Blu Ray | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 11 Feb 2016 18:58:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Blu Ray | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Sony’s 4K Blu-Ray players won’t arrive until next year https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/sonys-4k-blu-ray-players-wont-arrive-until-next-year/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/sonys-4k-blu-ray-players-wont-arrive-until-next-year/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2016 18:58:39 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=283829 While Sony might be pioneers of the Blu-Ray disc, the company seems to have fallen behind a bit when it comes to 4K/UHD Blu-Ray players. While several manufacturers have already shown off upcoming models for release this year, with Samsung launching its own UHD player earlier this week, Sony won't have a 4K Blu-Ray player …

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While Sony might be pioneers of the Blu-Ray disc, the company seems to have fallen behind a bit when it comes to 4K/UHD Blu-Ray players. While several manufacturers have already shown off upcoming models for release this year, with Samsung launching its own UHD player earlier this week, Sony won't have a 4K Blu-Ray player of its own on the market until next year according to reports.

This information comes from Twice, and according to them, Sony has a few reasons for being so late to the Ultra-HD Blu-Ray player party. Firstly, Sony wants to wait until there is a healthy amount of 4K Blu-Ray movies on the market so people actually have a reason to pick up a new player and secondly, Sony wants to do things “the right way”.

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Back at CES, Sony's CEO did state at one point that the company would only launch a 4K Blu-Ray player if the platform is successful, fearing that UHD streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video may diminish Blu-Ray popularity.

Another thing that may hinder UHD Blu-Ray adoption is price, Samsung's first player comes in at $400, while the first movies are said to release at over $40 in the US, so content is going to be quite expensive for a while.

KitGuru Says: 4K/UHD TVs have rapidly taken the market by storm and plenty of people have bought in already, now we are just waiting for the content to catch up. Do any of you own a 4K TV already? 

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The first UHD Blu-Ray player has arrived early https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/the-first-uhd-blu-ray-player-has-arrived-early/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/the-first-uhd-blu-ray-player-has-arrived-early/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2016 22:00:07 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=283373 The first Blu-Ray player designed to play back Ultra-HD/4K content has hit the market a little earlier than expected. Samsung's upcoming player was first revealed at CES 2016 and would make this year's first batch of UHD Blu-Rays playable on the 4K TVs that have flooded the market in the last year or so. This …

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The first Blu-Ray player designed to play back Ultra-HD/4K content has hit the market a little earlier than expected. Samsung's upcoming player was first revealed at CES 2016 and would make this year's first batch of UHD Blu-Rays playable on the 4K TVs that have flooded the market in the last year or so. This arrived almost a month ahead of time from its initial release date.

The Samsung UHD Blu-Ray player is currently available to pick up at some stores in California with a steep $400 price tag. We also recently got a glimpse at future prices for UHD Blu-Ray movies and those aren't cheap either. 

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Those who pre-ordered Samsung's UHD Blu-Ray player are currently getting emails about a ship date scheduled for the 10th of February, which is much earlier than the previously announced March release date.

KitGuru Says: The first Ultra-HD Blu-Ray player is here but we are still pretty short on UHD Blu-Rays so you might struggle to put that shiny new 4K TV to good use for a bit longer. Have any of you gone out and picked up a 4K TV yet? Are you planning on making the jump at all this year? 

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It looks like UltraHD Blu-rays may ditch region locks https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/it-looks-like-ultrahd-blu-rays-may-ditch-region-locks/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/it-looks-like-ultrahd-blu-rays-may-ditch-region-locks/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2015 18:00:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=271798 Disc-based DRM has been huge in the entertainment industry, with most DVD's and Blu-rays coming region locked to specific devices. However, we are moving in to a new realm of 4K/UHD content at the moment, which means new Blu-ray disc technology, which just had region coding removed from its specification sheet. Region locks are often a …

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Disc-based DRM has been huge in the entertainment industry, with most DVD's and Blu-rays coming region locked to specific devices. However, we are moving in to a new realm of 4K/UHD content at the moment, which means new Blu-ray disc technology, which just had region coding removed from its specification sheet. Region locks are often a pain to deal with and many buyers look unfavourably on them.

