Description

Toshiba BDX3000 3D-Ready Wi-Fi Blu-ray Disc Player

Features

• Full HD 1080p/24 fps video output with DVD upconversion to 1080p, AVCHD playback, and wide format support
• Blu-ray 3D playback (requires compatible TV/receiver and 3D glasses); BD-Live for online features
• Built-in Wi-Fi/Ethernet with streaming content from Netflix, Blockbuster, VUDU, and Pandora
• Decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio | Essential for true high-definition audio
• HDMI-CEC connects the BDX3000 and your compatible HDTV for convenient two-way control with one remote

Description

Now you can enjoy the best of 1080p video on your AQUOS LCD TV. Especially designed to work with AQUOS LCD TVs, the BD-HP22U AQUOS Blu-ray Disc Player provides seamless operability via the AQUOS LINK function through the HDMI connection. Performing as if it were all one system, the BD-HP22U's Quick Start feature lets you enjoy gorgeous Blu-ray Disc video with the touch of a button in as little as 10 seconds. With HDMI outputs and 1080p as well as DVD up-conversion, you'll enjoy full digital high-definition video and high-fidelity audio. JPEG Digital images can be viewed as a slide show from recorded CD-RW/R with digital images.

Features

• Full HD 1080p output for Blu-ray Discs and upconversion of standard DVD video to 1080p
• Ethernet connection for accessing bonus content from BD-Live Blu-ray Discs such as additional scenes and shorts
• Advanced audio decoding; high-quality picture with AQUOS Pure Mode; Quick Start feature for quick disc loading
• Outputs: 1 HDMI (1.3), 1 component, 1 composite, 1 analog audio (L/R), 1 digital optical audio
• Includes remote control and composite AV cable; measures 17 x 2.4 x 10.25 inches

Description

Blu-ray DiscTM Player with PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus, BD-Live, VIERA LinkTM, SD Card Slot

