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UHD Blu-ray Disc Association Completes Ultra HD Blu-ray™ Specification and Releases New Logo (1 Viewer)

Ronald Epstein

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Blu-ray Disc Association Completes Ultra HD Blu-ray Specification and Releases New Logo
Format Licensing on Schedule to Commence Summer 2015

LOS ANGELES– May 12, 2015 The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced completion of the Ultra HD Blu-ray specification and released the new logo that will delineate Ultra HD
Blu-ray products. The Ultra HD Blu-ray specification, which represents the work of global leaders from the consumer electronics, IT and content creation industries, will enable delivery of Ultra HD content via Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc to the rapidly growing number of UHD TV households.

“For years, Blu-ray Disc has set the standard for high definition picture and audio quality in the home. Ultra HD Blu-ray will do the same for UHD home entertainment," said Victor Matsuda, chair, BDA Promotions Committee. “The technical capabilities of Blu-ray Disc, in particular its significant storage capacity and high data transfer rates, will enable the delivery of an unparalleled, consistent and repeatable UHD experience."

The completed Ultra HD Blu-ray specification addresses a range of factors, beyond simply increasing resolution, that will significantly enhance the home entertainment experience for consumers. In addition to delivering content in up-to 3840x2160 resolution, the Ultra HD Blu-ray format enables delivery of a significantlyexpanded color range and allows for the delivery of high dynamic range (HDR) and high frame rate content. Next-generation immersive, object-based sound formats will also be delivered via the Ultra HD Blu-ray specification. Additionally, with the optional digital bridge feature, the specification enhances the value of content ownership by embracing the notion that a content purchase can enable the consumer to view their content across the range of in-home and mobile devices.

The specification also mandates all new Ultra HD Blu-ray players be capable of playing back current Blu-ray Discs, giving consumers access to the vast library of more than 10,000 titles currently available on Blu-ray Disc.

Licensing of Ultra HD Blu-ray is scheduled to begin this Summer. The BDA is working closely with industry leaders in the authoring, testing, certification and replication industries to develop the tools and process needed to ensure interoperability between players and software and to facilitate the development of a robust ecosystem to support the hardware and title launch of Ultra HD Blu-ray.
 

Stephen_J_H

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What an utterly mundane looking logo, especially after the Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D logos. I guess everyone is putting their eggs in the streaming basket after all.
 

David Weicker

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Ronald Epstein said:

The specification also mandates all new Ultra HD Blu-ray players be capable of playing back current Blu-ray Discs, giving consumers access to the vast library of more than 10,000 titles currently available on Blu-ray Disc.


Will they also enforce playback capability for DVD?
 

Bill Waits

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David Weicker said:
Will they also enforce playback capability for DVD?

That was my thought exactly.....and if not, then it'll definitely be a nail in its coffin.
 

Worth

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atfree said:
I would say the mass consuming public cares, 95% of which do not have component set-ups and just want one "box" to do it all. And whether we like it or not, that 95% is what moves the needle.

True, but they won't be buying into this format anyway.
 

AndyMcKinney

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Worth said:
True, but they won't be buying into this format anyway.

Which, of course, pretty much dooms it to failure.


So, as DVD was to VHS, and blu-ray is/was to Laser, it looks like UHD is on its way to being the "new" D-VHS and adopted by almost nobody.


People haven't even bought into blu-ray software enough to make it much more than a niche format. They see DVD as simply "good enough" and not worth the extra five dollars or so that it takes to buy the BR version instead.


Even if players are backwards-compatible with DVD (as BR players are), the true success/failure of the format will be in software sales, not hardware. I'm sure plenty of Walmart shoppers out there have their $50-100 Black Friday blu-ray player, but may not even own a single BR disc. For all we know, many people may just have the players to play their DVD collections on, as DVD-only players are harder and harder to find in stores (apart from off-brands).


As others have said, this new standard's not gonna last and will be swiftly done away with by streaming.


The general public will still think that DVD is "good enough", and if it isn't, they'll just stream.
 

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No mention whatsoever of 3D capability. I'm assuming there is no 4K 3D spec, but will the players even support the current Bluray 3D spec? If we are expected to upgrade to new player it should at least do everything our current players can do including 3D, DVD, CD and streaming.
 

Sam Favate

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I'm concerned there is no mention of DVD playback. There needs to be, or the whole thing will never take off. People - myself included -want a player that will handle all of our vast libraries.
 

Thomas T

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With the large portion of the public (the ones who haven't yet abandoned physical media for streaming and downloading) still having the "DVD is good enough" mentality and the added blu people who have the "Regular blu is good enough for me", the market for those who will continually upgrade their equipment for each new "improvement" dwindles. Having experienced VHS, BETA, Laser discs, DVD and Blu ray ... at my age, the buck stops here.
 

Robert Crawford

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AndyMcKinney said:
Which, of course, pretty much dooms it to failure.


So, as DVD was to VHS, and blu-ray is/was to Laser, it looks like UHD is on its way to being the "new" D-VHS and adopted by almost nobody.


People haven't even bought into blu-ray software enough to make it much more than a niche format. They see DVD as simply "good enough" and not worth the extra five dollars or so that it takes to buy the BR version instead.


