Samsung BD-P1000 BD Player

Samsung Electronics formally kicked off thetheir entry into Blu-ray, as they demonstrated their BD-P1000 Blu-ray disc (BD) player at CES. Their particular player will play back content at native 720p or 1080i video resolutions (we could not find anyone to discuss 1080p as mentioned by other manufacturers such as Sony). 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 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 (see chart below).

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 (all TM).

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. It is expected to retail for approximately $1,000.

For more information, please visit www.samsung.com .