According to HighDefDigest, future Ultra HD Blu-ray discs will come region free, stepping away from the DRM-heavy stance that has been taken since DVDs were first introduced years ago.

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Ultra HD Blu-Ray discs will be capable of storing up to 100GB of information. This is the current spec sheet:

  • Codec: HEVC MPEG-5 @ up to 100Mbps
  • Resolution: Up to 3840 x 2160
  • Frame rate: Up to 60fps
  • HDR: 10-bit SMPTE 2084
  • Color Space: BT.709, P3, BT.2020
  • Chroma Subsampling: 4:2:0
  • Up to 100GB storage.
  • No region coding
  • HDCP 2.2
  • 8-Channel LPCM
  • Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital
  • DTS:X, DTS-HD MA, DTS
  • AURO 3D

Unfortunately, right now, 20th Century Fox is the only studio to have announced native 4K Blu-ray releases. However, we may see more following CES in 2016, which will help drive the adoption of 4K displays in the living room.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I have never understood the need for region locks personally, especially these days when almost everything is readily available on the web anyway. It makes no sense to limit physical releases in that way. 

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Blu-ray disc association begins to license Ultra HD Blu-ray technology https://www.kitguru.net/components/optical-drive/anton-shilov/blu-ray-disc-association-begins-to-license-ultra-hd-blu-ray-technology/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/optical-drive/anton-shilov/blu-ray-disc-association-begins-to-license-ultra-hd-blu-ray-technology/#respond Wed, 05 Aug 2015 23:02:05 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=262533 The Blu-ray disc association on Wednesday announced that it plans to begin licensing its Ultra HD Blu-ray format on the 24th of August. The set of technologies will allow makers of players, receivers and other electronics as well as designers of various audio/video (AV) processors to create hardware compatible with Ultra HD Blu-ray format. The first …

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The Blu-ray disc association on Wednesday announced that it plans to begin licensing its Ultra HD Blu-ray format on the 24th of August. The set of technologies will allow makers of players, receivers and other electronics as well as designers of various audio/video (AV) processors to create hardware compatible with Ultra HD Blu-ray format. The first UHD BD players will hit the market later in 2015.

“With the commencement of licensing we would anticipate product announcements from various companies as we approach the 2015 holiday season,” said Victor Matsuda, chairman of the BDA promotions committee.

The Ultra HD Blu-ray format supports ultra-high-definition video in up to 3840*2160 resolution with up to 60 frames per second and maximum data rate for video and audio of 128Mb/s, a significant increase from 54Mb/s of the standard Blu-ray. The UHD BD format delivers high-dynamic range (HDR) with 10-bit colours as well as Rec. 2020 colour gamut. The new format uses high efficiency video coding (HEVC, also known as H.265) technology with 4:4:4 chroma subsampling. In addition, the Ultra HD Blu-ray standard is compatible with emerging object-based sound formats, including DTX: X and Dolby Atmos. Ultra HD Blu-ray discs will have 50GB, 66GB and 100GB capacities.

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All Ultra HD Blu-ray players will be capable of playing back existing Blu-ray movies. To support all the innovations of the Ultra HD Blu-ray format (such as 3840*2160 resolution at 60fps with 10-bit colour), players and UHD TVs will need to support HDMI 2.0a technology. Some of existing Ultra HD TVs with HDMI 1.4 outputs can be upgraded to HDMI 2.0 and even HDMI 2.0a using a firmware update.

It remains to be seen whether Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4 eventually gain support for UHD Blu-ray. Technically, both consoles can playback 4K Ultra HD video, support appropriate codecs and integrate high-performance Blu-ray drives. However, internal limitations may prevent companies from enabling playback of Ultra HD Blu-ray on existing machines.

