Samsung's DB-UP5000 HD DVD / Blu-ray player: $799, shipping mid-to-late December
by Thomas Ricker 
posted Dec 6th 2007 at 5:10AM
Good news. This time, we won't be burdening you with more talk of delays to Samsung's DB-UP5000 dual format player. On the contrary, a Samsung spokesperson told Dealerscope that the much anticipated HD DVD and Blu-ray player is on target for a "mid-to-late December" launch. Better yet, the price is down from $999 to a more reasonable $799. That is, until you consider the combined cost of a $
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
GhostDoggy @ Dec 6th 2007 5:21AM
Why would one need to consider the more expensive PS3 rather than the $399 PS3 for Blu-ray playback? Also, several sources are selling Blu-ray standalone players for $340. When combined with a $160 HD DVD player the result is a $500 investment and covering both camps. Unless one can find the Samsung combo player for less than what you are advertising it for, it seems a little silly to spend $300 'more' just remove one device from the equipment rack.
mike @ Dec 6th 2007 5:29AM
im sure the hd-dvd player and blu-ray player in this are of higher quality then the bare pickings of both camps low teir models. Now all we need is one of these bad boys to drop to under $500 and im sold. Maybe next years model? I have a feeling this "war" is gonna be going on for some time to come :(
Brian Hoyt @ Dec 6th 2007 5:43AM
The number one reason for me to get this is it is a single player that plays DVD, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. Cuts down on confusion greatly for users. Also this is a high-end player regarding its SD DVD upconversion, having a Reon chip in it like the Toshiba XA2 and some more expensive Blu-Ray. It isn't really fair to compare what are often lower end players with this combo player. A XA2 and a Panasonic BD30, which is what you would need for similar features at least, is the same or higher cost.
ryan @ Dec 6th 2007 8:11AM
Since the HD DVD needs ethernet as standard does this mean this player could support BD 2.0 profile?
ryan @ Dec 6th 2007 8:11AM
Since the HD DVD needs ethernet as standard does this mean this player could support BD 2.0 profile?
JayHDDVD @ Dec 6th 2007 8:26AM
Samsung, it's going to be junk. Anyone who buys this will be up to their knees in firware updates and bugs.
Better off getting the PS3 or even the new Panny and the HD-A3.
WallyB @ Dec 6th 2007 8:28AM
I'll just stick with my HD-A2 and BD-P1400, thank you very much for a grand total of $425 invested. That gives me nearly $400 to spend on movies!
TrentD @ Dec 6th 2007 8:40AM
Do you want a cookie?
:)
rg23 @ Dec 6th 2007 8:42AM
I was actually leaning on buying this dual-format player because it has all the high end features. After learning of BD's changing specs, I'll only get this now if it is 2.0 compliant.
JeffDM @ Dec 6th 2007 9:36AM
I'd also be sure to figure in the cost & complexity of adding an HDMI switch if you don't have enough inputs, and of course the remotes. One dual format machine, one remote, vs. two machines, an HDMI switch, three remotes and a bigger mess of wires in the cabinet.
It might be moot as the dual-format machines seem to be cursed.
MJD @ Dec 6th 2007 10:40AM
Proof that a continued war is good for the consumer. Click the picture to the original article off this website, and see that it's $200 cheaper than they wanted because of "market activity". Thanks to the $98 deal, and $199 retails. Sony's CEO said that they would have to see adjustments of $100 this holiday season on standalone players to keep pace, probably sooner than he'd like to see. Thanks again to cut throat pricing on Toshiba stuff.
If you're not picking a side, this is good. You've got admission that the recent market activity cut this by $200, and Blu Ray standalones by $100. That is a POSITIVE!!! Paying more without the war is a NEGATIVE!!!
