I do have a line conditioner / surge suppressor in my rack, so a smart plug wouldn't fit well, although I am very familiar with the Kasa product line that @Todd Erwin recommended. I use Kasa smart plugs, smart bulbs and smart light switches throughout the house. I don't have any of the slimline...
Mine has the quick power on option turned off and still will freeze occasionally -- even with a clean disc. The only thing that unfreezes it is pulling the power cord, which is a pain in the butt on my system. I rarely use the player anymore, as I also have a Panny 820 in the same rack.
My current Panasonic UB820 has not locked up once since I bought it a few months ago. My previous Sony X800 (which is still in my equipment rack) did suffer from freezes occasionally, which was a pain to unfreeze since it required a power cord pull, and the cord does not disconnect from the...