Major Players Tease 4K Blu-ray Players

LAS VEGAS—Ultra high-definition (UHD or 4K) television receiver has conspicuously been the next step for home entertainment, but it'southward taken a while for physical media to catch up. Thanks to Ultra HD Blu-Ray discs, consumers will be able to first buying 4K versions of their favorite movies in disc class. Those discs, however, will require new players that back up the new Ultra HD Blu-ray format, and Panasonic, Philips, and Samsung all have devices in the works.

CES 2022 Bug Art Samsung unveiled its beginning Ultra HD Blu-ray actor, the UBD-K8500, here at CES after showing off a prototype version at IFA. It supports the new 4K Blu-ray format, including high dynamic range (HDR) content. It as well features a congenital-in 4K upconvertor for lower-resolution movies played from conventional Blu-ray discs and DVDs. The UBD-K8500 is currently bachelor for pre-order with a $399 price tag, and it will ship in March.

Philips is also joining the Ultra HD Blu-ray fray with its own BDP7501 UHD Blu-ray player. Like the Samsung K8500, Philips'south BDP7501 supports HDR content, and volition be available this spring for approximately $400. The BDP7501 reveal comes alongside Philips's annunciation that all of its 4K televisions in 2022 will support HDR, with the flagship 8600 series featuring full Dolby Vision compatibility.

Panasonic'due south 4K Blu-ray player, the DX900, seems to take similar features every bit those from Samsung and Philips, but Panasonic has not yet announced availability or pricing for its model.

Sony is strangely absent from the upcoming crop of Ultra HD Blu-ray players. While its UHP-H1 histrion will back up upconversion of conventional Blu-ray discs to 4K, it will not really play Ultra HD Blu-ray discs.

Ultra Hard disk drive Blu-ray discs volition exist available later this year, with several studios—20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, and Lionsgate—getting gear up to offering titles. Lionsgate wants to re-release its top 100 films in 4K Blu-ray, and 20th Century Fox is already offering pre-orders for Ultra Hard disk Blu-ray discs of major films like The Martian and Life of Pi. Shout! Mill also has several Ultra Hard disk drive Blu-ray titles in the pipe, with home video releases of IMAX documentaries like Journey to Space and Humpback Whales scheduled for late spring and early summer 2022.