Leading makers of consumer electronics are projected to roll-out their Ultra HD Blu-ray players by the holiday season. The first players are expected to be considerably – two or three times – more expensive than standard Blu-ray hardware. Ultra HD content will cost about the same amount of money as standard Blu-ray movies.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Finally, the Ultra HD Blu-ray is on the finish line. What remains to be seen is how quickly will makers of affordable players manage to release their Ultra HD Blu-ray devices…

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Samsung to release Ultra HD Blu-ray disc player this year https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/samsung-to-release-ultra-hd-blu-ray-disc-player-this-year/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/samsung-to-release-ultra-hd-blu-ray-disc-player-this-year/#comments Sat, 23 May 2015 10:20:28 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=250834 Samsung Electronics has confirmed plans to release an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc player this week. The new company did not reveal any details, but reaffirmed that leading makers of electronics are on track with devices that will playback 4K video later this year. Yonhap News reports that a representative of Samsung Electronics in South Korea …

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Samsung Electronics has confirmed plans to release an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc player this week. The new company did not reveal any details, but reaffirmed that leading makers of electronics are on track with devices that will playback 4K video later this year.

Yonhap News reports that a representative of Samsung Electronics in South Korea made the announcement this Wednesday, but did not provide any launch dates, details regarding prices as well as technical peculiarities of the players. The only thing known – Samsung’s Ultra HD Blu-ray players will be available this holiday season – indicates that the company will likely demonstrate the new hardware at IFA in Berlin, Germany, in September. The consumer electronics giant could use its own Exynos 14 Octa system-on-chip for its Blu-ray player.

Earlier this month the Blu-ray disc association finalized the Ultra HD Blu-ray specification and said that it will formally begin to license it this summer. A representative for Panasonic and BDA said last week that his company and other leading makers of consumer electronics plan to release UHD BD players by the end of the year. He also indicated that initially such players will be two to three times more expensive than standard Blu-ray hardware.

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Samsung BD-F7500 3D, Ultra HD-capable smart Blu-ray and DVD player

The Ultra HD Blu-ray disc supports video in up to 3840*2160 ultra-high-definition resolution with up to 60 frames per second and maximum data rate for video and audio of 128Mb/s. The UHD BD format features high-dynamic range (HDR) with 10-bit colours as well as Rec. 2020 colour gamut. The new standard is compatible with emerging object-based sound formats, including DTX: X and Dolby Atmos. The UHD BD format uses high efficiency video coding (HEVC, also known as H.265) technology with 4:4:4 chroma subsampling. Commercial Ultra HD Blu-ray discs will feature 50GB, 66GB and 100GB capacities.

Prices of Ultra HD Blu-ray movies are expected to be comparable to prices of regular Blu-ray titles.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Manufacturers of consumer electronics will likely all release their Ultra HD Blu-ray players this year simply because architecture of such devices is not completely new to them. It is clear that UHD BD players are not BD players on steroids, but a lot of work has been done already. What remains to be seen is what content providers will offer. Will they just increase the resolution, or proceed with HDR, new audio formats as well? It will be something very interesting to see.

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Mobile data to near 200,000 petabytes by 2019 https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/jon-martindale/mobile-data-to-near-200000-petabytes-by-2019/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/jon-martindale/mobile-data-to-near-200000-petabytes-by-2019/#respond Tue, 19 May 2015 10:31:49 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=250025 Considering mobile data was almost non-existent a decade ago, it seems amazing to think how far it's come in just a few short years. But it's set to go even further in a few more, as new research suggests that by 2019, annual mobile data usage around the world could reach the ridiculous heights of …

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Considering mobile data was almost non-existent a decade ago, it seems amazing to think how far it's come in just a few short years. But it's set to go even further in a few more, as new research suggests that by 2019, annual mobile data usage around the world could reach the ridiculous heights of 197,000 petabytes, which is the equivalent of more than 10 billion blu-ray movies.