Amazon.com Product Description Panasonic's two new slim, BD-Live compatible, feature-filled Blu-ray players, the DMP-BD35 and DMP-BD55, offer cutting edge technologies focused on producing the ultimate movie-viewing experience. The BD35 and BD55 both feature an HD Audio Decoder (Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTSTM-HD Master Audio Essential), delivering 7.1-channel surround sound through a 7.1-channel receiver equipped with an HDMI terminal. The DMP-BD55 features high-end audio components and can also output analog signals for 7.1-channel sound, so even receivers that are not compatible with HDMI can produce the newest 7.1-channel surround sound. Both models are equipped with an SD Memory Card slot that makes it easy to transfer images from an HD camcorder or digital still camera that uses SD Memory Cards and are compatible with Panasonic’s VIERA Link function so they can be operated by the VIERA HDTV remote control. The combination of a Panasonic Blu-ray player, Home Theater audio system and a VIERA HDTV converts the home entertainment experience into a true-to-life cinematic experience. Consumers can now view and enjoy movies the way the film maker intended -- in stunning High Definition video and audio – right from the comfort of their own home. Learn More True-To-Life Colors with PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus The PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus video processor was developed after more than 15 years of collaboration between Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory and professional cinema studios in Hollywood. With PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus, users viewing content on Blu-ray Discs enjoy crisp, vivid colors that are extremely close to the original.  A high-precision 4:4:4 function creates video signals in which each pixel of the signal from the Blu-ray Disc is color-compensated, so when the player is connected to a Panasonic VIERA HDTV, the colors are even sharper and more vivid. UniPhier System UniPhier is a Panasonic-created system LSI developed by applying 45-nanometer processing to a consumer product – a world’s first.  This single-chip integration technology also contributes greatly to the BD35’s world's slimmest height of 49mm. Blu-ray Video Features More Picture See Everything Your HDTV Can Show You with Full HD. 6 Times the Picture Data on DVDs See everything your HDTV can show you. Blu-ray Disc's Full HD 1080p resolution produces over 2 million pixels per frame to produce a razor-sharp picture with unmatched depth and clarity that takes full advantage of the capabilities of today's 1080p HDTVs. That's six times the picture data contained on DVDs, which are encoded at only 480p. 24p True Cinema Video Output Most of all Hollywood movies are shot at 24 frames per second, and Blu-ray Disc movies are mastered at 24 frame per second. Blu-ray Disc Players can output films at 1080/24p for a true film-like experience at home, as well as 1080/60p for more traditional HDTV sets on the market. Backwards compatible and Upscaling All existing Blu-ray Disc players will play your standard DVD collection without a problem. And with built-in 1080p video upscaling, they'll look even better. More Space Blu-ray Disc has 5x more storage capacity than DVD, which allows more content to fit on the disc. The extra storage capacity also means more room for special features like inline navigation, Bonus View, interactive games, deleted scenes, director commentary and more Navigate to special features, other scenes, or settings without leaving the content you are watching. Bonus View lets you watch special features and commentary inline without leaving the movie. More Bits In the digital world, picture quality is not just about resolution, but also about bit rates. The higher the bit rate, the more data that is processed, typically resulting in higher video quality. DVDs have a maximum video bit rate of about 10 megabits per second (Mbps). In comparison, Blu-ray Disc is capable of video bitrates up to an incredible 40 Mbps. The bottom line, higher bit rates allow for the least amount of data compression for HD video that looks closest to the original video source. BD-Live Both the BD35 and BD55 feature BD-Live compatibility which enables users to connect to the Internet to download images, subtitles and other data, and take part in interactive activities and multi-player games linked to bonus cinema content found on Blu-ray Discs. BD-Live is a Blu-ray feature that enables you to access  special content via an internet-connected Blu-ray player. Because it's not coded into the disc, BD-Live content is always updated, always fresh. With BD-Live, your Blu-ray disc is different every time you view it. Check out the latest previews,  download special scenes, exclusive features and ringtones, and participate in online communities or games. As BD-Live continues to grow and expand, even more features will become available, customizing features and content to your location or preferences. Life-Like Surround Sound The BD35 and BD55 both feature an HD Audio Decoder (Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTSTM-HD Master Audio Essential), which supports the 7.1-channel surround sound newly adopted in Blu-ray Discs.  