Samsung Confirms Profile 1.1 For BD-UP5000 Dual-Format PlayerSamsung has sent out a media alert confirming that its upcoming BD-UP5000 player will be Profile 1.1 compliant, but Gizmodo is reporting that the player will require an upcoming firmware update to actually play back Profile 1.1 discs.
As we've previously reported, the Blu-ray Disc Association has mandated that all Blu-ray players launched after October 31, 2007 include a series of features (including secondary audio and video support) in order to be Profile 1.1 compliant. The updates will enable several functions not supported by current Blu-ray players, including true video picture-in-picture playback.
Although we assumed the BD-UP5000 would include Profile 1.1 support when Samsung revealed a release date delay that would see the player hit stores after the October 31st deadline, today's news adds an interesting new wrinkle.
At press time there was no word on exactly why a firmware update would be required to enable playback of Profile 1.1 discs, nor was it clear whether other previously announced Profile 1.1 players (including LG's BH200 dual-format player, which is due to hit stores shortly) would require similar updates.
To date, no Profile 1.1 discs have yet been announced for release. As we reported earlier this week, Warner has made the decision to release its first PiP enabled title ('Terminator 3') in early December without utilizing Profile 1.1 technology, instead encoding entire sequences of the film with a "burned-in" PiP window.
Samsung says its BD-UP5000 player will hit stores in mid to late December at
retail price of $1050.
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