What's perhaps more impressive about this statistic, is that 41 per cent of that data will still be handled by traditional cellular networks, with the remaining 50+ per cent being offloaded to WiFi networks.

Much of the reason for the explosion of data usage on mobile handsets in recent years is down to streaming video. With HD and soon 4K movies becoming common place on smartphones and tablets, we can expect the data used by these sorts of devices around the world to increase exponentially. In-fact Juniper Research, the author of the study, believes that video traffic on mobile devices is going to increase by more than 800 per cent by the time 2019 rolls around.

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However it's not all down to video. Utilising local WiFi networks to improve and guarantee call quality has also increased the amount of data being sent over the wireless signal. This is something that is likely to be even more utilised by those in hard to reach rural areas, where cellular coverage isn't quite so stellar.

Other mobile data users set to come online in the next few years won't even involve humans however, as machine to machine communication across the Internet of Things is going to be a big contributor too.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: At least the more data we send around the more expensive it gets for GCHQ and the NSA to store it all. Keep it up people.

Image source: Simmone Henne

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Ultra HD Blu-ray players to cost two-three times more than BD players – Panasonic https://www.kitguru.net/components/optical-drive/anton-shilov/ultra-hd-blu-ray-players-to-cost-two-three-times-more-than-bd-players-panasonic/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/optical-drive/anton-shilov/ultra-hd-blu-ray-players-to-cost-two-three-times-more-than-bd-players-panasonic/#comments Sat, 16 May 2015 00:37:18 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=249646 After Blu-ray disc association this week finalized the Ultra HD Blu-ray specifications, industry watchers believe that the new players and discs will show up on the market by the end of the year. Panasonic expects new UHD BD hardware to cost two or three times higher compared to current players initially, whereas software prices are expected to …

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After Blu-ray disc association this week finalized the Ultra HD Blu-ray specifications, industry watchers believe that the new players and discs will show up on the market by the end of the year. Panasonic expects new UHD BD hardware to cost two or three times higher compared to current players initially, whereas software prices are expected to be comparable.

When Blu-ray players hit the market in 2006, only two models were available: Sony BDP-S1 for $1000 and Pioneer BDP-HD1 for $1800. The prices of the first two BD spinners were too high for the vast majority of early adopters. At the time, getting a BD or an HD DVD player was the only chance to watch movies in all their 1920*1080 glory, hence, there were tens of thousands of people across the world to buy the first-gen BD hardware. The first Blu-ray 3D players that made it to the market cost around $399 in early 2010, which was not a bargain, but which was okay for stereo-3D enthusiasts. Nowadays a decent Blu-ray 3D player costs approximately $100 in the U.S. and £100 in the U.K., but there are high-end models that may cost hundreds and even thousands. Fortunately, mainstream Ultra HD Blu-ray players will not cost like the first-gen BD spinners, but they will still cost more than today’s BD 3D devices.

“It will be high to start with, relatively speaking,” said Ron Martin, vice president of Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory, in an interview with What Hi-Fi? “But it won't be as severe as some launches in the past, we won't be seeing thousand dollar machines. Maybe two to three times the cost of equivalent HD players. But that will drop over time.”

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In the best case scenario, it should be possible to get an Ultra HD Blu-ray player for $250/£250 this year, but higher-end models will probably cost $400/£400 and upwards.

Ultra HD Blu-ray players will integrate a lot of components already mass produced for Blu-ray players (e.g., optical drives, lasers, memory, various ICs), but will also include brand-new processors, therefore, do not expect them to be cheap. The new multimedia system-on-chips for UHD BD devices should not only support HEVC decoding with 4:4:4 chroma subsampling, but also handle high-dynamic range (HDR) with 10-bit colours as well as Rec. 2020 colour gamut in addition to new audio formats (DTX: X and Dolby Atmos). Such chips need a lot of processing horsepower and will not be affordable initially, but over time they will naturally get cheaper. Moreover, producers of electronics want consumers to buy their players, not prefer solutions from Apple or Amazon. Hence, they are interested in making Ultra HD Bly-ray players more affordable.

