By Matthew Henry
SYDNEY: Samsung has confirmed it will launch Australia’s first Blu-ray disc player next Monday, 23 October, which will be available in Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi stores exclusively.
The Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray player will launch for RRP $1,599 targeting the home theatre enthusiast and early adopter market.
High definition optical discs like Blu-ray and HD-DVD are expected to eventually replace DVD for high-quality home entertainment due to their superior video and audio quality and large storage capacity.
The BD-P1000 produces full high definition 1080p images with five times the picture resolution of a conventional DVD. Samsung’s HyperVision technology will also upscale DVDs to 1080p resolution.
“The emergence of Blu-ray is an enormous boost for HDTV owners, home theatre enthusiasts, and for those who actively seek the best picture and sound possible in their home theatre,” said Samsung Electronics Australia general manager – corporate marketing, Kurt Jovais.
“Until now, there hasn’t been a pre-recorded media solution for consumers to take full advantage of the pristine picture their high definition systems are capable of producing. As the first company to deliver a Blu-ray player in the Australian market, Samsung has reinforced its commitment to provide consumers with the most riveting and innovative home theatre experience possible.”
The BD-P1000 is backwards compatible with DVDs, and will be supported by the release of Blu-ray movie titles from Hollywood studios including Sony Pictures, Paramount and Twentieth Century Fox. Titles including Mission Impossible 3 and Ice Age 2 are expected to be available for Christmas.
Samsung has nudged out Panasonic to claim first-to-market status in Australia. Panasonic is expected to launch the DMP-BD10 Blu-ray player before the end of the month for RRP $2,749.
Early next year, Samsung will release its first Blu-ray player with recording capability, which will enable consumers to record high definition video on 50GB Blu-ray discs.