The Blu-ray Disc Association has finally licensed their format to Samsung last month and now the Korean giant has announced one of the first Ultra HD Blu-ray players at the IFA tech exhibition in Berlin. The Samsung Blu-Ray player is capable of providing four times the resolution and 64 times higher colour expression compared to standard Blu-ray, and can also upscale content to provide UHD resolution from any disc. In addition, the player will be capable of streaming 4K video from online services like Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Instant Video.
Samsung’s UHD Blu-ray player will come in a stylish and curved design, so if you have a curved Samsung SUHD TV you should find it fits right in. There is also a USB port and the device is capable of connecting to Samsung’s latest Smart things Hub.
Samsung didn’t specify any pricing, but said it would cost “less than $500” (roughly £350 or AU$700). It said the device will launch in the US and Europe early next year.
Samsung also revealed that 20th Century Fox is preparing to release its most recent films on UHD Blu-ray so that they are ready to buy alongside the launch of Samsung’s player.
“We are now preparing our recent releases … in 4K Ultra HD to be available in conjunction with the launch of your Ultra HD Blu-ray players early next year,” said Mike Dunn, president of Fox Home Entertainment. “We are committed to releasing our slate of movies going forward in Ultra HD with high dynamic range, day and date, with the Digital HD and Blu-ray release. We believe it is critical to have rich, compelling content available to consumers as the UHD TV market continues to grow.”
Initially, these 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.
Ultra HD Blu-Ray is a new Blu-Ray format that supports 4K Ultra HD resolution, as well as provides support for certain flavors of HDR, meaning that it has a wider range between the whitest whites and blackest blacks. There’s growing interest in home entertainment to provide 4K and HDR.
