Samsung Shows World's First Mass-Market Blu-Ray Disc Player At CES

Samsung Electronics formally kicks off the era of Blu-ray, as it demonstrates its BD-P1000 Blu-ray disc (BD) player here at CES. The new device will let consumers take full advantage of high-definition displays, playing content at native 720p or 1080i video resolutions. The player will ship in early Spring and shortly thereafter will become the first BD player from any manufacturer to be sold in the U.S. It is expected to retail for approximately $1,000.

The BD player includes a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) output, an industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface on a single cable, allowing users to easily connect the Blu-ray player to their existing home televisions. It will also decode standard multi-channel audio.

"Samsung's Blu-ray player will be the first available to consumers, and we will continue to innovate with our introduction of a Blu-ray recorder later this year," said President Geesung Choi of Samsung Electronics' Digital Media Business. "With today's announcement and those to come, Samsung is demonstrating its leadership in driving the next generation optical format."

Samsung developed all components of the BD-P1000 internally. Samsung's unique technology - one pickup with two lenses - allows it to also play standard DVDs and CDs in addition to Blu-ray discs while allowing for more cost-effective production. The supported DVD formats include DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW, and DVD+R. Additional features of the BD-P1000 include memory card reader, full audio format support, pop-up and always-on menu options; a full color high-definition animated button; and improved bitmap and text subtitles.

The increased storage capacity of Blu-ray discs allows the Samsung BD player to offer an astounding 25 GB of content on a single-sided disc (50 GB per dual layer) - nearly six times the capacity of traditional DVDs and enough space for two hours of high-definition movies or recorded content.

The Blu-ray next-generation optical disc format was created by a group of the world's top consumer electronics companies, including Samsung. This format was intended to meet intense consumer demand for playing and recording high-definition content, which far surpasses the video quality DVD can handle. With remarkable high quality video and crisp audio clarity, Blu-ray is unsurpassed in high-definition entertainment. Other applications including gaming and interactive media will take even greater advantage of the format.

Connectivity includes CVBS Output, S-Video Output, component output, HDMI and both digital and analog audio outputs. Supported audio formats include 192KHz LPCM, Dolby digital & Dolby Digital Plus, MPEG 2, DTS and MP3. BD-P1000 also has a memory card reader supporting Compact Flash, XD Picture card, Micro Drive, SD, MMC & RS-MMC, Memory stick and Memory stick duo.

The BD-P1000 is scheduled to ship to the U.S. in early Spring 2006, in tandem with the availability of the first pre-recorded Blu-ray titles.

Source: Samsung