4K Blu-ray Confirmed, Coming in

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Richard Paul

HDMI 2.0 added support for higher bandwidth, Rec. 2020 color space, multiple audio streams, and several other features. One thing that HDMI 2.0 didn't add was HDR support and they added that on recently using CEA info packets. In theory that should work but to make sure that it is automatic, consistent, and seamless I expect a HDMI specific solution for HDR will be added to the next version of HDMI.

Aha, I speculated that they might've got it working by wrapping the metadata in an existing packet system, seeing as it's not officially part of the HDMI 2.0 spec.

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by spectre08

why do you say that?

CES happened where would they launch it?

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by dvdmike

CES happened where would they launch it?

CES isn't the be all and end all, mike. We may hear something more concrete at IFA in September. Besides, I seem to remember DVD getting a soft launch before it really got ramped up the year after.

[spectre08]

Originally Posted by dvdmike

CES happened where would they launch it?

I think Panasonic showed off their prototype at CES this year precisely for this reason. They can easily release a consumer model by the end of the year now.

If the full and final standards are approved this summer Panasonic and others won't just sit on their hands waiting for the right expo. You can bet that as we speak they have multiple work streams in progress developing this product under the different contingencies for possible standard changes.

They want to be ready day 1, because they know people are hungry for it. Even if there's only 1 Ultra HD Blu-ray disk for sale the day these hit stores you can bet they'll fly off the shelf.

hell, there could be NO disks out at the same time, and as long as the player has Netflix 4K, Amazon Prime 4K, and UltraFlix they'll sell out instantly.

This isn't like blu-ray. People have have 4K television in their homes for over 2 years now, and are desperate for content, any content.

[bailey1987]

Originally Posted by spectre08

I think Panasonic showed off their prototype at CES this year precisely for this reason. They can easily release a consumer model by the end of the year now.

If the full and final standards are approved this summer Panasonic and others won't just sit on their hands waiting for the right expo. You can bet that as we speak they have multiple work streams in progress developing this product under the different contingencies for possible standard changes.

They want to be ready day 1, because they know people are hungry for it. Even if there's only 1 Ultra HD Blu-ray disk for sale the day these hit stores you can bet they'll fly off the shelf.

hell, there could be NO disks out at the same time, and as long as the player has Netflix 4K, Amazon Prime 4K, and UltraFlix they'll sell out instantly.

This isn't like blu-ray. People have have 4K television in their homes for over 2 years now, and are desperate for content, any content.

I want one and I will have a launch model so long as the price is not ungodly. I'm dying to know more, I can't wait to read the reviews of the movies. I hope Jurassic World is a launch title.

[spectre08]

If it's under $1000, which I'll admit is a fairly big "if," I will have one on day 1. The ol' Best Buy card will beat me to the store.

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

CES isn't the be all and end all, mike. We may hear something more concrete at IFA in September. Besides, I seem to remember DVD getting a soft launch before it really got ramped up the year after.

I forgot about IFA I just didn't see them doing their own launch

[spectre08]

Originally Posted by dvdmike

I forgot about IFA I just didn't see them doing their own launch

why wouldn't they? from a business perspective they lose money every day they have a finished product and don't ship it to consumers. This isn't like some big secret where they're trying to one up the competition and they don't want to tip their hand before everybody else does (CES).

Everybody knows it's coming. If they don't release at the earliest possible opportunity they risk Sony, LG, or somebody else popping up out of the woodwork with something nobody saw coming and snatching up a HUGE portion of the market.

[bailey1987]

Originally Posted by spectre08

If it's under $1000, which I'll admit is a fairly big "if," I will have one on day 1. The ol' Best Buy card will beat me to the store.

I hope for no more than £500 at launch any lower than that and it's a dead cert I will get one, that's if there available in the UK this year.

Originally Posted by dvdmike

I forgot about IFA I just didn't see them doing their own launch

I hope NAB might reveal more. If not then IFA is the nest bet but it will be cutting it a little short if you ask me.

[jono3000]

Originally Posted by bailey1987

I hope for no more than £500 at launch any lower than that and it's a dead cert I will get one, that's if there available in the UK this year.



I hope NAB might reveal more. If not then IFA is the nest bet but it will be cutting it a little short if you ask me.

Hoping for sub £300 myself. I can't see many biting at £500.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Since this is an extension rather than a wholly new format, I don't see how they could get away with selling UHD Blu-ray players for more than $500 to start. Even that may be too much except for a swanky, well built model with all the bells n whistles.