Leading manufacturers will demonstrate their Ultra HD Blu-ray players at IFA in Berlin, Germany, in September and it is likely that they will also reveal exact prices there. By holiday season the hardware will be available commercially.

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Ultra HD Blu-ray movies will cost about the same amount of money as today’s advanced Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D titles. Many of new movies were mastered in 4K, therefore, they will not require a lot of investments from studios. Moreover, for a lot of older movies remastered for Blu-ray, studios did 4K or even higher resolution film transfer scans (with restoration when needed), which means that they can release them on UHD BD rather easily.

“Media will be very price comparable to existing Blu-rays,” revealed Mr. Martin. “With all new technologies, we have to make them attractive to consumers, but it does cost quite a bit to develop these systems. […] Many studios have fairly mature 4K production as many of these films are produced in 4K. I don't think it will be a huge burden for studios.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: When officials say that the price of Ultra HD Blu-ray movies will be “comparable” to that of Blu-ray titles, usually it means that it will be a bit higher, which is rather sad. By making optical discs more expensive, movie studios make them less attractive to average consumers, who increase their spending on online services. Still, a good thing about the UHD BD is that there are hundreds, if not thousands of titles, ready to be released in 4K (up to 3840*2160) resolution. Hopefully, the selection of UHD movies will be significant already this year.

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BDA finalizes Ultra HD Blu-ray spec: hardware to emerge this holiday season https://www.kitguru.net/components/optical-drive/anton-shilov/bda-finalizes-ultra-hd-blu-ray-spec-hardware-to-emerge-this-holiday-season/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/optical-drive/anton-shilov/bda-finalizes-ultra-hd-blu-ray-spec-hardware-to-emerge-this-holiday-season/#comments Fri, 15 May 2015 16:01:26 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=249627 The Blu-ray disc association (BDA) this week said it had completed development of the Ultra HD Blu-ray specification and released the new logo. The upcoming technology will enable delivery of video content in up to 3840*2160 resolution using optical discs. The first Ultra HD Blu-ray (UHD BD) movies and players will hit the market later …

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The Blu-ray disc association (BDA) this week said it had completed development of the Ultra HD Blu-ray specification and released the new logo. The upcoming technology will enable delivery of video content in up to 3840*2160 resolution using optical discs. The first Ultra HD Blu-ray (UHD BD) movies and players will hit the market later this year.

The Ultra HD Blu-ray disc supports video in 4K UHD resolution (up to 3840*2160) with up to 60 frames per second. The UHD BD format features high-dynamic range (HDR) with 10-bit colours as well as Rec. 2020 colour gamut, which further enhances quality of video at home. The new standard is also compatible with emerging object-based sound formats, including DTX: X and Dolby Atmos (which is supported by select Blu-ray titles too). The UHD BD format uses high efficiency video coding (HEVC, also known as H.265) technology with 4:4:4 chroma subsampling.

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The Ultra HD Blu-ray standard relies on new optical discs with 33GB layers, an increase of 32 per cent compared to the original Blu-ray discs. The UHD BD will use media that can store up to 50GB, 66GB and 100GB of data on dual and triple layer discs. It is noteworthy that UHD BD discs of different capacity will support various peak data-rates, which means different levels of quality. 50GB media features maximum data rate of 82Mb/s, 66GB discs support up to 108Mb/s data rate, whereas 100GB optical media can transfer data to players at up to 128Mb/s. Standard Blu-ray movies have a maximum data transfer rate of 54Mb/s. Increased data rates of Ultra HD BD require new Blu-ray players to support new HDMI 2.0/HDMI 2.0a outputs, whereas TVs will need appropriate inputs.

The new UHD BD format also supports the optional digital bridge feature, which can enable the consumer to view their content across the range of in-home and mobile devices. The BDA did not reveal any additional details on the matter, but since it is optional, not all discs will support it.