Even if players are backwards-compatible with DVD (as BR players are), the true success/failure of the format will be in software sales, not hardware. I'm sure plenty of Walmart shoppers out there have their $50-100 Black Friday blu-ray player, but may not even own a single BR disc. For all we know, many people may just have the players to play their DVD collections on, as DVD-only players are harder and harder to find in stores (apart from off-brands).


As others have said, this new standard's not gonna last and will be swiftly done away with by streaming.


The general public will still think that DVD is "good enough", and if it isn't, they'll just stream.
I agree that the BR market penetration isn't what they thought it would be, but it's not a niche market either. Its market penetration far exceeds what the LD market was back in the day.
 

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This appears to be a comparatively minor HD upgrade that will ultimately satisfy almost no one!


Among the following camps that the new 2k ULTRA HD Blu-ray won't likely satisfy:


1. Consumers who have already bought or plan to purchase 4k Televisions.

2. Those who have already upgraded to 1080p Blu-ray, who need the dangling carrot that a 4k Format would represent.

3. Consumers who are still in the process of upgrading to Blu-ray, be it BD Players or Blu-ray Internal/External Drives.


While I fall into the third group, I can also understand the frustration a physical disc upgrade to only 2k represents for those who want to upgrade to 4K Television and still want to stay with a physical disc format!


This half baked upgrade (Compared to the new 4k TVs, at least!) may just be what ultimately kills physical disc media! :P
 

EddieLarkin

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Tony Bensley said:
This appears to be a comparatively minor HD upgrade that will ultimately satisfy almost no one!


Among the following camps that the new 2k ULTRA HD Blu-ray won't likely satisfy:


1. Consumers who have already bought or plan to purchase 4k Televisions.

2. Those who have already upgraded to 1080p Blu-ray, who need the dangling carrot that a 4k Format would represent.

3. Consumers who are still in the process of upgrading to Blu-ray, be it BD Players or Blu-ray Internal/External Drives.


While I fall into the third group, I can also understand the frustration a physical disc upgrade to only 2k represents for those who want to upgrade to 4K Television and still want to stay with a physical disc format!


This half baked upgrade (Compared to the new 4k TVs, at least!) may just be what ultimately kills physical disc media! :P

Ultra HD Blu-ray is a 4K format.
 

Mark-P

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Tony Bensley said:
This appears to be a comparatively minor HD upgrade that will ultimately satisfy almost no one!


Among the following camps that the new 2k ULTRA HD Blu-ray won't likely satisfy:


1. Consumers who have already bought or plan to purchase 4k Televisions.

2. Those who have already upgraded to 1080p Blu-ray, who need the dangling carrot that a 4k Format would represent.

3. Consumers who are still in the process of upgrading to Blu-ray, be it BD Players or Blu-ray Internal/External Drives.


While I fall into the third group, I can also understand the frustration a physical disc upgrade to only 2k represents for those who want to upgrade to 4K Television and still want to stay with a physical disc format!


This half baked upgrade (Compared to the new 4k TVs, at least!) may just be what ultimately kills physical disc media! :P

I think you're misunderstanding the specs, Tony. Ultra HD Blu-ray is 4K, or the consumer version of it: 3840X2160 compared to 4096X2160 which is the professional theater spec.
 

Tony Bensley

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Mark-P said:
I think you're misunderstanding the specs, Tony. Ultra HD Blu-ray is 4K, or the consumer version of it: 3840X2160 compared to 4096X2160 which is the professional theater spec.
Hi Mark!


Doesn't it go by the lower 2160 number? To me , that should logically be 2k, not 4k, or is the industry now going by the bigger number in the screen dimensions? If so, this makes no sense to me! Just my opinion.


CHEERS! :)


Tony
 

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AndyMcKinney said:
As others have said, this new standard's not gonna last and will be swiftly done away with by streaming.


The general public will still think that DVD is "good enough", and if it isn't, they'll just stream.

Pretty much sums up my ongoing thoughts about the 4K physical disc format.


Streaming in particular is nothing to be scoffed at - 1080p streaming quality is noticeably better than DVD, and in turn 4K streaming quality is currently pretty close, if not equal, to Blu-ray levels. Since most consumers have proven that they think DVD is good enough (80% of disc sales were DVD last time I checked), they'll be more than happy with 2K or 4K streaming quality. And considering that you can already instantly access thousands of titles via streaming for under $10 a month, or buy Blu-rays or DVDs of most of your favorites for as low as $5-10 each, why would any sane movie lover outlay large sums of money and play the tedious waiting game for the inevitable patchy trickle of 4K discs?


Normally I favor quality over convenience, and I'm sure the resolution increase and HDR of 4K BD will be nice, but it's just not enough to tempt me to head down the same long road I've just traveled for Blu-ray. Especially as the content I want (i.e., classics) just won't be there for years, if ever. Best case scenario: I'll pick up a 4K player when they fall in price, and also pick up the handful of 4K classics they release, but the bulk of my movie library is going to be standard Blu-ray for the foreseeable future.
 

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Tony Bensley said:
Hi Mark!


Doesn't it go by the lower 2160 number? To me , that should logically be 2k, not 4k, or is the industry now going by the bigger number in the screen dimensions? If so, this makes no sense to me! Just my opinion.


CHEERS! :)


Tony

It goes by the bigger number, more or less. Blu-ray is effectively 2K - 1920x1080 versus the cinema standard of 2048x1080.
 

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