Samsung Quits 4K Blu-ray Player Market

[sweetsam]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

All the Samsung UHD BR players are of the budget variety, curved plastic lightweight with inflated prices.

Not like those cheap as chips Oppo models then.

[Noremac Mij]

Originally Posted by slimdude

After Samsung had copied Dolby Vision technology, and marketed as their own and called it: HD10+, so now they're going to cease their 4K UHD Blu-ray Player operations, and continue to manufacture 4K TVs. If that's not bad business practice, then I don't know what it is.

Stealing is all they know how!

[wxman2003]

The UHD player world is now a better place without Scamsung in it.

[danny24]

Originally Posted by slimdude

After Samsung had copied Dolby Vision technology, and marketed as their own and called it: HD10+, so now they're going to cease their 4K UHD Blu-ray Player operations, and continue to manufacture 4K TVs. If that's not bad business practice, then I don't know what it is.

You nailed it. Good post!

I would not recommend Samsung 4K TV's to anyone after this news. It's pretty unacceptable to think people would not want a same brand 4K UHD player to go with that QLED set. Yet they are fine with Dolby Vision support with their TV's.

[cgpublic]

My understanding is that during the Apple/Samsung discussions to bundle the new iTunes Movies and TV Shows app with Samsung TVs, Apple demo'd their new streaming service, and Samsung recognized the future had a date: March 25th, 2019.

While I'm not sure of the exclusivity window/terms, Samsung will likely be making far more from this deal than from the sales of physical media players, especially since Apple's new streaming service will debut in 100 markets, with AirPlay 2 availability in 160+ markets.

Here's the thing.

If you are positioning 8K TVs as the future, you will need 8K content, and Apple will most likely be one of the first, if not the first, to offer 8K content.

As of today, there are no 8K physical media players, announced or planned by any of the major players.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by cgpublic

If you are positioning 8K TVs as the future, you will need 8K content, and Apple will most likely be one of the first, if not the first, to offer 8K content.

As of today, there are no 8K physical media players, announced or planned by any of the major players.

Even if Apple streamed some 8k content (with compression artifacts galore I'm sure) that doesn't suddenly create a market for 8k discs or even 8k digital sell-through. There's almost zero movie content mastered in 8k. Actually there be zero full stop, because even 65mm stuff scanned in 8k is still mastered at 4k I'm pretty sure. Lots of people on here stressing about an 8k upgrade in the future but it's only for screens, there's no purpose to it for movie content.

Maybe in a decade or two movies will be mastered in 8k, and maybe on that distant day we'll have to discuss how the rare disc that might still come out is "downscaled" or whatever, but seriously today... who cares?

[cgpublic]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Even if Apple streamed some 8k content (with compression artifacts galore I'm sure) that doesn't suddenly create a market for 8k discs or even 8k digital sell-through. There's almost zero movie content mastered in 8k. Actually there be zero full stop, because even 65mm stuff scanned in 8k is still mastered at 4k I'm pretty sure. Lots of people on here stressing about an 8k upgrade in the future but it's only for screens, there's no purpose to it for movie content.

Maybe in a decade or two movies will be mastered in 8k, and maybe on that distant day we'll have to discuss how the rare disc that might still come out is "downscaled" or whatever, but seriously today... who cares?

You make a number of good points specific to film/movies, but to me it's going to come down to which services offer the best-looking content for 8K TVs, and how do we get there?

Apple will most likely revamp their Apple TV and iTunes Movies/TV UI in 8K, hand-in-hand with specific apps and related content in 8K.

My take is that you won't need a great deal of content, but you will need some 8K content to show what the TV is capable of, which is really not that different than where we are right now.

For example, let's take Nolan and his use of IMAX. Apply that model to a flagship TV program, e.g., the GoT prequel. Specific scenes are filmed in 8K, the majority in 4K, and are only available via specific platforms and apps.

The future is going to less focused on movies, and far greater focus will be placed on original flagship programming from the respective players, Apple, Amazon, Disney, Netflix and Warner Media, along with the major sports entities.

[ray0414]

Originally Posted by danny24

I always see stores flooded with Samsung TV's, so they are either not selling so well or selling like hotcakes without sales figures I have no idea.

With the Samsung TV's the iTunes app I recall is only limited to 2019 sets?

I hope Apple eventually allows most smart TV's to use this app down the road.



Thanks

Believe it or not, but samsung is still dominating overall sales worldwide. In the USA, they have over 50%(57%) of the 75" and up market, which is growing over previous years. Sony was 2nd at 25%. Total units sold, Samsung is about even with LG, Sony, and Vizio combined. That's why i laugh when I hear people say that Samsung is screwing themselves not having Dolby Vision.
The average consumer doesnt care.