All Ultra HD Blu-ray players will be capable of playing back existing Blu-ray movies. It is unclear whether Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4 eventually gain support for UHD Blu-ray, but that is a possibility for newer versions of the systems with HDMI 2.0, which is required to transfer 4K video at 60fps with 10-bit colour. Some of the current TVs with HDMI 1.4 outputs can be upgraded to HDMI 2.0 and even HDMI 2.0a using a firmware update.

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Samsung BD-F7500 3D, Ultra HD-capable smart Blu-ray and DVD player

“For years, Blu-ray disc has set the standard for high definition picture and audio quality in the home. Ultra HD Blu-ray will do the same for UHD home entertainment,” said Victor Matsuda, chairman of BDA promotions committee. “The technical capabilities of Blu-ray disc, in particular its significant storage capacity and high data transfer rates, will enable the delivery of an unparalleled, consistent and repeatable UHD experience.”

Licensing of Ultra HD Blu-ray will begin this Summer. The BDA is working closely with industry leaders in the authoring, testing, certification and replication industries to develop the tools and process needed to ensure interoperability between players and software and to facilitate the development of a robust ecosystem to support the hardware and title launch of Ultra HD Blu-ray.

The first Ultra HD Blu-ray players and content will hit the market this holiday season. Pricing is something yet to be revealed.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: At last, the Ultra HD future with new optical disc format is almost here. The question is whether UHD BD is set to gain traction on the market. At present there are many online services delivering videos with 3840*2160 resolution, but with relatively low bitrates and without immersive audio, their quality is not as high as that promised by the Ultra HD Blu-ray. However, the convenience of online rentals may actually drive a lot of customers away from optical discs, leaving UHD BD movies to collectors and videophiles.

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4K Ultra HD TVs could reach 20% market share in 2015 https://www.kitguru.net/professional/htpc/anton-shilov/4k-ultra-hd-tvs-could-reach-20-market-share-in-2015/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/htpc/anton-shilov/4k-ultra-hd-tvs-could-reach-20-market-share-in-2015/#comments Thu, 09 Apr 2015 02:32:40 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=244119 Adoption of ultra-high-definition televisions is gradually increasing as prices are getting lower in well-developed countries and China. As a result, market share of UHD TV-sets could hit around 20 per cent globally already this year, according to optimistic predictions of makers of TV components. The production cost of a 4K UHD television is only around …

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Adoption of ultra-high-definition televisions is gradually increasing as prices are getting lower in well-developed countries and China. As a result, market share of UHD TV-sets could hit around 20 per cent globally already this year, according to optimistic predictions of makers of TV components.

The production cost of a 4K UHD television is only around 15 per cent higher compared to the cost of a full-HD TV-set, reports DigiTimes citing sources among makers of TV components. By contrast, the former devices are around 50 per cent more expensive than the latter, which means that manufacturers can significantly reduce prices of TVs with 3840*2160 resolution while retaining profitability. Although many brands want to keep 4K UHD TVs as premium models, they will have to lower pricing due to increasing competition.

Global TV shipments are projected to reach between 200 and 210 million this year, the media report claims. If shipments of UHD TVs hit 40 million units this year, then they will reach around 20 per cent market share worldwide. This will only happen if such TVs get significantly more affordable than they are today and content in ultra-high-def resolution becomes available more widely.

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While it is possible that TV makers start to promote UHD televisions in order to boost sales, ultra HD content will hardly become pervasive. The 4K Blu-ray format is still not officially finalized and without optical discs with UHD movies, even early adopters will wait with purchase of a new TV.