Users can enjoy 7.1-channel surround even with systems that do not support HD Audio -- as long as the DMP-BD35/55 is connected to a 7.1-channel receiver equipped with an HDMI terminal. The DMP-BD55 can also output analog signals for 7.1-channel sound, so even receivers that are not compatible with HDMI can produce the newest 7.1-channel surround sound by simply connecting to the DMP-BD55. Dolby TrueHD, Dolby’s next-generation lossless technology developed for high-definition disc-based media, delivers tantalizing sound that is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master. Delivers enthralling studio-master-quality sound that unlocks the true high-definition entertainment experience on next-generation discs. Offers more discrete channels than ever before for impeccable surround sound. Compatible with the A/V receivers and home-theaters-in-a-box (HTIBs) of today and tomorrow. Dialogue normalization maintains the same volume level when you change to other Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD programming. Dynamic range control (Night mode) enables you to customize audio playback to reduce peak volume levels (no loud surprises) while experiencing all the details in the soundtrack, enabling late-night viewing of high-energy surround sound without disturbing others. The Panasonic BD55 goes a step further with a high-end audio design and components. Thanks to a 192kHz 24bit audio digital-analog converter and high quality insulators, electrolytic capacitors, copper-foil film capacitors and ultra-low-impedance electrolytic capacitors, the DMP-BD55 delivers the same kind of exciting surround effect and lifelike ambience as today's finest cinemas. The DMP-BD55 can also output analog signals for 7.1-channel sound, so even receivers that are not compatible with HDMI can produce the newest 7.1-channel surround sound by simply connecting to the DMP-BD55. HDMI Features x.v Color RGB Color Range xvYCC Color Range Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation "xvYCC" color space (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or "x.v. color" for shortactually offers  an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize. Next-generation "xvYCC" color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors Deep Color So, where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color. Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors Enables increased contrast ratio Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white Connectivity Both models are equipped with an SD Memory Card slot that makes it easy to transfer images from an HD camcorder or digital still camera that uses SD Memory Cards. Simply insert the SD card into the DMP-BD35/55 and it plays AVCHD-format video images or JPEG stills in full 1920 x 1080 resolution on your flat panel HDTV.  The DMP-BD35/55 can also play slide shows, complete with background music. The DMP-BD35/55 models are also compatible with Panasonic’s VIERA Link function so they can be operated by the VIERA HDTV remote control. Inputs/Outputs HDMI Component Video Out (Y, PB, PR) Video Out 2ch Audio Out Digital Audio Out : 1 optical SD Memory Card Slot Ethernet for Network Specifications VIDEO PHL Reference Chroma Processor : Yes P4HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD) : Yes Precise Pixel Generation : Yes 16-Level Motion Detection w/ Pixel-Based Motion Adaptive : Yes Diagonal Processing : Yes 3:2/2:2 Pull-Down Progressive Processing : Yes i/p Conversion for 1080p 3 Playback : Yes Up-conversion to 1080p 4 Playback : Yes Video D/A Converter : 148.5MHz/12bit Progressive Scan : Yes Digital Noise Reduction : 3D-NR/Integrated NR 1080/24p Playback : Yes Deep Color : Yes x.v.Color : Yes Picture Mode : Yes (Normal/Soft/Fine/Cinema/User) Picture Adjustment : Yes (Brightness, Color, Contrast, Sharpness, Gamma Correction) s Audio D/A Converter : 192kHz/24bit Dolby Digital/Dolby Digital Plus Decoder : Decode and Bitstream output Dolby True HD Decoder : Decode and Bitstream output DTS/DTS-HD High Resolution Audio Decoder : Decode and Bitstream output 96kHz Surround Re-Master : (for all formats) Advanced Surround (V.S.S.) : Yes Night Surround Mode : Yes Dialogue Enhancer : Yes Dynamic Range Compression : Yes Audio S/N : 115dB Dynamic Range : 100dB CONVENIENT Super Hi Speed Scan : Yes Audio/JPEG Navigation Menu : Yes VIERA Link (HDAVI Control 3) : Yes INPUT/OUTPUT HDMI: Support features: Deep Color, x.v.Color, High Bit Rate Audio Component Video Out (Y, PB, PR) : Yes Video Out : Yes 7.1ch Audio Out : No 2ch Audio Out : Yes Digital Audio Out : 1 optical SD Memory Card Slot : Yes Ethernet for Network : Yes FORMAT BD-ROM Playback : BD-Live BD-RE / BD-RE DL : BD-MV (BD-RE version3), BDAV (SESF), JPEG (HD) BD-R/BD-R DL : BD-MV (BD-R version2), BDAV (SESF) DVD Playback : DVD-Video DVD-RAM Playback : DVD-VR, JPEG (HD), AVCHD DVD-R/-RW/-R(DL) 1 Playback : Yes +R/+R(DL)/+RW Playback : DVD-VR, AVCHD CD, CD-R/-RW 2 Playback : CD-DA, MP3 (CD-R/-RW only), JPEG (HD) (CD-R/-RW only) SD Memory Card : AVCHD, JPEG (HD) POWER Power Source : AC 120V, 60Hz Power Consumption : 20W (approx) DIMENSIONS Dimensions (H x W x D) : 1 15/16' inches by 16 15/16 inches by 9 13/16 inches Weight : 5.7 lbs

