Samsung unveils Ultra HD Blu-ray player UBD-K8500
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That stinks. I really don't want to buy another one. Guess I will use 2 cables then.
Walmart has them now ...
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Samsung-UBD-K8500-ZA-4K-Ultra-HD-Blu-ray-Player/49305693
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Samsung-UBD-K8500-ZA-4K-Ultra-HD-Blu-ray-Player/49305693
I've been using the k8500 with a Sony VW665ES projector and the video quality is really impressive. I have to use the dual cable too since my AVR does not support HDCP2.2. It's nice they offered that.
The real problem is having to set your 4K TV for either REC709 or REC 2020 color gamut. Currently UHD disks are being released with both standards. To make matters worse, they don't publish which it is on the box so you have to test both for the proper color. If you have your TV set to the wrong one the colors will either be washed out or too saturated. In addition, my new projector doesn't fully match up to REC2020 and I had to recalibrate the reds or they just glowed. 709 is fine and looks great. This all goes with the territory of being an early adopter.
Just know that when you begin playing around with 4K, you may be waiting for firmware updates for the Samsung player and the TV for full compatibility. In the first week, of owning the K8500, I've already had to do one update and after 2 weeks of owning the projector I had one firmware update to fix a bug in the HDR function to stop Iris pumping in the auto Iris mode.
Fun and games!
I have programmed my remote control to access two user settings to color match the REC 709 and the REC2020 for the different disks. Still don't have a test 4K disk to calibrate the HDR as there isn't one out on the market I know of.
What is cool, however, is the new upscaling features in the middle class and top end projectors. Most will upscale with pixel replication but only the Sony uses a new patented database to upscale with interpolated pixels that produce a realistic looking 4K detail. We watched the new StarWars 2K yesterday in the upscale mode and it was very impressive. Put the same disk in a 2K player ( Oppo BD93) and shut off reality creation and it was much softer. Getting a good 4K TV will certainly breathe new life into your BlyRay movie collection.
I ordered mine direct from Samsung on March 4th and received it on April 5th. Samsung customer service is really bad. I won't pre-order from them again.
The real problem is having to set your 4K TV for either REC709 or REC 2020 color gamut. Currently UHD disks are being released with both standards. To make matters worse, they don't publish which it is on the box so you have to test both for the proper color. If you have your TV set to the wrong one the colors will either be washed out or too saturated. In addition, my new projector doesn't fully match up to REC2020 and I had to recalibrate the reds or they just glowed. 709 is fine and looks great. This all goes with the territory of being an early adopter.
Just know that when you begin playing around with 4K, you may be waiting for firmware updates for the Samsung player and the TV for full compatibility. In the first week, of owning the K8500, I've already had to do one update and after 2 weeks of owning the projector I had one firmware update to fix a bug in the HDR function to stop Iris pumping in the auto Iris mode.
Fun and games!
I have programmed my remote control to access two user settings to color match the REC 709 and the REC2020 for the different disks. Still don't have a test 4K disk to calibrate the HDR as there isn't one out on the market I know of.
What is cool, however, is the new upscaling features in the middle class and top end projectors. Most will upscale with pixel replication but only the Sony uses a new patented database to upscale with interpolated pixels that produce a realistic looking 4K detail. We watched the new StarWars 2K yesterday in the upscale mode and it was very impressive. Put the same disk in a 2K player ( Oppo BD93) and shut off reality creation and it was much softer. Getting a good 4K TV will certainly breathe new life into your BlyRay movie collection.
I ordered mine direct from Samsung on March 4th and received it on April 5th. Samsung customer service is really bad. I won't pre-order from them again.
It's hard to say because there is so little official information on how these titles are done. So, what I go by is the appearance of the saturation of color when played with a "TV" that has been calibrated for proper color.
Initially, I decided to select only "True 4K" productions as referenced by http://realorfake4k.com/
I bought Chappie and Sicario, both are produced with 4K production and processing.
Chappie references "wide color Spectrum" but Sicario makes no mention of the color. Both are HDR.
When I play Chappie- I have to use BT2020 ( REC2020) Color Gamut to get the proper colors.
If I play Sicario with BT2020, the color is all washed out. So, I select BT709 (REC709) Gamut in the projector and the color returns to a natural saturation and the hues are normal.
I would assume that Sicario used a reduced color gamut somewhere along the way. The Hollywood industry standard for theaters is DCI P3 which offers higher number of colors than 709 but less than 2020. But in the production of the BluRay disk, the color gamut may have been cut back to 709, while the theatrical release was fixed to P3. Are you confused yet? Don't worry most people are and most are just guessing due to lack of official confirmation. To help picture what I am saying look at the color gamut chart of each standard that overlays the human eye range:
While all 4K UHD releases I have seen and the upscaling of 2K to 4K is the best I have ever seen, that will please most, the problem with these color gamut inconsistencies can cause color to appear worse than traditional Blu Ray 1080p movies. Unless you do a very careful calibration of the TV and then manually select the proper calibrated color gamut for each movie release youm may be paying for 4K UHD but not getting your money's worth due to the TV not being calibrated for the way the disk was produced!
