Samsung BD-UP5000 1080p HD-DVD Blu-Ray Disc Combo Player
June 30, 2008
To enjoy a good movie and to hear a good music with exceptional quality you need a DVD player. The DVD player must have all the new technologies. Samsung the well known company in the UK has launched their new advanced DVD player named as Samsung BD-UP5000 1080p HD-DVD Blu-Ray Disc Combo Player . The black colour of the DVD player makes it look very attractive and eye catchy.
Why Samsung DVD Player
Samsung is one among leading companies in the world which manufactures high quality electronic goods. This DVD player is a Blu -Ray disc and HD DVD player. HD and Blu-ray are the most advanced technologies used in the DVD players. This new DVD player comes with a built in decoder with Dolby digital plus sound.
The product gives digital clarity pictures with DTS-HD decoder. The Dolby True HD and Dolby Digital DTS decoder high clarity digital sound makes us stick to this chic looking device. This stylish DVD player can be placed easily on a tabletop. The Media load type of this DVD player is tray. This Blu-ray disc player supports files like MPEG2, VC-1, H.264, HD JPEG decoding. Product can be used to play BD-ROM, HD DVD, DVD-ROM and DVD-R.
More about the Product
Samsung BD-UP5000 HD-DVD player has a total width of 12.8 inches, the total depth of this stylish DVD player is 12.8 inches and the total height is 3.1 inches. This high technology DVD player has a total weight of only 9.3 pounds, which helps you to move this DVD player from one place to another without any difficulty.
| General Info | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Samsung |
| Model | Samsung BD-UP5000 |
| Weight | 9.3 pounds |
| Dimensions | 178mm(H), 534mm(W), 430mm(D) |
| Playable Disk Types | BD-ROM, HD DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-R |
| Playable File Formats | MPEG2, VC-1, H.264, HD JPEG decoding |
| Number of discs playable | 1 |
| Media Compatibility | Tray |
| Photo display option | No |
| S-Video | Yes |
| MP3 compatible | No |
| Surround sound | Yes |
| Built-in audio decoders | Yes |
| Audio DAC | No |
Philips BDP 7100 Blu-ray DVD player
June 25, 2008
Philips has brought out a Blu-ray DVD player to suit the needs of the customers. Its attractive design adds glamour to your living room. This Philips BDP 7100 Blu-ray DVD player is 7.9 cm high, 43 cm wide and 31.9 cm deep. This weighs 4.2 kg which allows easy portability. It uses the media type CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD, CD BD-R, BD-RE and BD-ROM. The video Digital and analogue converter supports 12bit / 216MHz and audio digital and analogue converter supports 24 bit/ 192kHz.
The built in audio decoder supports DTS-HD decoder and Dolby True HD. A universal remote control enables better control operation which has an infrared sound output mode option. The surround sound power AC consumes 239 volts for its function. High definition sound quality is achieved by digital Dolby system. The specialties include audio multi-channel audio decoding and digital audio optical outputs. The incorporated software JAVA gives interactivity and graphical effects. Seven languages are set for screen display like English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese.
This Philips BDP 7100 Blu-ray Disc player is capable of enhancing the picture quality by upscaling them up to 1080 pixels and can playback current collection of CD and DVD. It also supports 24 frames per second cinematic resolution through HDMI. Apart from this it supports CEC function that allows controlling other devices with one remote.
The operational power consumption is 29 watts and during stand by mode consumes 1.1 watts. Thus you can save lot of electricity. The connection it uses is one HDMI (19-pin HDMI Type A). The audio video connectivity options include one audio line-out, two RCA phonon connectivity options, one component video output, one composite video output, S-Video output, 4-PIN mini-DIN digital audio output, coaxial RCA phonon, optical TOS Link, digital 5.1 channel audio line-out and more and all of these are positioned in the back of the system. These features guarantee the efficiency of the product.