Features

• Blu-ray Player; BD Live
• Home Theater audio system and a VIERA HDTV converts the home entertainment experience into a true-to-life cinematic experience
• VIERA Link: Operate with your VIERA Remote Control
• SD Card Slot
• 7.1-channel surround sound.

Description

Enjoy the thrill of full high definition pictures delivered by the BDP5012. Indulge in every detail, silky smooth action and vivid colors with Deep Colour. Current DVD favorites can also be enjoyed, with upscaling to 1080p via HDMI.

Features

• Blue-ray Disc Player plays back BD discs in Full HD 1080p
• BD Live 2.0 for enjoyment of online content
• Digital audio out plus 5.1 / 7.1 sound via HDMI out
• SD Card slot for media playback and external memory
• 360 mm size fits in small places; HDMI cable included in carton

Description

The ultimate interactive experience is here. The Samsung BD-P2500 is BD-Live 2.0 Ready so you can enjoy special interactive features, download extra content from the internet and more. You¿ll also enjoy bold color and crisp details with full 1080p resolution. Movie night just got even more exciting - with the highest-quality audio and an incredible picture.

Amazon.com Product Description Samsung's BD-P2500 is BD-Live 2.0 Ready with an ethernet port so you can enjoy special interactive features, download extra content from the internet, and more. It has 1Gb of onboard memory and a USB port for memory expansion. You’ll enjoy bold color and crisp details with full 1080p resolution. The BD-P2500 also offers breakthrough enhancements such as Hollywood Quality Video (HQV) processing and 7.1-Channel analog audio outputs creating a powerful HD audio-visual experience. Plays Blu-ray discs, upscales standard DVDs, and is compatible with BD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD-R (V mode only), DVD-RW (V/VR mode), Audio CD, CD-R, CD-RW, and  AVCHD discs. Movie night just got even more exciting - with the highest-quality audio and an incredible picture. Key Features Total BD Profile Compatibility right out of the box, lets you instantly enjoy the latest interactive features available, including BD Live (Profile 2.0) and Bonus View (Profile 1.1) Lots of Memory and Easy Upgradeability: The BD-P2500 comes with a built-in, wired Ethernet connection, 1GB of internal flash memory, and a USB port for memory expansion Full HD 1080p HQV processing chip for the highest quality viewing of Blu-ray discs, upconversion of standard DVDs, and viewing of JPEG images HDMI 1.3 output with xvYCC Deep Color support, and a 24fps film mode, exhibiting smoother, more natural playback of film-based material. 7.1-Channel Dolby TrueHD Sound and dts-HD Master Audio capable of decoding the latest high-resolution digital multichannel audio soundtracks HQV Video Processor In a perfect world, every disc’s image that passed through your Blu-ray disc player into your HDTV would offer immaculate 1080p video with flawless color, impeccable detail, and nary a bit of pesky video noise. In the real world, though, pristine source material isn’t available for every Blu-ray disc—due to age or neglect of the original elements—and there are plenty of movies and TV shows on DVD that you’ll still want to watch on your Blu-ray player. HQV video processing is a great way of elevating those less-than-perfect video sources to a new level, and ensuring that you’re getting the most out of your beautiful high-definition video display. To do this, the HQV video processors built into better Blu-ray players employ sophisticated algorithms to alleviate the problems that often plague less-than-perfect video sources. HQV processors analyze multiple video fields at once to determine where frames match up and where they don’t, and even which objects are in motion within those frames. In analyzing the video signal over time, the processor also determines the proper frame rate or refresh rate of the original video signal—whether it’s a 24 fps film source or a 30 fps video source, for example—and makes sure that it is dealt with properly. HQV video processors are also great at minimizing video noise without scrubbing the image of all its fine detail, as well as restoring some of the detail that’s lost as a result of aggressive video filtering during the Blu-ray or DVD mastering process. And unlike some competing video processors, HQV processors boast enough processing power to keep up with the multiple video streams (picture-in-picture and split screen) found on many new Blu-ray discs. Stream Netflix Movies Right Over Your Player Netflix, the world’s largest online movie rental service, has a library of more than 12,000 movies and television episodes available for