the cable company's cable box and be freed from their monthly rental fee. It works well and its significantly smaller than the cable company's box. I took one star away because the wifi is very unstable making it useless, even though the box is literally a few inches away from my n router. I had to directly connect it to a port on a network switch. The app menu system is very slow, loading apps is significantly slower than the processor in my Samsung UN55F6400 and I consider the dual core in the UN55F6400 already slow. I've had problems downloading apps because the box would just hang downloading and never complete, even with a direct connection. The remote control isn't capable of controlling the UN55F6400 television. The only control over the tv set I have is to switch it on or off, but not much else which I find really mind blowing since its the same manufacturer. Despite these problems and given there aren't many other choices right now I have given it four stars. I use the apps on the UN55F6400 instead of this unit. If you want a replacement cable box, this box is good. But its not a very good media streamer. I really wished Samsung actually gave this box a quad core processor. I also use this box with a SiliconDust HD Homerun Prime Box on the same network without any problems. But I use this box only because its more of a hassle to get into the television's DLNA menu to tune into a channel off the HD Homerun.