Samsung Quits 4K Blu-ray Player Market

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Canada

This won't happen in the near future our data caps are far to low. Netflix does 1080p at about 3Mbps Blu-ray does 1080p at about 30Mbps

My friend only has a pathetic 2Mbps and he can get 1080p from Netflix sometimes. That should tell you a lot!

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by dcforsyth

Lol

Obviously one of my favorite movies.

Me too; 'The Great Escape' is an awesome movie.

I think it's unfortunate when any big company stops manufacturing anything.

Samsung is putting its energy and resources where there is tremendous prosperity and extremely financial economic comfort. They don't need an industry in decline...physical discs.

▪ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-s...-idUSKCN1Q40I3

Oppo is into cell phones too, big time, 5G included.

Cambridge? They are just an Oppo replica...we knew this was coming.
Where do they go from here; they are not in the telecommunication business, they are a smaller audio outfit...music players, AV receivers, DACs, CD transports, integrated amps, music servers and streamers, wireless speakers, ...
_____

With 5G starting to push the next gold rush this year and beyond, it wouldn't surprise me to see more players exiting the physical disc machines. You'll see ...

5G

[mysticwaterfall]

Going to be really hard to push HDR10+ now. I think people saying 4K is going to die simply because Samsung bowed out is just silly. Sony, Philipps, Panasonic...

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by mysticwaterfall

Going to be really hard to push HDR10+ now. I think people saying 4K is going to die simply because Samsung bowed out is just silly. Sony, Philipps, Panasonic...

Disney dropped out of DV, does this mean DV is dead also?

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Well, in that case Digital HD is also niche. Going by what you call a small collectors market. Lol.

Digital sell-through IS niche, yes. It just gets some stuff disc doesn't because it's easy to put up, not because it has higher sales. It has half the sale numbers, last I checked. Discs also get exclusives, mostly from labels, so we're in a spot where to get EVERYTHING you need to use both, which is annoying as all get out. I don't see it changing for yea... well, ever really, as I bet there will always be stuff on disc not on streaming.

The mainstream future is subscriptions. That's the new Blockbuster and DVD. Discs and digital sell-through will be niche markets, the only difference being a disc niche needs a certain number of sales to make it worth bothering with and a digital niche doesn't.

[danny24]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Digital sell-through IS niche, yes. It just gets some stuff disc doesn't because it's easy to put up, not because it has higher sales. It has half the sale numbers, last I checked. Discs also get exclusives, mostly from labels, so we're in a spot where to get EVERYTHING you need to use both, which is annoying as all get out. I don't see it changing for yea... well, ever really, as I bet there will always be stuff on disc not on streaming.

The mainstream future is subscriptions. That's the new Blockbuster and DVD. Discs and digital sell-through will be niche markets, the only difference being a disc niche needs a certain number of sales to make it worth bothering with and a digital niche doesn't.

I think people like monthly subscriptions better than having to purchase movies every time they want to watch something. This is explains why Netflix have become so huge. The only problem is studios will eventually give Netflix the bird and they will have less content to offer other than their own exclusives.

Now studios could do their own streaming sites and offer their own content for a monthly subscription rate. That is a good idea.
Studios want you to buy movies either physically or digitally. They don't like monthly subscriptions because they make less money off of product even if people prefer it.

[stratford]

I know lets go back to VHS rental, then most people will be happy with the low quality cheap grain. They will have some thing cheap to watch when they want to

[kyloren]

I might have read it wrong, but the quote in the first few sentences, "Samsung has confirmed to me today that it is no longer going to be making any new models of 4K Blu-ray player" isn't too alarming.

I'm assuming everyone that's jumped into 4K has a 4K Blu-Ray player. 4K is growing, but it's a small market, so people are gradually moving to it. Once you have a 4K Blu-Ray player, you're not getting another one. You're looking at another $250-$500 depending on what model you get. That's not cheap. It's a better business decision to have what they've already created on the market, instead of introducing new models that people aren't going to buy. Maybe in a few years if it continues to pick up, they will introduce another one.

If you just got a 4KTV and want a Blu-Ray player to go along with it, you'll buy one depending on how much cash you want to shell out -- but now that you have it, why would you buy another one anytime soon.

I don't know anyone yet that had two "legit" 4KTV's in their home. If you do, do you a 4K Blu-Ray player in multiple rooms?

That's just my two cents.

[JohnAV]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

Samsung is putting its energy and resources where there is tremendous prosperity and extremely financial economic comfort. They don't need an industry in decline...physical discs.

