Blu-Ray Players 2011: Samsung and Sharp Offer Exciting New Features
Samsung and Sharp have always been at the forefront of making innovative and exciting designs for their Blu-ray players. It brings us the world’s slimmest player in the Samsung BD-P4600 and the Sharps BDHP90U, which can be wall mounted or displayed vertically. The 2011 lineup continues this tradition and is highlighted by some standout products with features like 3D, 2D to 3D conversion, One Foot Connection and anti-vibration chassis.
Samsung- Samsung is making no less than seven new models for 2011: BD-D7500, BD-D7000, BD-D6700, BD-D6500, BD-D5700, BD-D5500, BD-D5300, the flagship model and winner of the Best of 2011 Awards to innovation at CES is the BD-D7500 from Samsung. Even slimmer than the BD-P4600, it’s just 0.9 inches deep. But this neat little 3D player isn’t just about looks, it’s packed with great features like converting 2D images to 3D images. It has built-in Wi-Fi, Ultra Fast Play (3-second boot time), DLNA certification, and online streaming services that provide movies, music, photos, and social media.
Building on the successful Samsung apps from last year, Samsung is launching Smart Blu-ray. A new application interface will provide the user with many easy-to-use services. This new Smart Hub will include the ability to search for online content for your TV, the Your Video feature will allow you to watch and preview video that was recommended to you based on your viewing history. And of course you have access to apps from Samsung, which now has over 200 downloadable apps in the US. Samsung apps provide us with a wide range of free and paid services that will give you countless hours entertainment, be it sports, movies. , TV shows, music or social networks.
Samsung also introduces the One Foot Connection feature. When the blu-ray is paired with a Samsung wireless router, the setup process is a breeze and hassle-free. Place the Blu-ray player within a foot of the wireless router that will establish a connection. Once connected, the player can now be placed anywhere within your home and will maintain your connection.
Prices for new Samsung players range from $150.00 to $200.00 for basic players (BD-D5300, BD-D5500, BDD-5700). $230.00 to $300.00 for mid-range players (BD-D6500, BD-D6700). And $350.00 for the BD-D7500.
Sharp- Sharp Electronics Corporation announced three new players at CES 2011 in Las Vegas. All three players, the BD-HP75U ($329.99), BD-HP35U ($299.99) and BD-HP25U ($249.99) are 3D and Wi-Fi capable. However, if you wish to have a wireless connection with the BD-HO25U, you will need to purchase a USB dongle, which is not included. All players offer 1080p/24fps video playback, Super Picture DVD Up-Scaling, DLNA, support for Dolby TrueHD with 7.1-channel lossless audio playback and DTS-HD Master Audio, and access to streaming content such as Netflix, VUDU, YouTube and Pandora. Plus, as with all Sharp devices, you get its great AQUOS LINK™ Function and AQUOS PURE MODE, which provides optimal picture and sound when paired with other Sharp devices.