The first Ultra High-Def (UHD) Blu-ray Disc player to hit the market is also the first to receive premium certification from the UHD Alliance (UHDA).
Samsung’s Ultra HD Blu-ray player, the UBD-K8500, which first started hitting stores earlier this year, was given the certification May 3 by the Alliance, whose 35 member companies cover major studios, distributors and consumer electronics companies.
“We are honored that our first Ultra HD Blu-ray player, which provides the ultimate cinematic experience, has received Premium Certification from the UHDA,” said Jim Kiczek, VP of audio-visual marketing for Samsung. “As we continuously strive to bring consumers the most advanced home entertainment products and services, we look forward to furthering our work with the UHDA to incite progress and growth throughout the industry.”
The UHDA debuted the UHD Blu-ray player certification in mid-April, with players that receive the certification forced to meet performance standards for high dynamic range (HDR), resolution, wide color gamut, black levels and peak luminance. The certification means all future UBD-K8500 players that are available at retail will feature a certification logo via the UHDA.
“As the Ultra HD ecosystem continues to grow, the UHDA will continue to expand the breadth of Ultra HD Premium certified products and services to provide consumers with a single, identifying mark to seek out so they can purchase with confidence,” UHD Alliance president Hanno Basse said in April. “The certification of Ultra HD Blu-ray players is a natural first expansion, because the Ultra HD Blu-ray format was built with premium performance in mind and a growing number of 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc titles released by Hollywood also bear the Ultra HD Premium logo.”
Approximately 30 UHD TVs have already been certified under the UHDA’s program.