The Signal-To-Noise Ratio of the Philips BDP 7100 Blu-ray player is 110 dB. The other special features supported by the unit include Parental control, progressive scan, and MP3 Compatibility and JPEG photo playback. This Blu ray player delivers spectacular 1080p true high definition pictures and brilliant imagery as well.
| General Info | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Philips |
| Model | Philips BDP 7100 |
| Weight in kg | 4.2 kg |
| Dimensions | 43(H) cm x 31.9(W) cm x 7.9(D) cm |
| Digital Output | 1080p |
| Playable Disk Types | CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD, CD BD-R, BD-RE, BD-ROM |
| Number of discs playable | 1 |
| Power consumption | 29 watts |
| Features | |
| Media Compatibility | Yes |
| Remote control | Yes |
| Multi disc player | No |
| Dialogue enhancer option | No |
| Resume option | No |
| Parental lock | Yes |
| Multiregional | No |
| Multi angle feature | No |
| Video Features | |
| Photo display option | Yes |
| S-Video | Yes |
| TV resolution | 24 frame per second |
| Video DAC | No |
| Progressive scan | Yes |
| Audio Features | |
| MP3 compatible | Yes |
| Surround sound | Yes |
| Built-in audio decoders | Yes |
| Audio DAC | Yes |
Sony BDP-S301 Blu-ray Disc Player
June 11, 2008
Sony understands the customer’s wants and has developed a new model blu-ray disc player Sony BDP-S301 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player . True picture quality is achieved through this Blu-ray high definition 1080/60 pixels and it displays 24 frames per second cinema video output. Dynamic sound effect is produced with the help of the Dolby digital plus feature. This disc player uses Bravia theatre Sync HDMI-CEC which can control your compatible TV and has 1 disc capacity.
This Sony BDP-S301 Blu-ray DVD Player supports 5.1 version multi channel output with a processing speed of 192 KHz/24 bit. The audio D/A is capable of converting analogue to digital converter with an equal processing speed of 192 KHz/24 bit. For better control a pop up menu is provided which has options such as selectable off and dimmer modes. MP3 and JPEG playback is possible from DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW MP3 Player but all the contents must be in DVD+R/+RW/-R/-RW format / CDR and CDRW Outputs.
The connection it uses is High definition multimedia interfaces. It supports Optical Audio, Coaxial Audio Digital & 2-Channel Analogue connectivity options. This blue ray disc player has the audio dimensions of 430 x 79 x 375 mm and the disc player dimensions are (length) 14.76” x (Height) 3.11” x (Width) 16.93”. The weight of the unit is 10 lb. With Progressive Scan it can play disk types such as DVD Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW and CD. Audio can be played in the file formats like MPEG2, MP3 and JPEG Video. Video up conversion is possible and can convert 720 pixels for high definition TV and 1080 pixels for audio.
Other audio features
- It supports DTS decoding and out put
- Dolby True HD Decoding
- Multi channel decoding
The surround sound gives high quality audio sounds with the incorporation of Built-In Dolby Digital Decoder, Dolby Digital and DTS. The Output Components consist of one HDMI, one Digital Audio Coaxial and one Digital Audio Optical Convenience. A standard on screen display is the key attraction of the model. A remote control also comes along with the disc player. The device displays in two languages English and French. The security controls include parental control feature.
Video features consist of a screen saver. The device supports DVD+R / RW/+RW Read Compatibility. It supports BD-ROM too. The PCM outputs include MPEG2, MP3, and JPEG Video and consist of one composite video output. Sony provides limited warranty of 1 year parts and labour for the device. If you are looking for a TV that gives you real like picture then Sony BDP-S301 Blu-ray Player is the name.
Specifications of Sony BDP-S301 Blu-Ray Disc Player
| General Info | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Sony |
| Model | Sony BDP-S301 |
| Weight | 10lb |
| Dimensions | (L) 14.76 ” x (H) 3.11” x (W) 16.93” |
| Playable Disk Types | DVD Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, CD |
| Playable File Formats | MPEG2 ,MP3 , JPEG Video |
| Number of discs playable | 1 |
| Media Compatibility | TV compatibility |
| Remote control | Yes |
| Multi disc player | No |
| Dialogue enhancer option | No |
| Resume option | No |
| Parental lock | Yes |
| Multiregional | No |
| Multi angle feature | No |
| Photo display option | Yes |
| S-Video | Yes |
| TV resolution | 720 pixels |
| Progressive scan | Yes |
| MP3 compatible | Yes |
| Surround sound | Yes |
| Built-in audio decoders | No |
| Audio DAC | No |
Comparison of Blu-ray with HD-DVD
June 6, 2008
Currently, Blu-ray and HD-DVD are the only two competitors in high-definition home entertainment market. However, HD DVD is likely to become obsolete in future as many manufacturers have discontinued HD-DVD format and many studios are switching to blu-ray disc format. If anything that can make HD-DVDs to stay in competition with blu-ray, it is their relatively cheaper prices. A HD-DVD movie is four times cheaper than a blu-ray while there is similar gulf between the prices of two incompatible players.