"That’s according to*SamMobile, which reports that Samsung’s share of the premium TV market in the U.S. stood at 34 percent in August. That’s per the latest data from NPD which also shows that LG, even after launching a slew of OLED TVs, is Samsung’s next closest competitor, with a 15 percent market share. Vizio and Sony come in after that, both of which have an 11 percent share."


https://bgr.com/2018/10/04/samsung-p...re-lead-wider/


Edit: the iTunes app will supposedly be going to 2018 Samsung sets also.

[sandman slim]

According to this, they're giving up on all players, 4K & Blu-ray.

[Canada]

Digital Bits: This isn't anything to do with Samsung. But it is streaming/downloads. This is both good news and bad news: Sony has recently made Sir David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia available in 4K... as a digital exclusive (on iTunes, Amazon Prime, and elsewhere). To which we reply: WHAT THE HELL?! The download reportedly doesn’t have HDR, but so what? Sony... what the hell are you waiting for?!

[Canada]

Can you imagine how big of a cash cow Sir David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia would have been for Sony on 4K UHD? The Blu-ray was amazing, I guess we'll just have to wait for the UHD on disc.

[DJR662]

Originally Posted by sweetsam

And it deserves it really. Studios churn out upscaled 2k and expect people to be fooled.

It would seem that enough people are not.

UHD discs are always better than streaming but I think people are waking up to the fact that often the UHD isn't as much of an improvement over the Bluray as it should be.

Lol, say what now?

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Even if Apple streamed some 8k content (with compression artifacts galore I'm sure) that doesn't suddenly create a market for 8k discs or even 8k digital sell-through. There's almost zero movie content mastered in 8k. Actually there be zero full stop, because even 65mm stuff scanned in 8k is still mastered at 4k I'm pretty sure. Lots of people on here stressing about an 8k upgrade in the future but it's only for screens, there's no purpose to it for movie content.

Maybe in a decade or two movies will be mastered in 8k, and maybe on that distant day we'll have to discuss how the rare disc that might still come out is "downscaled" or whatever, but seriously today... who cares?

Right on point, Velvet!

[Hardback247]

After hearing the opinions on this forum, I feel bad that I own a Samsung UBD-M8500

[DJR662]

Originally Posted by Hardback247

After hearing the opinions on this forum, I feel bad that I own a Samsung UBD-M8500

Why would you if you like it and are satisfied with it? Nothing wrong with that.

[Hardback247]

Originally Posted by DJR662

Why would you if you like it and are satisfied with it? Nothing wrong with that.

I AM satisfied with it. Dolby Vision or not, the movies I watch in 4K still look spectacular.

[shinobipopcorn]

Originally Posted by Canada

Digital Bits: This isn't anything to do with Samsung. But it is streaming/downloads. This is both good news and bad news: Sony has recently made Sir David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia available in 4K... as a digital exclusive (on iTunes, Amazon Prime, and elsewhere). To which we reply: WHAT THE HELL?! The download reportedly doesn’t have HDR, but so what? Sony... what the hell are you waiting for?!

[Show spoiler]

...Wouldn't that movie be huge? I pity the viewers who have data caps.

[danny24]

Originally Posted by Canada

Can you imagine how big of a cash cow Sir David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia would have been for Sony on 4K UHD? The Blu-ray was amazing, I guess we'll just have to wait for the UHD on disc.

They could always do a Best Buy exclusive for it like they did with Groundhog Day and a Few Good Men. Or rerelease it in 4K with that nice steelbook or metalpak!

The more classics that come to UHD the better.

Originally Posted by Hardback247

After hearing the opinions on this forum, I feel bad that I own a Samsung UBD-M8500

The Samsung UHD players are not bad players at all, they get the job done. It's some of the 1080p Blu-ray players by them that actually stink.

[DJR662]

Originally Posted by Hardback247

I AM satisfied with it. Dolby Vision or not, the movies I watch in 4K still look spectacular.

4K doesn't need DV in particular to look spectacular.

[BONKERS]

8k TV's give me a ****ing break. 4k is already pushing it as is. There is zero benefit at normal screen sizes for 8k. Just what we need, more smeared upscaled garbage.

We need improvements in display technology. Not resolution. Taking full advantage of what 10 bit color and hdr offer display tech needs a complete overhaul. Oled is a step but comes with so many problems of it's own.

8k is nothing more than an industry grasping at straws rather than admit they can't or won't take the real steps to meet the full potential of the current formats. Everything is always playing catch up. Though that doesn't make for great idiotic marketing material that can be used to sell your average Joe who doesn't care other than what he is told to care about by the marketing.

Streaming (esp for things that have only have been released on DVD or vhs and no bd exists) physical media can coexist fine. 8k is a fools errand.

[TM2-Megatron]

Yeah, I'm inclined to agree that what manufacturers should be focusing on right now is improving other aspects of displays, and not merely bumping up resolution to presently useless degrees. Achieving consumer displays with 100% Rec. 2020 coverage, for instance, would be a far more worthwhile goal.

Samsung and Apple can continue pursuing their silly goals; neither have ever had a place in my household's technological lineup.