streaming. You must be a Netflix subscriber in order to receive streaming video service. For Netflix customers you simply need to activate your new BluRay player to your existing Netflix account. Non-Netflix customers must first sign up for Netflix in order to utilize this feature-there is a monthly cost. BD-Live BD-Live is a Blu-ray feature that enables you to access  special content via an internet-connected Blu-ray player. Because it's not coded into the disc, BD-Live content is always updated, always fresh. With BD-Live, your Blu-ray disc is different every time you view it. Check out the latest previews,  download special scenes, exclusive features and ringtones, and participate in online communities or games. As BD-Live continues to grow and expand, even more features will become available, customizing features and content to your location or preferences. Now, your disc k Bonus View Blu-ray Disc has 5x more storage capacity than DVD, which allows more content to fit on the disc. The extra storage capacity also means more room for special features like inline navigation, Bonus View, interactive games, deleted scenes, director commentary and more Navigate to special features, other scenes, or settings without leaving the content you are watching. Bonus View lets you watch special features and commentary inline without leaving the movie. High Definition Soundtrack Support and Output Providing a truly immersive HD home theater experience, Samsung's BD-P2500 is capable of decoding the latest high-resolution digital multichannel audio soundtracks available. Out of the box, the player can output Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and dts as an uncompressed PCM signal, as a bitstream, or via the 7.1 analog outputs for cinematic sound that is comparable with the latest movie theaters. Additionally, dts-HD HR (High Resolution) decoding will become available with a firmware upgrade in the fall. The BD-P2500 will also pass these and dts-HD MA (Master Audio) as a bitstream output to a separate, external surround sound decoder. HDMI Features x.v Color RGB Color Range xvYCC Color Range Thanks to the adoption of a newly approved international color standard called xvYCC (an option in the HDMI v1.3 spec, the color space has been greatly expanded. All Sony XBR HDTVs support the xvYCC color profile (Extended YCC Colorimetry for Video Applications), or "x.v. color" for short. Standard RGB color space allows the display of a portion of the colors that are viewable to the human eye. The next generation "xvYCC" color space actually offers  an available range of colors that exceeds what human eyes can recognize. Next-generation "xvYCC" color space supports 1.8 times as many colors as existing HDTV signals Lets HDTVs display colors more accurately Enables displays with more natural and vivid colors Deep Color So, where x.v. color expands the available range of colors your HDTV can display, Deep Color increases the number of colors your HDTV can display within that range, for smoother transitions from color to color. Lets HDTVs and other displays go from millions of colors to billions of colors Eliminates on-screen color banding, for smooth tonal transitions and subtle gradations between colors Enables increased contrast ratio Can represent many times more shades of gray between black and white Specifications Design Piano black with chrome accents and touch pad controls A/V Features Compatible with BD Profile 2.0 (BD Live), Profile 1.1 (Bonus View), and Profile 1.0 interactivity features 1GB internal flash memory for BD Live Award-winning Hollywood Quality Video (HQV) processing 24fps film mode xvYCC Deep Color Selectable DVD upconversion (720p / 1080i / 1080p) Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD decoding dts-HD HR decoding via firmware update in the fall Dolby Digital Plus™, Dolby TrueHD, dts-HD HR / MA bitstream output A/V Connections 1 HDMI version 1.3 output with CEC (Anynet+) 1 component output 1 composite output 7.1-Channel analog audio outputs 1 optical digital audio output 1 Ethernet connection (for interactivity features and firmware upgrades only) 1 USB connection (for memory expansion and firmware upgrades only) Playable Media BD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD-R (V mode only), DVD-RW (V/VR mode), Audio CD, CD-R, CD-RW, AVCHD disc Answers to Basic Questions About Blu-ray What is Blu-ray? Blu-ray is a new optical disc format with over five and a half times the storage capacity of a standard DVD (25 GB versus 4.5 GB). A dual-layer Blu-ray disc can hold up to 50 GB of information. With that increased storage, movie studios can finally provide movies on disc in high definition, offering 6x the resolution or image detail of DVD and up to 8 channels of lossless (better than CD quality) digital sound. The new format can also provide interactive features that go well above anything ever offered before. Is Blu-ray different than HDTV? HDTV, or high definition television, is a new broadcasting format that offers widescreen, high resolution images offering 6x the resolution or image detail of DVD, with up to 5.1 channels of digital audio. Until now, the signals were only available through over the air transmissions (via an antenna), or through digital cable and satellite signals. You can not get HD signals from a standard video tape or DVD.  