Blu-ray disc has a definite edge over HD-DVD, when it comes to storage capacity. Blu-ray disc is considered the next generation video format and its technology promises high storage optical discs exceeding 250 GB in near future. So, the manufacturers and studios are more than ready to bet on blu-ray than HD DVD. As a consumer, it is important that you go for the product that is future proof and that your investment does not go waste if anything happens in home video market.
Before you compare Blu-ray with HD-DVD, bear in mind following things:
- You cannot play blu-ray disc on HD DVD player and vice versa as both formats are different and incompatible.
- Blu-ray/HD-DVD hybrid discs that come with movies in both the format are not available in the market. This leads to the inevitable choice of either of these two players, if you plan to buy a player for high-definition video play back.
- Currently, the most popular PlayStation 3 can play blu-ray discs. It is cheaper option when compared with stand-alone blu-ray disc player but lacks connections for home theatre system.
What are common in Blu-ray and HD-DVD?
A quick summary of common technical features that you will find in blu-ray and HD-DVD:
- Both Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats use a blue laser to read and write the data on their discs.
- Both can read and write data in the same video and audio formats. Video formats like MPEG-4, MPEG-2, H264 and VC1 are employed in both discs. Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD and Uncompressed PCM are some of the audio formats that are compatible with both the devices.
- Both disc players can provide picture in 1080p resolution.
- Blu-ray and HD-DVD players come with component video output for HDTV connection. In addition, both players also have HDMI or DVI connections for the same purpose.
Differences between Blu-ray and HD-DVD
The major difference is storage capacity. A double layered blu-ray disc can hold more than two times that a similar HD-DVD is capable of. The following table demonstrates the higher storage capacities of blu-ray disc when compared with HD-DVD.
| Optical disc | Disc storage |
|
|||||
| Single side Blu-ray | 26GB | 4 hours | |||||
| Single side HD-DVD | 14GB | 2 hours | |||||
| Double side Blu-ray | 50GB | 20 + hrs | 12 hours | ||||
| Double side HD-DVD | 30GB | 5 – 9 hours | 3 – 5 hours | ||||
Both HD-DVD and Blu-ray use different software for their interactive features. Blu-ray uses BD-Java while HD DVD uses iHD interactive software.
As for internet access, all HD DVD players usually come with Ethernet ports while Blu-ray optionally employ them so you need to make sure that your blu-ray disc player comes with Ethernet port if you intend to access online video websites with your disc player.
Most blu-ray discs come encoded with regional code, making blu-rays encoded with particular regional code unusable in another geographical location. HD-DVDs do not have this feature so you can play a HDVD you bought in Region A (the USA) in the UK.
Currently, blu-ray enjoys the support of nearly three-fourths of studios that include Sony Pictures, Fox, Mirmax, Touchstone etc. Most of the popular titles in blu-ray discs have hit the market and it is more likely that the number will increase in future as sales in blu-ray in current market outnumbered the HD DVD titles by more than two times.
Price factor is another major difference between two discs. However, blu-ray compensates its high price with high data storage and the availability of popular titles only in blu-ray format.
Both discs come with copy protection features. Blu-ray disc is copy right protected by ICT, BD-ROM Mark and AACS. HD DVD discs are copy protected by ICT and AACS.