China and North America are expected to be the main growing markets for 4K TVs in 2015, whereas demand in Japan and Europe is projected to remain flat.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is rather hard to believe that sales of Ultra HD TVs hit 40 million units already this year. If cheap UHD TVs get better, 4K televisions from well-known brands get more affordable and ultra-high-def content becomes widely available, it is possible that demand for 3840*2160 TV-sets will skyrocket in the second half of this year. Unfortunately, it does not seem like Hollywood studios are preparing to re-launch their motion picture back catalogues in UHD this year…

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BDA to announce Ultra HD Blu-ray standard next quarter – report https://www.kitguru.net/components/optical-drive/anton-shilov/bda-to-announce-ultra-hd-blu-ray-standard-next-quarter-report/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/optical-drive/anton-shilov/bda-to-announce-ultra-hd-blu-ray-standard-next-quarter-report/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2015 21:01:02 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=230560 The Blu-ray disc association (BDA) has been working on a new BD specification that supports ultra-high-definition (UHD) 4K resolution for about a year now. Apparently, the organization is on-track with formal announcement of Ultra HD Blu-ray disc standard in the second quarter of 2015, according to a media report. The new Ultra HD Blu-ray disc …

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The Blu-ray disc association (BDA) has been working on a new BD specification that supports ultra-high-definition (UHD) 4K resolution for about a year now. Apparently, the organization is on-track with formal announcement of Ultra HD Blu-ray disc standard in the second quarter of 2015, according to a media report.

The new Ultra HD Blu-ray disc standard will, as expected, use H.265/HEVC codec as well as Blu-ray media with 33GB layers, which is similar to the BD XL optical discs, something that Samsung proposed to use last year. Dual-layer UHD BD media will feature 66GB capacity, whereas triple-layer media will sport 100GB capacity. For some reason, members of the BDA decided not to support quad-layer discs that can store up to 133GB of data. The UHD Blu-ray disc specification will support ultra-HD resolutions with 60Hz refresh rate, 10-bit colour and other features, reports DigiTimes citing spokespeople from Panasonic. Unfortunately, it looks like 12-bit colour encoding will not be a part of the new spec.

While it is guaranteed that the new Blu-ray 4K UHD standard will support 3840*2160 resolution of current 4K televisions and computer displays, it is unclear whether it will support 4096*2160 resolution, which is the “official” 4K resolution of Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI), a joint venture of major motion picture studios, formed to establish a standard architecture for digital cinema systems.

Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc players will support HDMI 2.0 and all-new system-on-chips that support H.265/HEVC codec along with other technologies that will be a part of the UHD Blu-ray specifications. While there are numerous H.265/HEVC-supporting SoCs for TVs on the market already, it is unknown whether they will be compatible with the official BDA’s Ultra HD Blu-ray standard.

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Last year a BDA official said that the new ultra-high-definition Blu-ray disc technology would offer much more than just higher resolution. Among the key things are support for deeper colours, high-dynamic range, new content protection technologies and a way to enjoy UHD content on mobile devices.

“As with the original specs, we need to make sure that we will deliver 4K/UHD performance that’s second to none, as this is what everyone will expect from Blu-ray,” said Victor Matsuda, the BDA’s global promotions committee chairman. “This means not just looking at delivering the requisite number of pixels, but at the range of features that contribute to the overall consumer experience – factors such as high dynamic range, bit depth, color gamut, content protection and mobility and digital bridge opportunities that encourage content ownership and collection and enable flexible enjoyment of that content in mobile environments. We’re looking at the entire range and will be prepared to talk about those features as the specification approaches completion.”

If the BDA announces its new UHD BD specification in the second quarter of 2014, then actual players will emerge by the end of the year. Typically, first-generation consumer electronics devices are overpriced. Moreover, availability of content on ultra-high-definition Blu-ray media will be limited.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While it is logical that the BDA decided not to wait till Sony and Panasonic develop their new optical disc standard with recording capacity of at least 300GB per disc (which is expected to be ready by late 2015 and which will be required for 8K UHD movies in 7680*4320 resolution several years from now), it is rather surprising that the Blu-ray disc association decided not to use 133GB media for the UHD BD standard.