An HDTV is a high resolution video display that is capable of receiving and displaying these HDTV broadcasts or images.   Blu-ray is a complement to your HDTV. It's a disc media format that has enough storage to include an entire movie, plus soundtracks and bonus materials, recorded in the high definition format. You can play Blu-ray discs back on your HDTV and see the same, if not better image and sound quality as you do from HDTV broadcasts. What kind of TV do I need to enjoy Blu-ray? You can play back Blu-ray movies on any TV with composite video or better inputs (not RF), but to get a worthwhile benefit from the format over DVD you'll want to have a high-definition television, or HDTV, with a vertical resolution higher than 480p, and preferably higher than 720p. Most Blu-ray titles can deliver an image with a vertical resolution of 1080i or 1080p. The more horizontal resolution the TV can reproduce, up to 1920 lines or pixels, the better. How are Blu-ray discs different than regular DVDs? Blu-ray discs are the same size as DVD or CD, but use a blue* laser to store and read data as opposed to the red laser used in DVDs and CDs. The blue laser's shorter wavelength, combined with a smaller aperture lens and a thinner cover layer on the disc makes it possible to create a smaller beam spot size capable of storing and reading much more, smaller information on the disc.  A single-layer Blu-ray disc can hold 25 GB worth of data, compared to 4.5 on a standard DVD. A dual layer BD disc holds up to 50 GB. This translates into the ability to store a full 1080p HD image. This has a resolution consisting of 1920 by 1080 progressively scanned pixels, compared to standard DVD's 720 by 480 pixels.  In addition, Blu-ray has much wider bandwidth than DVD, delivering signals at speeds up to 48 Mbps, six times faster than DVD's 8 Mbps, and nearly 2.5 times the data of an HDTV broadcast's 19.2 Mbps.  *technically, it's violet, but who's keeping track? Will Blu-ray discs play in my current DVD player? No. You will need a Blu-ray player to be able to read the smaller, denser information found on a Blu-ray disc. Will I be able to play standar DVDs on my Samsung Blu-ray player? Yes. Blu-ray players are backwards compatible with your standard DVDs.  They can also play CDs. Is Blu-ray the same as HD DVD? No. HD DVD was a competing format with less storage capacity than Blu-ray. With Toshiba, its primary champion announcing on February 19, 2008 that they would end production of HD DVD products, the few companies that were supporting the format announced that they would instead create products for the Blu-ray format. What does up-conversion mean? Consumers have over 50 years worth of material in standard definition formats. Up-conversion is the process of taking that existing, standard definition material and converting it (lines and pixels are copied to some degree) to the higher resolution needed to display those signals on an HDTV. When done well, the process can often improve picture quality, though it can't increase actual resolution. The quality of the up-converter, included in everything from up-converting standard DVD players to Blu-ray players and HDTVs, can often determine the quality of the picture. What kind of cables, connections do I need to have to make Blu-ray work? You will need either a 3-wire analog component (typically labeled Y, Pr and Pb) or an HDMI digital video connection between the BD player and the TV. The HDMI connection is preferable. Not only will it provide better image quality, but it will pass along higher resolution audio and control information, as well. You may get limited up-conversion options with standard DVDs when using the component connection. What is firmware and do I need it? Firmware is like computer software, or the instruction set in the player that tells the hardware what to do under various conditions. Insert a disc, and the firmware tells the player to read the disc. Press the Play button and the firmware tells the player to play the movie. Generally speaking, the firmware is invisible to the end user. But Blu-ray keeps evolving, and new features keep being created. With each new feature that a movie studio comes up with, hardware manufacturers have to release new instruction sets, or firmware, to deal with it. Samsung's ability to easily update the firmware in their BD players makes them one of the best in the business.  