Conclusion
In the current scenario, it is rather difficult to make a choice between Blu-ray and HD DVD as they offer more or less similar features and capabilities. While the cheaper price is the major advantage with HD-DVD, Blu-ray has other significant advantages that are more likely to make it as the next generation video format. Currently, Blu-ray has more manufacturers support and studios’ support to its credit and this could be the major factor that can impact the consumers’ choice between Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
Basics of Blu-Ray Disc Players
June 2, 2008
When it comes to cheaper and high quality home videos, DVD is naturally the leader in home video market. However, the advent of high definition videos and the latest optical disc technologies like Blu-ray and HD-DVDs have changed that. At best, a DVD can store only a full-length movie in standard definition. For high definition features, you have to either look for a HD-DVD or blu-ray disc. As most studios have been abandoning HD-DVD and adopting to blu-ray disc format, the future belongs to blu-ray disc technology.
HD-DVD and Blu-ray disc player
There is hardly anything that can put you in dilemma over making a choice between these two players. Here are the important features that can help you to compare these technologies:
- Both disc players use blue laser to read and write data so that larger information can be recorded on a regular 12 cm diameter disc.
- Higher capacity than DVDs: A double layered HD-DVD has 30GB data capacity while a similar blu-ray has capacity up to 50GB of data. Technological improvements in blu-ray promise 250GB capacity in future.
- Both discs are suitable for playback of high definition videos and audios. A double layered blu-ray disc has a capacity of more than 8 hours of high definition videos while HD-DVD has just half of this capacity.
However, both are incompatible formats and require a separate player for play back.
Blu-ray Vs HD-DVD
As both HD-DVD and blu-ray discs can provide excellent home entertainment, blu-ray has some significant advantages over HD-DVD which is already losing support from many studios. Here are some compelling reasons why you should consider buying a blu-ray disc player instead of HD-DVD player:
- As blu-ray disc can hold large data (double the capacity of HD-DVD, nearly three-fourths of studios support blu-ray disc format. The number of studios switching from HD-DVD to blu-ray is on increase after some of the optical disc manufacturers like Toshiba have discontinued the use of HD-DVD.
- Many popular films like Harry Potter series in high definition are available in blu-ray discs while the number of newer HD-DVDs and sale of HD-DVD have been dwindling in recent times. In contrast, the sales growth in blu-ray has doubled.
- Sony’s PlayStation 3 comes with blu-ray compatibility and can be used to play blu-ray discs. You can also connect it to websites or download high-definition videos from VoD services.
- Blu-ray disc players come with outputs for home-theatre so you can get the perfect audio quality to match your viewing experience.
Can I play DVDs and CDs on blu-ray disc player?
DVD has the largest number of titles till date, as it remains the cheapest storage medium format for home videos. As blu-ray disc player can also play DVDs so your DVD collection is never in a state of becoming outdated, when you go for a blu-ray disc player.
If you intend to play standard CDs on your blu-ray disc player, make sure that it is compatible with CD format as a few models may not play CDs.
Should I have an HDTV?
Blu-ray disc provides optimum results when it is connected to HDTV using HDMI connection. As only HDTVs like LCD TV or Plasma TV have this option, HDTV is ideal for the best viewing experience.
Blu-ray player can also be connected to standard TV via composite video output while this may not render high definition features while component video output can provide HD resolution.
Look at the connection types
To provide standard definition as well as high definition videos, most blu-ray players come with following connections:
- Composite video output
- Component video connection
- S-Video output
- HDMI or DVI connection for high-definition video and audio
- Audio outputs like digital optical & coaxial and analog stereo
- Analog audio outputs (5.1channel) to provide digital surround features.
Other factors
Blu-ray disc players and blu-ray discs are expensive
Currently, blu-ray disc costs four times higher than a HD-DVD so is the case with blu-ray disc player. This is the major reason why blu-ray disc has not made as much penetration as DVD. If you are looking for cheaper blu-ray disc players, you can go for the basic blu-ray players that can provide 1080i resolution but not 1080p resolution.
Right now, there is no clear indication whether blu-ray disc will become affordable in near future despite its clear emergence as a next generation video format.
Hardware support
Currently, the major manufacturers of blu-ray disc players include Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and Pioneer and their models come with different profiles and all of them provide 1080p resolution. There are still compatibility issues between these profiles despite the standardization of Profile 1.1 in 2008.