Since CES 2018, Samsung has desperately trying to reinvent themselves from a TV & phone company, to one that is all about a connected world, or IoT. But if you look at their earnings predictions for 2019, it’s not good. example
Samsung Electronics warns of weak earnings after 30% profit drop - Financial Times

Samsung is a company that was doing well in 2015/2016 but is finding quickly how aggressive the rest of the industry has been. Now in 2019 it is no longer the powerhouse it once was. It’s capitulating with Apple, instead of being so combative. Where are those making fun of Apple ads now? How come iTunes is now on their TV’s?

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by danny24

Now studios could do their own streaming sites and offer their own content for a monthly subscription rate. That is a good idea.
Studios want you to buy movies either physically or digitally. They don't like monthly subscriptions because they make less money off of product even if people prefer it.

As I just wrote elsewhere, I think the future is a consolidated 4 or so services with each one having a major studio (Disney/Fox), a major television group (ABC) and a massive subscriber base. There might be some very small but well targeted niche services too.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

As I just wrote elsewhere, I think the future is a consolidated 4 or so services with each one having a major studio (Disney/Fox), a major television group (ABC) and a massive subscriber base. There might be some very small but well targeted niche services too.

You neglected to mention the increase in piracy part, though. That will grow right along with SVOD.

[DJR662]

Originally Posted by bokes

I think there's something to this. I streamed Solo from Netflix- after the first few minutes I turned it off. There was SO MUCH of a compression issue in the dark scenes- unwatchable.
Sorry IMO- Streaming is no way ready to handle fast motion/dark scenes.

Lol.

And then to think there are people who say the Solo Netflix stream looks better than the UHD disc.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by DJR662

Lol.

And then to think there are people who say the Netflix stream looks better than the UHD disc.

I can think of at least two forum members right now who say such things while both have admitted that they do not own a 4K disc player nor the 4K discs to play in them. None of those minor technicalities prevent them from sharing their first hand expert opinions, though.

[danny24]

Originally Posted by JohnAV

Since CES 2018, Samsung has desperately trying to reinvent themselves from a TV & phone company, to one that is all about a connected world, or IoT. But if you look at their earnings predictions for 2019, it’s not good. example
Samsung Electronics warns of weak earnings after 30% profit drop - Financial Times

Samsung is a company that was doing well in 2015/2016 but is finding quickly how aggressive the rest of the industry has been. Now in 2019 it is no longer the powerhouse it once was. It’s capitulating with Apple, instead of being so combative. Where are those making fun of Apple ads now? How come iTunes is now on their TV’s?

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.

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

As I just wrote elsewhere, I think the future is a consolidated 4 or so services with each one having a major studio (Disney/Fox), a major television group (ABC) and a massive subscriber base. There might be some very small but well targeted niche services too.

Thanks

[JohnAV]

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

From 9to5Mac

Update 2/11/2019: Samsung now says its 2019 QLED TVs are now available to purchase or pre-order. The upcoming iTunes app and AirPlay 2 feature will be available in a future update to compatible 2019 and 2018 TVs.

The more interesting question is against the app because Tizen is not used by anyone but Samsung. is Apple building a Tizen iTunes app? Is there a Tizen team inside Apple? Or is Samsung building this app?

Clearly you have more involvement between the two.

[avs commenter]

Would have thought Samsung would at least release a budget UHD player with hdr10+. The number of capable HDR10+ players has to be pretty small

[LordoftheRings]

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

[kcgr]

Originally Posted by kyloren

I might have read it wrong, but the quote in the first few sentences, "Samsung has confirmed to me today that it is no longer going to be making any new models of 4K Blu-ray player" isn't too alarming.

I'm assuming everyone that's jumped into 4K has a 4K Blu-Ray player. 4K is growing, but it's a small market, so people are gradually moving to it. Once you have a 4K Blu-Ray player, you're not getting another one. You're looking at another $250-$500 depending on what model you get. That's not cheap. It's a better business decision to have what they've already created on the market, instead of introducing new models that people aren't going to buy. Maybe in a few years if it continues to pick up, they will introduce another one.

If you just got a 4KTV and want a Blu-Ray player to go along with it, you'll buy one depending on how much cash you want to shell out -- but now that you have it, why would you buy another one anytime soon.

I don't know anyone yet that had two "legit" 4KTV's in their home. If you do, do you a 4K Blu-Ray player in multiple rooms?

That's just my two cents.

maybe I'm an outlier:
main room: C6 OLED with phillips 7503
bedroom: c7 with sammy k8500

[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.

[sweetsam]

Originally Posted by Wingman1977

This should be alarming since this is the 3rd company leaving the 4K BD market. 1st Oppo, then Cambridge, now Samsung. This is might be the beginning of the end for the 4K optical format.

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.

Streaming is ok for renting but a mugs game for purchases. Amazon T&C state that if they eventually lose the rights to parts of what they currently sell so you can't watch it anymore they will owe you nothing