Who supports Blu-ray? At this point, nearly everyone supports Blu-ray. All the major movie studios have announced that they would support Blu-ray with both new and catalog titles. Thousands of movies and music videos are already available. Most major electronics manufacturers have been supporting Blu-ray since the format's beginning. Can I rent movies on Blu-ray? Yes. Blockbuster, Hollywood Video and Netflix, among other places, offer Blu-ray titles for rent.  Are my regular DVDs obsolete? Not by the definition Merriam Webster would use. You can still play your regular DVDs on your Blu-ray disc player, so they're still useful, but you'll want to replace them with Blu-ray versions as they become available in the new format so that you can enjoy the improved image and sound quality.  Is the only benefit to Blu-ray the video quality? Why should I upgrade to Blu-ray? You will probably upgrade because of the video quality, but you may also appreciate the improved sound quality available on some players as well as the advanced interactive features.  Blu-ray offers the latest generation audio codecs that can play back up to 8 channels of surround sound with improved audio quality over that of standard 5.1 digital soundtracks. This includes Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS High Resolution and DTS Master Audio.  Blu-ray also offers advanced bonus features that can include interactive game features or picture-in-picture commentary tracks, not to mention additional features that could be downloaded after the disc has been produced.  Do I need to buy a new home theater system? You don't need a new audio system, but you should at least have a surround system (five speakers and ideally a subwoofer) with Dolby Digital or DTS audio decoding to hear the theater-like audio experience that is available on Blu-ray. Some BD players offer more advanced audio codecs that provide even better quality sound through up to 8 channels of surround.  What do all these audio formats mean? You can hear better-than theater-like audio at home. As George Lucas has said, sound is 50% of the movie experience. With the right audio equipment, you can hear up to 7.1 channels of sound that is no different than what the recording engineers heard in the mixing room.  What's the benefit of 24p? Movies are recorded on film at 24 frames per second (fps). Video is recorded and played back at 60 frames per second. Movies must be converted to 60 frames before being played back on your TV.  Blu-ray discs record movie content in the original 24 frame format, and convert the signal within the player to output at 60 fps for standard HDTVs. Some current HDTVs, like Samsung's Auto Motion Plus 120Hz models, and undoubtedly more future ones, can accept and play back the 24 frame signal without the intermediary conversion to 60 fps, which can offer a smoother, more natural-looking image.  What does Profile 1.0, 1.1, 2.0 mean? Blu-ray's specifications for video are broken into three profiles, each with its own set of hardware and software requirements. Profile 1.0 gave hardware manufacturers a grace period to create players that were capable of Blu-ray video playback, but didn't need to meet the final standard profile requirements. This grace period ended October 31, 2007. These players, while not able to take advantage of all of Blu-ray's promised extra content, will provide full 1080p video playback. Profile 1.1, also known as BonusView, makes certain requirements mandatory: picture-in-picture, secondary audio mixing, a minimum of 256MB of memory (built-in or removable), and the incorporation of a virtual file system. Players created and sold after October 31, 2007 are required to meet the Profile 1.1 specification, and therefore will take advantage of 1.1-enabled bonus materials on certain BD discs. BD-Live (Profile 2.0) makes mandatory all parts of Profile 1.1, but increases the memory requirement to 1GB and adds the hardware requirement of a network connection. This specification enables the even-more interactive web-based bonus material found on discs that provide such content.

Features

• Full HD 1080p
• BD Live 2.0 Ready
• Ethernet and USB for firmware upgrades
• Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital True-HD
• DTS-HD upgradable