Skip to main content

Samsung shows off first 4K UHD Blu-ray player, plans early 2016 launch

Since 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) TVs started coming to market, home theater enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting content worthy of them. While streaming services are slowly but surely ramping up support for UHD and High Dynamic Range (HDR) programming, what we’ve really been waiting for is Ultra HD Blu-ray.

Samsung became the first company to officially announce a 4K UHD Blu-ray player at its IFA 2015 press conference in Berlin. Simply called the Ultra HD Blu-ray Player (UBD-K8500), at least for the time being, the player offers four times the resolution and 64 times the color expression of the standard HD Blu-ray format. The player supports HDR content and can play UHD Blu-ray at up to 60 frames per second.

Related Videos

“The new player is also capable of upscaling content to provide UHD resolution for any disc, as well as for 4K streaming services,” VP of visual display for Samsung Europe Michael Zoller said. The player is designed to complement existing Samsung ecosystems and therefore is designed with the same sleek curves as the company’s curved SUHD TVs. The Ultra HD Blu-ray Player is set to launch in Europe in 2016, but we are still hopeful we may see a U.S. version in time for the holidays.

The slick new player is nothing without content, which is where 20th Century Fox comes in to play. “When my colleagues at 20th Century Fox first saw the side-by-side comparison of 4K Ultra HD with High Dynamic Range, and compared that to just regular HD, it was reminiscent of the days between standard def and high def. This is a huge step up for our industry,” president of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Mike Dunn said.

Samsung 4K UHD Blu ray Player 6

Dunn went on to announce that moving forward, all of the company’s new releases will be issued in 4K Ultra HD with HDR. “On some future models [of the Ultra HD Blu-ray player] the introduction of the digital bridge will allow consumers to actually sideload their content off the disc, and on to other devices,” Dunn said.

The company is also working on bringing its recent releases to the new 4K UHD format, ready to launch at the same time as the Ultra HD Blu-ray Player next year. As a preview, Dunn gave the audience a sneak preview of the box for the upcoming 4K UHD release of Kingsmen: The Secret Service.

No word on pricing for the Ultra HD Blu-ray Player was given, but it is safe to say it will sell at a premium over standard Blu-ray players.

Editors' Recommendations

New Apple TV 4K feature only works with a product Apple has killed
The Apple HomePod on a desk.

One of the Apple TV 4K (2021)'s coolest features appears to be limited to the HomePod, a product the company has officially discontinued. Confused? So are we.

Apple has recently been making announcements that seem, well, poorly thought-out to put it kindly. When it announced that it would be adding a lossless audio option for every single track on Apple Music, it also acknowledged that none of its wireless AirPod line of earbuds and headphones is currently compatible with the new format.

Read more
New Apple TV 4K gets more power, new Siri remote
Apple TV 4K 2021 with new Siri remote

After what seems like years of rumors and dashed expectations, Apple finally announced a new Apple TV 4K at its Spring Loaded Event today.

The new streaming media device, which made its debut alongside a range of colorful iMacs and a pair of M1-equipped iPad Pros, looks identical to the previous model, that is until you look at the Siri remote. The remote control has been given a complete revamp and now looks a lot like the aluminum remote that shipped with the third-gen Apple TV.

Read more
Best Super Bowl TV deals 2021: Cheap 4K TVs, QLED TVs, and OLED TVs
Super Bowl 2020 TVs

Super Bowl 2021 is right around the corner, and although you might have heard that this year's big game isn't being broadcast in 4K, there are still good reasons to get a 4K TV for the event. Many 4K TVs have the ability to upscale content, where video which arrives at a lower resolution is processed by the TV so it can be displayed in 4K -- and all this happens in real time! So even when you receive a signal in Full HD, you can still enjoy the appearance of a 4K picture, as long as your TV supports upscaling. Make the game look even better with the newest TV technology!

For the best experience, you'll want a TV that supports 4K and which comes with a powerful processor for that upscaling. The good news is, there are plenty of options on the market that meet these criteria, like our top pick for a Super Bowl TV deal: The 65-inch LG NanoCell 4K TV, available at Walmart for over $300 off, bringing the price down to $897. It has a beautiful, colorful display, support for 4K, smart software, and an Alpha7 Gen 3 Processor for that all-important 4K upscaling.
Today's best Super Bowl TV deals

Read more