As you make your gift lists for 2017, FTF News digs into the cutting edge technology behind Blu-Ray players and compatible flat screens.
(Editor’s note: My guess is that for the winter holiday season an Ultra HD Blu-ray player from any of several major consumer manufacturers will be a popular gift. However, I’m also guess that not many securities operations professionals are experts on Blu-ray High Dynamic Range HDR support and overall resolution issues. In addition, flat screen manufacturers are launching products that maximize Blu-Ray technology. Those manufacturers who support the Ultra HD Blu-ray standard also want you to know that several popular movies — Wonder Woman, The Revenant, Logan, The Martian, Mad Max: Fury Road, Passengers — can be viewed at home via the updated technology. FTF News got time with Victor Matsuda, chief financial officer (CFO) and chairman of the promotion committee of the Blu-ray Disc Association, to get an update on Blu-ray technology. Matsuda is also vice president, visual entertainment project office at Sony Corporation of America (SCA) where he coordinates Sony’s Blu-ray efforts in the U.S.)
Victor Matsuda, CFO & promotion committee chairman, Blu-ray Disc Association
Q: What exactly is 4K Ultra HD and why should we care?
A: 4K Ultra HD is the next generation standard for home entertainment.
Simply put, it’s four times sharper, more life-like, richer in color and more dynamic in contrast than that of regular HD.
It has four times the amount of pixels than regular HD and supports Wider Color Spectrum. This provides a greater range of brighter, more vivid colors — more than twice the color range of current Full HD TVs.
Q: Also, what is HDR exactly? Why is it a better format than competing formats?
A: High Dynamic Range represents an expanded range of both color and contrast, providing an image where there’s a greater difference between the brightest whites and the darkest blacks on screen.
This contrast much more akin to what we see and experience in everyday life, and, in terms of movie content, much more akin to what the filmmaker saw and envisioned when creating the film.
LG Blu-Ray Disc player
HDR brings more detail and depth to every scene.
Q: Why should people consider products that meet the standards of the Ultra HD Blu-Ray designation?
A: With four times the resolution of 1080p Full HD, High Dynamic Range for striking contrast, more intense color and uncompressed sound, Ultra HD Blu-ray is the ultimate movie watching experience.
With Ultra HD Blu-ray, you’ll experience a sharper, clearer image than ever before; a greater range of brighter, more vivid colors; smoother, more realistic motion and uncompressed, immersive surround sound.
And don’t worry about your existing disc collection — your Ultra HD Blu-ray player will also play all of your existing Blu-ray Discs and most Ultra HD Blu-ray players will also play DVDs.
Samsung Blu-Ray flat screen
Q: I have been told that the following list of manufacturers are embracing the association’s standards:
- LG: UP970 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player with HDR Compatibility
- Samsung: 65” Class Q9F QLED 4K TV
- Samsung: UBD-M8500 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
- Panasonic: Native 4K Blu-ray Cinema Quality Player with 4K Upscaling, 4K Streaming & Built-in Wi-Fi – DMP-UB900
Have other manufacturers gotten onboard since September?
A: In addition to the manufactures you have listed, the following manufacturers also embrace the standards: Sony, Philips, OPPO, Microsoft, and Cambridge Audio (U.K. only).
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