(Credit:
iLuv)
iLuv is shipping its i1255 desktop media system, which Crave first saw at CES in January (video here). This home theater box combines a DVD player, iPod dock, and 5.1 surround sound in a compact unit that can be remote-controlled by a navigation system on the TV screen.
It's a few months behind its original March schedule, but that hardly qualifies as a disaster in the ever-tardy gadget universe. More noteworthy is its $150 price, which is $20 more than its first retail estimate.
(Credit:
Samsung)
Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of speculation regarding the status of Samsung's upcoming Blu-ray/HD DVD combo player--the BD-UP5000--and the high-end Blu-ray player, the BD-P2400. Finally, Samsung has made an official announcement. First, the bad news: The BD-P2400 is officially canceled. The BD-P2400 was supposed to be the step-up to the BD-1400, adding HQV video processing, but now those who want HQV will have to go for the combo player.
Now for the good news. Here's exactly what Samsung told us about the BD-UP5000:
Status of BD-UP5000 Duo HD Player:
- The Duo HD Player will ship from Samsung factories at the end of October and will be available to consumers at retail by mid- to late December.
- The Duo HD Player will be BD Profile 1.1 ready--this means it will include the necessary hardware to play BD Profile 1.1 discs.
- A firmware update will be available at the end of January 2008 to allow playback of BD Profile 1.1 discs.***
*** Profile 1.1 discs are currently not available and compatibility must be fully tested before we can assure complete compliance to BD Profile 1.1 requirements.
Besides the delayed release date, this should be (mostly) good news for enthusiasts looking to get a single player to handle both HD DVD and Blu-ray. Blu-ray profile 1.1 means that it will support picture-in-picture functionality--for example, watching a director discuss a scene in the small window with the movie behind it. As Samsung mentions, profile 1.1 discs aren't available yet, but at least we know the BD-UP5000 will be able to handle them.
Samsung BD-P1200 Blu-ray player
(Credit: Samsung)And then there were two.
Samsung will join its archrival LG in releasing a combo HD disc player later this year. According to a brief press release, the Korean consumer electronics giant will introduce the BD-UP5000 "Duo HD" player this year. The release also specified that the player will "fully support both HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats and their interactive technologies, HDi and BD-Java." No pricing or additional feature details on the Samsung BD-UP5000 were made available.
The official announcement of the BD-UP5000 confirms rumors that have been percolating for months. Most recently, Home Theater Blog posted this tasty bit, which correctly pegged the model number. The Samsung player would join the LG BH100 as the only current video machines that can play both HD disc formats. The BH100 lacks HDi support, however, so the interactive menus and features available on the most advanced HD DVD discs can't be fully displayed--something Samsung is promising to deliver. We're hoping that Samsung also offers better next-gen audio soundtracks support, which was the other big drawback of the BH100.
It could be months before we get a fuller picture of the BD-UP5000--including a complete feature list, a specific release date, and a price. In the meantime, the announcement alone is likely to depress the already anemic sales of Blu-ray and HD DVD movies and players. After all, with the promise of a full-service universal player arriving in the near future, why rush to pay $330 to $1,300 for a device that plays only one format? Samsung itself might want to answer that question: the company's Blu-ray-only BD-P1200 (pictured) is just hitting stores now--for $800.
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