Posted Thu Dec 6, 2007 at 10:00 AM PST
Despite reports to the contrary, Samsung says its BD-UP5000 dual-format high-def disc player is shipping "as we speak," and will hit stores at a price lower than previously announced.
Rumors of a delay for the manufacturer's first dual-format player surfaced earlier this week after a listing at Amazon bumped the player's release to January 15, but a Samsung spokesman told Dealerscope on Wednesday that the player is currently shipping to stores, and that it should be on shelves by "mid-to-late December."
The spokesman added that due to "recent activities in the marketplace," the player's suggested retail price has been dropped to $799 (it was originally announced with a $1,049 price tag, but that price was reduced to $999 in early September).
As we've previously reported, Samsung will be the second manufacturer to market an dual player capable of playing HD DVD and Blu-ray discs, following the introduction of LG's BH100 in January of this year.
Samsung says its BDP-UP5000 will support both BD-Java and HDi, as well as web-enabled supplements on both formats, via an Ethernet connection. In late October, the manufacturer noted that the player will require an upcoming firmware update to actually play back Profile 1.1 discs.
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