OK that sucks! UHD 4K is just not ready for simple plug and play yet. Maybe next year, but for now we are early adopters. At least as of March, we have disks, player, and TV's that will do 4K. If you had a 4K TV before March 2016 you really didn't have all that UHD was able to offer yet and were "pre-early adopter."
Initially, I decided to select only "True 4K" productions as referenced by http://realorfake4k.com/
I bought Chappie and Sicario, both are produced with 4K production and processing.
Chappie references "wide color Spectrum" but Sicario makes no mention of the color. Both are HDR.
When I play Chappie- I have to use BT2020 ( REC2020) Color Gamut to get the proper colors.
If I play Sicario with BT2020, the color is all washed out. So, I select BT709 (REC709) Gamut in the projector and the color returns to a natural saturation and the hues are normal.
I would assume that Sicario used a reduced color gamut somewhere along the way. The Hollywood industry standard for theaters is DCI P3 which offers higher number of colors than 709 but less than 2020. But in the production of the BluRay disk, the color gamut may have been cut back to 709, while the theatrical release was fixed to P3. Are you confused yet? Don't worry most people are and most are just guessing due to lack of official confirmation. To help picture what I am saying look at the color gamut chart of each standard that overlays the human eye range:
While all 4K UHD releases I have seen and the upscaling of 2K to 4K is the best I have ever seen, that will please most, the problem with these color gamut inconsistencies can cause color to appear worse than traditional Blu Ray 1080p movies. Unless you do a very careful calibration of the TV and then manually select the proper calibrated color gamut for each movie release youm may be paying for 4K UHD but not getting your money's worth due to the TV not being calibrated for the way the disk was produced!
OK that sucks! UHD 4K is just not ready for simple plug and play yet. Maybe next year, but for now we are early adopters. At least as of March, we have disks, player, and TV's that will do 4K. If you had a 4K TV before March 2016 you really didn't have all that UHD was able to offer yet and were "pre-early adopter."
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Don have you checked out the apps yet, Samsung website is awful at listing which ones are on the player.
The reason why is I just read that Comcast has a app on Samsung UHD TVs that allows you to watch their programming ( content from NBC, USA, SyFy in 4K), I wonder if that same app is on the player.
Thanks.
The Xfinity app on my Samsung 8550 has only 5 shows. Outlander, Playing House, Power, Defiance and Suits. That content hasn't changed in ages.
I did not hear it, but a lot of BDs have been recalled over the years for similar problems. So, if they have not marked the color space correctly on the UHDBD they will probably recall it. Now of course if it is the player using the wrong color space then they will probably fix with a firmware update to the player.
So what is the current opinion of the UHD player from Samsung and the "do it or don't do it right now crowd"? Chad is coming to calibrate on the 4/23, so I need to either jump in now or wait another 5-6 months. The OLED only does about 87% of DCIP3, so I don't won't get to get a wonky picture for a new toy.
Figured I better get an update since I stopped following the AVS thread.
Figured I better get an update since I stopped following the AVS thread.
I've only used the Netflix, You Tube, and Amazon app. They work great, especially the 4K content. Netflix does hesitate in prime time evening but after 11PM or before 6PM it is flawless. But I'll have to look into the bunch for the Comcast one. I don't use Comcast except for internet so it probably won't do me much good.
It may be a function of your TV as well. I have made no adjustments to the Player but have made some extensive adjustments to my projector color calibration settings. I set up cinema 1 memory for BT709 and all default adjustments with auto HDR and Auto source controls frame rate. I set Cinema 2 memory for BT2020, Hight lamp mode HDR auto, Red -50 now, Green +20 sharpness at 30, global saturation at -15. Bright at +5. Contrast at +50 or Full on. There are other adjustments too. I'm still tweaking. TV mode is for all of Dish Network- upscale to 4K, HDR off. 1080x1920 60P Lamp on low wattage.
That's just part of the story- Fact is you have to do these individual calibrations and then each UHD disk will be either cinema 1 or 2. You just can't tell until you watch the disk. Bottom line is there is no standard. It's still early adopter game. Plus there isn't that many True 4K titles out yet.
There is another UHD player coming into the game later this month according to rumor. A Panasonic. No idea what the price or shipping will be. Another Rumor is that Sony won't have a UHD player until 2017 and OPPO has not commented.
So, it looks, like for right now Samsung has started to ship another round of players and they are releasing new updates to fix complaints. I just did another on Monday, number 5 since it was first released.
Yeah, Im skeptical of what Panny is actually gonna do (sell in the US). I've held the belief Sony and Oppo are waiting on the new MT chipset due mid year.
Should have kept it 
. Panasonic is due in the US in August from what I hear. My Samsung hasn't given me any problems. Single cable run for Audio and Video through my Yamaha.
. Panasonic is due in the US in August from what I hear. My Samsung hasn't given me any problems. Single cable run for Audio and Video through my Yamaha.
I got this from Chad:
Gonna go ahead with the player since he has a generator coming now for HDR. I want to see this trainwreck for myself.
Gonna go ahead with the player since he has a generator coming now for HDR. I want to see this trainwreck for myself.
Ordered the UBDK8500 last night as well as an AV7702MKII. Waiting on Chad to tell me how to configure the connections since I need a 2D, 3D and UHD cal.
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