Audio Video News

Samsung Announces Ultra HD Blu-ray Player at IFA

SV Staff  |  Sep 3, 2015

Samsung announced at the IFA 2015 consumer electronics show in Berlin that it will launch a 4K/Ultra HD Blu-ray player early next year at a price of less than $500, according to press reports.

Dubbed the UBD-K8500, the player will offer four times the resolution and a 10-bit color palette that is 64 times that of the standard Blu-ray format in addition to supporting high dynamic range (HDR) content and playback at up to 60 frames per second. The player, which sports a curved design, will also be capable of upscaling standard HD content to UHD resolution.

Executives from Twentieth Century Fox attending the Samsung launch event announced that the studio will support the hardware launch with a slate of HDR-encoded 4K Ultra HD titles.

The titles will include Exodus: Gods and Kings, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Fantastic Four, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Life of Pi, The Maze Runner, and Wild. Fox executives said moving forward they are committed to releasing UHD titles day and date with Digital HD and Blu-ray releases.

COMMENTS
thrillcat's picture
Submitted by thrillcat on September 3, 2015 - 12:56pm

Cool! It has a curved front, so we know it's compatible with their curved displays! Now all I need are some curved speakers and I'll have a fully UHD-ready system!

Billy's picture
Submitted by Billy on September 3, 2015 - 8:29pm

Getting old replacing movies, it would have to be a pretty personally cherished (and restored) movie to make me bite. I have a 55 inch 4K that I enjoy, and let me tell ya, this oldster thinks upverted Blu-rays look good enough. I have bought movies on Beta, VHS, LD, DVD, and Blu-ray, time to stop the insanity. And this comes from a 35 year AV nut, who had bought so much stuff from the old Sound of Music stores in Minneapolis, was offered the IPO of Best Buy. (Mr Idiot turned them down!) Maybe on my 123 inch HT screen I might see a difference, but that would require a projector upgrade first and I still enjoy my marriage more then the idea of a new one. Maybe in several years when the dust settles and the prices are better, but then, 8K or 16K will be all the rage. I am waiting for direct mind connection, like in the movie Brainstorm. Now that would be worth an upgrade!

mars2k's picture
Submitted by mars2k on September 4, 2015 - 10:36am

OMG enough with the gimmicks, While the curves most likely add no cost to this item they also add no value. I will buy the square one that cost more and works better to go with my top of the line FLAT screen UHD if ever Samsung can pull themselves away from the curvy nonsense. Sony makes a flat one that is really the gold standard in UHD today (non oled)

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