[bailey1987]

Originally Posted by jono3000

Hoping for sub £300 myself. I can't see many biting at £500.

sub £300 is ideal even better with plenty of content. But I can see them being close to £500 with little content. With any luck the PS4 may receive a software upgrade that enables it to play them.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by bailey1987

sub £300 is ideal even better with plenty of content. But I can see them being close to £500 with little content. With any luck the PS4 may receive a software upgrade that enables it to play them.

The current PS4's may have hardware limitations, especially in terms of their built in video card and HDMI chipset. If any game console will have support for UHD Blu-ray, it will be either the revised PS4 v.2 coming soon (like the PS3 before it) or the PS5.

[bailey1987]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

Since this is an extension rather than a wholly new format, I don't see how they could get away with selling UHD Blu-ray players for more than $500 to start. Even that may be too much except for a swanky, well built model with all the bells n whistles.

Speaking of bells a whistles I also suspect that early players will do little more than play the films. The so called 'digital bridge' will be completely absent.

I wonder what the packaging will be like. I hope it distinguish it self from the crowd, the worst it could be is just thrown in with a regular Blu-ray like some special feature not only will it increase the price many ego will buy the content that early will have a player so it's just a waste.

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by spectre08

why wouldn't they? from a business perspective they lose money every day they have a finished product and don't ship it to consumers. This isn't like some big secret where they're trying to one up the competition and they don't want to tip their hand before everybody else does (CES).

Everybody knows it's coming. If they don't release at the earliest possible opportunity they risk Sony, LG, or somebody else popping up out of the woodwork with something nobody saw coming and snatching up a HUGE portion of the market.

Who would do it? It's not like one company is behind it

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

Since this is an extension rather than a wholly new format, I don't see how they could get away with selling UHD Blu-ray players for more than $500 to start. Even that may be too much except for a swanky, well built model with all the bells n whistles.

I think that's exactly what they'll be to begin with, chunkier machines with all the trimmings. If they start off with slimline decks that have little more than a HDMI and an optical out then it won't have that 'premium' cachet that every product like this seems to have at launch. No, they're gonna want people to feel like they're getting something special for those 500+ simoleons.

[spectre08]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I think that's exactly what they'll be to begin with, chunkier machines with all the trimmings. If they start off with slimline decks that have little more than a HDMI and an optical out then it won't have that 'premium' cachet that every product like this seems to have at launch. No, they're gonna want people to feel like they're getting something special for those 500+ simoleons.

you can almost take it to the bank that the first player will be a full sized box just like early BD and HD-DVD players and current high-end equipment like the Oppo-103.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Anyone remember the price of DVD players in the fall of 2006? As stated earlier, I paid > $1000 for my first G Panny BD player or 5 to 10 time the price of a DVD player. We had a similar situation in the early 2000's with VHS vs. D-VHS D-Theater machines, that is, D-VHS machines were much more expensive.

IMO, folks are using the wrong reference point. Current upscale BD players still cost $249 and up. Samsung BD-F7500 = $248, Sony BDPS7200 = $298, Pioneer Elite BDP-80FD = $299, Yamaha BD-S677BL = $249, OPPO BDP-103 = $499

I believe we will be lucky to see a 1st G UHD BD player for under a $1000. Hard to guess what titles will cost. The only reference at this point is Sony Unlimited for their title download service for Sony media players and titles are ≥ $30.

[Kirsty_Mc]

Originally Posted by spectre08

you can almost take it to the bank that the first player will be a full sized box just like early BD and HD-DVD players and current high-end equipment like the Oppo-103.

I agree. This would make me happy.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Anyone remember the price of DVD players in the fall of 2006? As stated earlier, I paid > $1000 for my first G Panny BD player or 5 to 10 time the price of a DVD player. We had a similar situation in the early 2000's with VHS vs. D-VHS D-Theater machines, that is, D-VHS machines were much more expensive.

IMO, folks are using the wrong reference point. Current upscale BD players still cost $249 and up. Samsung BD-F7500 = $248, Sony BDPS7200 = $298, Pioneer Elite BDP-80FD = $299, Yamaha BD-S677BL = $249, OPPO BDP-103 = $499

I believe we will be lucky to see a 1st G UHD BD player for under a $1000. Hard to guess what titles will cost. The only reference at this point is Sony Unlimited for their title download service for Sony media players and titles are ≥ $30.

The BDA and the industry would be utter fools if they priced UHD Blu-ray discs and players into the stratosphere. Would they then only be catering to the wealthy? All signs might point to yes.