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Sony PlayStation 4 to get Blu-ray 3D support ‘soon’ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/htpc/anton-shilov/sony-playstation-4-to-get-blu-ray-3d-support-soon/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/htpc/anton-shilov/sony-playstation-4-to-get-blu-ray-3d-support-soon/#comments Fri, 25 Jul 2014 22:35:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=204790 Sony Computer Entertainment Europe said that the PlayStation 4 video game console will “soon” be able to playback Blu-ray 3D movies. The move will automatically make the console one of the most popular BD-3D players, but will it help the standard to become more popular? “Coming soon: PS4 system software update 1.75 adds 3D Blu-ray …

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Sony Computer Entertainment Europe said that the PlayStation 4 video game console will “soon” be able to playback Blu-ray 3D movies. The move will automatically make the console one of the most popular BD-3D players, but will it help the standard to become more popular?

“Coming soon: PS4 system software update 1.75 adds 3D Blu-ray film support,” said SCEE is a post on Twitter.

Since Sony’s PlayStation 4 is based on a high-performance custom system-on-chip from AMD with eight x86 “Jaguar” cores, an advanced Radeon graphics processing engine powered by the GCN [graphics core next] architecture and a bunch of media playback accelerators, technically it can playback and display virtually all types of content.

Two key things required for BD-3D playback are MPEG4-MVC decoder as well as 2x Blu-ray disc drive, since the console was designed with 4K video in mind, it can definitely decode MPEG4-MVC, besides, it features 6x BD drive. The console also has custom HDMI connector that was developed to support 4K video output.

While everything is perfect with PS4’s hardware, Sony shipped the console without BD-3D playback capability. Fortunately, this is going to be fixed with the version 1.75 software update for the console.

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It is estimated that by now Sony has sold over eight million PlayStation 4 video game systems, which means that the console will be one of the most popular Blu-ray 3D players on the market. Unfortunately, it does not look like there is a lot of interest for stereo-3D in general and Blu-ray 3D in particular. Not all people have S3D HDTVs and many are already interested in 4K (3840*2160) ultra-high-definition TV-sets and movies, hence, the interest towards the BD-3D technology is probably fading.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: At last, an important function of the PS4 will be unlocked. It will be interesting to see whether there are other capabilities that could be added by a software update…

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Sony’s financial year loss to be 20% worse than predicted https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/sonys-financial-year-loss-to-be-20-worse-than-predicted/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/sonys-financial-year-loss-to-be-20-worse-than-predicted/#respond Thu, 01 May 2014 09:45:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=190467 Sony is going through a bit of a rough patch financially at the moment but things might be worse than the company previously predicted as it has issued a warning stating that its end of fiscal year loss is going to be about 20 per cent worse than it expected to be in February this …

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Sony is going through a bit of a rough patch financially at the moment but things might be worse than the company previously predicted as it has issued a warning stating that its end of fiscal year loss is going to be about 20 per cent worse than it expected to be in February this year.

It's not like Sony isn't successful in some of its business areas, the PS4 has already shifted 7 million units world wide but that isn't enough for a company with so many product categories. Sony's new fiscal year loss is expected to be 130 billion Yen, which works out at £753 million- which is 18 per cent worse than the loss predicted in February.

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Since Sony announced that it was selling off the Vaio brand, sales had been slower than expected. Sony expects to compensate suppliers for unused inventory in the company's Spring PC line up but the costs should be offset in the fiscal year ending on the 31st of March 2015 because Sony is getting its restructuring costs out of the way early.

One of Sony's big losses this year is coming from Blu-Ray, it turns out that the demand for physical media has diminished much faster than the company had anticipated and as a result, it's losing around £144 million.

Sony's financial results for the fiscal year ending on the 31st of March 2014 are to be announced on the 14th of May.

KitGuru Says: The Playstation brand is doing great, seeing a 64.6 per cent boost in sales but that's just one part of Sony's business and can't possibly make up for the massive losses in other areas. Do you guys think Sony can bounce back? 

Source: EuroGamer

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