Also, look at the picture. A single slot to play both formats. Just as the HD DVD code was cracked early, and the BD supercode was cracked last month, having a player play both formats is just as easy. Be it one day soon from hackers, from the electronics makers as in the case of this Samsung, or one day when Blu Ray and HD DVD make a deal. This leads me to have no concerns moving forward that my HD DVD players will get a firmware upgrade one day to play Blu Ray, and my PS3 will get an update to play HD DVD. This player is already doing it with one slot.
And don't say it would take major hardware changes inside to make it happen. The Toshiba XA2 didn't come with (P)rogressive or Audio in Bitstream, but it happened via a firmware upgrade. The same type of long code could be written to make one of the upgradeable hardware units read the other companies disc format.
Don't move forward thinking the owners of media in one of the formats will be stuck, lose, or have a dieing movie because they are on the wrong side. Players moving forward will play both, and current players that have upgrade options will likely play both as well.
TJ @ Dec 7th 2007 7:34PM
If you want 1080p output on your HD DVDs, this is not a bad idea. A lower priced Blu-ray Player (Sony, Samsung) goes for $399, and the HD-A30 goes for $399 also. So for the same price, you get it all in one machine. Plus, only one HDMI or Component cable, and one Optical or Coax for audio to buy.
And, your girlfriend/wife, etc. doesn't have to figure out which disc goes in which player. Which can be a plus.
Kyle @ Dec 6th 2007 11:04AM
Don't forget, with the two separate players you also get a total of 10 free movies--5 of each format--not sure what they will give with this.
JeffDM @ Dec 6th 2007 12:28PM
I've seen a 5 HD DVD / 5 Blu-Ray mail-in offer for the LG dual format players. It's possible that Samsung will do the same.
superklye @ Dec 6th 2007 3:40PM
Except you WON'T be able to play BD in an HD DVD player or likely vice versa via a firmware upgrade. They use two very different lasers to read the data on each disc. Whereas HD DVD players only have 1 laser for both HD DVD and SD DVD, BD players have two...a blue laser for BD and a red laser for SD DVD because of the enormous differences between the formats.
Data is much more densely packed on a BD which requires a thinner laser for reading which isn't suitable for any other format. HD DVD's laser is wider and therefore able to read both HD and SD DVDs using the same laser.
So it WOULD require massive hardware upgrades...not simply software. Unless a laser was created that had an adjustable iris control or something which would probably way more expensive than it's worth.
rg23 @ Dec 6th 2007 11:25AM
You get 12 movies with HD DVD players at Walmart right now. 5 on the spot, 5 mail-in and 2 in the box with the player.
JeffDM @ Dec 6th 2007 12:28PM
"You get 12 movies with HD DVD players at Walmart right now. 5 on the spot, 5 mail-in and 2 in the box with the player."
That's just a weekend special, and it's not right now, it's tomorrow at 8am.
Raptor007 @ Dec 6th 2007 1:40PM
The PS3/Venturer combo isn't comparable to the BD-UP5000. If you want a Reon upconvert, your best alternative is the $500 Toshiba HD-XA2. Add the $400 PS3 to that, and suddenly Samsung's player looks like a pretty sweet deal.
Bob Mc @ Dec 6th 2007 3:18PM
Stop comparing this player with two low-end blu-ray and HD DVD players. This has the specs of two higher-end players.
DarkRogue @ Dec 6th 2007 6:34PM
The PS3 that costs more upconverts and plays PS2 games and has about 40GB more storage. That's the only real reason to do that GhostDoggy.
I am both anxious and skeptical of this player since I tend to buy the company's flat panel displays but their player is of a different division of the company. If I hear good reviews I might consider it :)
Jeff Regan @ Dec 6th 2007 8:29PM
Another positive for this combo player is that it has
7.1 analog outputs with internal decoding of most advanced audio formats and DTS MA coming in late January via firmware supposedly.
My Fosgate FAP-T1+ processor doesn't have HDMI inputs
and need a player that decodes lossless audio codecs internally, like all HD DVD players do and I don't want to buy an analog 8 channel switcher to deal with
a second player.
The concerns I have are lack of speaker distance delay management and potential bugs for both formats.