Samsung Debuts Slimmed-Down Combo HD Player

Sun Jan 6, 2008 5:02PM EST

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Samsung has just announced its second-generation Blu-ray/HD DVD combo player, and it definitely has an edge on its predecessor in the style department. But here's a bigger question: How much will it cost?

The glossy, piano-black, and just 2.3 inch-high BD-UP5500 comes with most of the older UP-BD5000's features, including full support for Blu-ray and HD DVD interactive features, playback of Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD soundtracks, as well as the ability to upconvert standard DVDs to full-on 1080p. Also included is out-of-the-box support for Blu-ray profile 1.1 (which allows for picture-in-picture commentaries on newer Blu-ray discs), an Ethernet port for downloading new firmware and accessing online content, and HQV processing for enhancing HD and SD video.

Overall, not bad, but here's the spec we really want to know: how much? Unfortunately, Samsung isn't releasing pricing info just yet, but hopefully it'll be lower than the $799 sticker price for the BD-UP5000—especially given that the demand for combo HD decks may dwindle now that HD DVD appears to be on the ropes.

Look for the BD-UP5500 to arrive in stores in the second half of the year.

Update: Reports are coming in that the deck will retail for $599—still pricey, but a veritable bargain compared to the $799 BD-UP5000.

Comments on Samsung Debuts Slimmed-Down Combo HD Player

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  • 66 Posted by ddd_4lyfe on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    WOW U GOTTA B DUMB 2 BUY A $800 DVD PALYER U BETTA GO 2 WALMART AN BUY YOU ONE 4 $25 SO STOP MAKIN STUPID STUFF JUS 2 GT MONEY

  • 67 Posted by standingbythecross on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    i personally dont see where people want to blow that much money on a dvd player. i mean, you can go through dell and get a computer and have internet and support and a dvd player for about the same price. only difference is there is no blue laser. just red. id rather stick with cheap than blow a lotta money on something so petty. use your money wisely :D pay your tithes :D

  • 68 Posted by cheyangel81 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    hey garrito911 why buy it over a ps3 because ps3 don't upconvert reg. dvds and the ps3 can't play hd dvd.so you may want to read up on that so you don't look like you have no clue..

  • 69 Posted by morrisartworks on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    I seem to burning my machine out every couple of years, then replacing them with new ones. Watch the movies on a 42 inch plasma, seeing nasal hairs and skin pores of the actors, occasional white crud on the rim of their noses, so we can ascertain I have a really good system. The colors are great, picture clean, it's like you could just jump inside it...wow I say to myself, when I experience this. My DVD player cost me $39 last time with no up conversion. I'll dare anyone, to tell me I need to empty my bank for HD 7.1 dolby sound with fox tails thrown in for free for what I have now. Requires, Two ears, sound designed with reflection acoustics and images the are majestic. Plasma $1200, player #39, Amp $100, Compressor limiter $99, Boston Acoustic Speakers 100 watts "Free", Acoustic Lab bass center speaker $79. The main player in all this is the $39 DVD player and so many titles (all work)to watch. Simple.

  • 70 Posted by mlong9475 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    LOL, you can buy players from both camps and still be cheaper together than this all in one.

  • 72 Posted by nikeman513 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    Pretty pointless considering hd-dvd will go out of bussiness. Just buy a bluray for cheaper price.

  • 74 Posted by witlerstink on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    Why does any of this matter? A physical media device is pretty antiquated. Downloadable digital content is going to make physical disks of any kind go away. Why buy more crap to sit around on shelves and collect dust when you can keep your entire video library on a 4TB hard drive in a DVR or media center PC, or even better on the horizon a large capacity flash drive with no moving parts? Amazon Unbox and Apple iTunes are showing this concept is successful and stifling DVD rentals and sales. Forget disks, and download your digital media. Manufacturing and distributing cost savings alone (watch distributer prices rise with oil prices) will drive the prices lower, as they already have making a product that sits on a shelf in the store or at home worthless and inferior. Once again Sony has proven it is a dying dinosaur wasting more research dollars on another useless format. (i.e. Betamax, MiniDisc, Memory Stick, ATRAC, UMD, Digidisc, BLU-RAY!!!)

  • 75 Posted by bobbacktobasics on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    Everything I have ever purchased made by Samsung turned out to be "crap". Included are laptop computer and HDTV Tuner. Needless to say, I don't send my money their way anymore.

  • 76 Posted by brichouse0434 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    this thing is junk just got one and returned it the same day

  • 77 Posted by lamaboy89 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    hey dumbass garrito911, the PS3 does NOT play HD-DVD you moron. You should check your sources if you think that. Retard

  • 78 Posted by lonewolf2203 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    Blu-ray and HD dvd's are still in battle on which one is the best. Having both is a great idea but at the same time it has its cons. LG already made a player like this for both HD and Blu-ray, but the processor or...i would say...it took a long time for it to turn on. What is the differene between this player compare to the LG player?

  • 79 Posted by sideoil29 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    The samasung hi def palyer that I have is a lemon. It has never worked, it will jam and the only way to fix it is to unplug it and staert all over. No more samsung for me, so solly

  • 82 Posted by containercrazy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    Ah ya....I'll wait, no rush to flush money down the toilet on something that will be in every discount store next year.

  • 83 Posted by swillisbusiness on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    SOunds great - too bad Samsung lost my business forever when they wouldn't stand behind the surround sound system I bought two years ago for $500 that turned out to be a piece of crap!

  • 84 Posted by carlusj on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    I would by pass this and just get a Media Center PC, the cost is a little higher but it does lot more and it looks to be about the same size. Okoro Media System BX100 does Blu-Ray and HD in 1080p check it out at OkoroMedia.com. And I just saw a write up about it in the Robb Reports Home Entertainment December 2007 issue.

  • 85 Posted by battleair14 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    the playstation 3 has all of that, blue ray, regular dvd's, plus good graphic video games. playstation 3

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