Samsung Lowers Price on BD-UP5000 Dual-Format Player

[jed]

Just posted:

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/945

It only seemed like a matter of time before Samsung would lower the MSRP of its upcoming BD-UP5000 Duo HD player to match LG's recently-announced price-cut for their dual format player.

Samsung now says its BD-UP5000 will hit stores sometime in the fourth quarter at a $999 street price -- down $50 from its previously announced MSRP of $1,049.

The price drop is the latest in a series of tit for tat pricing moves between Samsung and LG, who are both marketing dual-format players for the upcoming holiday season.

Samsung made the first move in July, when it announced that its BDP-UP5000 would hit the market priced at $1,049 -- $150 less than LG's BH100 (which had been priced at $1,199 since its launch earlier this year). LG responded in August by announcing its own $200 price drop for the BH100, and now things have come circle with Samsung matching LG's $999 price.

Earlier this week, LG announced a 2nd-Gen dual format player -- the BH200 -- which also carries the $999 pricetag.

Of course, even at $999, all three players remain more expensive than buying two separate standalone players (Toshiba's HD-A2 and Sony's BDP-S300 currently retail at a combined cost of $898), but with the holidays just around the corner, perhaps yet another dual-format player price drop is in our future. Stay tuned...

[n5nintendo]

do i get 5 free hd dvds and 5 free blu rays with this machine? and what does everyone mean when they say that sony isnt complete yet... does that mean that one day some blu ray movies i buy in the future wont play on the system or does it mean the special features wont work? same question for hdi? thanks

[ccphilly1984]

wow. 50 dolalr price drop... smasung make it a value. then u could be the number 1 player on the market... try 499 to screw sony over.

[1080p]

Huh what a drop... in the pan.
Not a deal, next.

[freekedoutfish]

Im trying my best to get excited about a $50 (£25) reduction in price, but i cant. I just cant!! We're talking about a machine that is still a wopping grand in price and they knock off.... wait for...... $50!!!!!

Wow!!!!

That'l pull those sales in.

I just spent £1,600 on a new PC and that is a 3-4 year investment that will do more then just play films. But even that burnt a huge hole in my bank-account and I have half my savings left.

But you expect to pay that for a decent PB, but not a dvd player. Even if it is new technology.

Their going to have to knock the price down more then that, to be realistic in expecting sales. As the OP said... you can still buy a HD DVD player and BD player for cheaper.

[freekedoutfish]

Originally Posted by n5nintendo

do i get 5 free hd dvds and 5 free blu rays with this machine? and what does everyone mean when they say that sony isnt complete yet... does that mean that one day some blu ray movies i buy in the future wont play on the system or does it mean the special features wont work? same question for hdi? thanks

I think what people meant was that Sony has a habbit of updating the BD-java software they used on their Blu-ray films alot.

This means the version of BD-java (the interactive stuff) on older BD players can be out of date compared to the version on the disc itself.

End result is you have to manually update your BD player frequently if/when you get a film that has issues with it and wont play.

It also means alot of companies who release BD films dont know what version of BD-java to use on their films. So some are releasing BD films without the interactive features like infilm videos and so on, while others are delaying releases until sony sorts it out.

HDi (which is used on HD DVD) on the other hand is very rarely updated, and (going from experience) I have only had to update my xbox360 HD DVD player about once or twice in the year ive owned it.

This is compared to BD-java being updated alot more frueqently. Now there is nothing wrong with Sony changing the BD-java software, except their BD players dont have network connectivity by standard (unlike all HD DVD players).

This means if your player doesnt have a network connection, you have to go online, burn an update to a CD and then install it manually on your BD player.

The other issue is that you will have to keep checking for updates, because the player cant do it automatically without a network connection.

HD DVD (if there ever is an update required) will read the film you have inserted and it tends to give a message saying "an update is required" and then it downloads it and intalls it and restarts. All very simple... or atleast thats how it works the 2 times my xbox360 HD DVD did it.

But as I say, its very rare HDi needs updating or has any issues with it. Ive only known "children of men" to have any problems, but that was only from reading forums. My copy worked fine.

Also compare the version of 300 on both HD DVD and BD. The HD DVD version comes complete with HDi infilm experience and all that fancy next-gen interactive stuff. The BD copy doesnt...

...its a perfect example of a film company either not being able to get the BD-java working or not knowing which one to use and releasing a flm without interactive stuff.

In saying that, the BD version of 300 sold more copies. But does that mean ppl didnt mind not having the interactive stuff, or did they get it home and feel ripped off? We dont know.

Thats why people say that BD-java isnt finished or a polished product. Because BD-java doesnt always work and its still being fixed constantly and causing alot of hassle for the consumers and the companies releasing films.

Ultimately its the BD supporters who loose out with instances like 300.



The ideal situation is that eventually BD-java will get itself into the same situation as HDi, where it all works fine and doesnt need updating quite as often. And hopefully Sony will realise to put network connections on all its BD players.

Because from my perspective as a HD DVD user, I feel HD DVD offers a more stable format that I dont need to worry about. I can be guaranteed the interactiveness will always work (provided the company adds HDi stuff onto the disc).

I would feel alot less sure about myself as BD invester incase instances like 300 happen again. Im a person who likes my interactive stuff and I would feel ripped off otherwise.

[ericede]

Must be a slow news day!

[n5nintendo]

so basically it may or may not be able to play interactive features but it WILL play the movies? What about the 5 free hd dvds and 5 blu rays.

[Jimbo976]

Nice start. Too bad it's still $600 too expensive.

[Kotatsu Neko]

Have Samsung confirmed for sure yet if this thing will be BD 1.1 compatible? (be it out of the box or through a firmware upgrade)

I don't mind the stupid price so much as I'm after a high end player (playing movies through video game consoles is not exactly ideal) and I payed twice this much for my first DVD player anyway.

[jaycee900]

The most i'd pay for a dual format player would be £400 ($800) but in conversion terms it would mean about $600 in the states before we get it for £400 in the UK!

[soulcriminal]

These dual-format players are the way forward, but not until they knock at least $500 off!

If they were $499 they would sell tons of these machines and the HD format would well and truly take off(with Joe public).

[canoehead]

"Of course, even at $999, all three players remain more expensive than buying two separate standalone players (Toshiba's HD-A2 and Sony's BDP-S300 currently retail at a combined cost of $898), "

Better to buy a PS3 for $499 and an HD-A20 for $315 - at total of $813, and if one breaks you can watch the other.

I seriously regret getting the the A2, and would recommend that others spend a little more cash.

[Markers]

I will certainly get one of these babies...

[cloudy]

Looks like Samsung is taking their Que from Microsoft (with their whopping $20 off the add on).
Maybe they should take some advice from Steve Jobs who evedentally doesn't mind dropping the Iphone by $200, just 10 weeks after launch.