4K Blu-ray discs arriving in 2015 to fight streaming media

[teachsac]

The Blu-ray Disc Association is most of the way done defining a version of its optical disc technology that can handle high-resolution 4K imagery, the group said Friday at the IFA electronics trade show here. It will start licensing the technology in the spring or summer of 2015, and the first 4K Blu-ray players should arrive by the holiday-shopping season of that year, said Victor Matsuda, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association global promotions committee.

The new specification also will improve color gamut dramatically and offer a higher dynamic range so details in shadows and highlights are visible. The new format also will be able to show 4K video at 60 frames per second, he said.

Read more here: http://www.cnet.com/news/4k-blu-ray-discs-arriving-in-2015-to-fight-streaming-media/

S~

 

[teachsac]

Man are they ever dragging their feet.

S~

 

[primestar31]

....and 1 week later, the first crack for ripping these will be announced...

 

[mike123abc]

I would buy a new player if 4k BDs started to come out with 10 bit/color and improved gamut, it would be worth it to buy physical media again.

 

[navychop]

I'm glad to hear of 2020 support. I think it should have been a required part of the UHD spec.


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[Ilya]

Great news! Sounds like the first prototype players can be shown at CES, if not at CEDIA.

 

[Jimbo]

Another way to try and make money ... you had DVD, then Bluray DVD, now to keep pace 4K DVD ... next 8K DVD, I can see it already.

 

[navychop]

I'll be jumping on that holosuite upgrade.

 

[tigerfan33]

Me too. I'll gladly fork over my $ with the expected pq.


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[dfergie]

I imagine I'll be in also ...

 

[Ilya]

I can't wait!

And it sounds like this new Blu-ray format will be just an incremental step up compared to the current disk format: it should be relatively easy to produce both the disks and the players. Which means equipment prices should come down rather quickly.

 

[mike123abc]

I agree they are essentially going from 2 25 gigabyte layers to 3 33 gigabyte layers. Both changes should be a lot easier to manufacture now that they have had so much practice with the old system.

 

[navychop]

I agree they are essentially going from 2 25 gigabyte layers to 3 33 gigabyte layers. Both changes should be a lot easier to manufacture now that they have had so much practice with the old system.

That's not even new technology, much less pushing the envelope. Isn't there a data storage BD in use today with at least that much storage?

I wonder if it was decided to go that route because existing machinery could be readily modified.

 

[mike123abc]

200 GB BDs have been demonstrated. No, it is not pushing the envelope, and I think it is the point that they want to make these things as cheap as possible.

I am sure the content will demand a premium, but the disc it is on will not.

 

[TheForce]

I'm not interested in optical media anymore. Just make 3D 4K available for download to my server and I'll be happy. I might not live long enough to see 4K BD sell for under $30. Then I watch it once or twice and it sits on the shelf.

 

[Ilya]

I prefer physical media because traditionally it provides the best home theater experience: the best picture and sound quality, as well as the most extras. Perhaps this will no longer be the case, but we will find out next year!

 

[mike123abc]

I'm not interested in optical media anymore. Just make 3D 4K available for download to my server and I'll be happy. I might not live long enough to see 4K BD sell for under $30. Then I watch it once or twice and it sits on the shelf.

Given current download constraints, usage caps, etc. 4k will probably bring back physical media for a while.

 

[harshness]

Given current download constraints, usage caps, etc. 4k will probably bring back physical media for a while.

Given those constraints, I predict that 4K will be practically limited to physical media.

All the buzz-words they're dropping sound a lot like *phile jargon.

 

[Blackloz]

I'm sure they will be all grouped together, something like, 4K Blu-Ray+3D Blur-Ray+Blu-Ray+Digital Copy on the cover