Samsung's BD-P1000, the world's first Blu-ray disc player, and has been the focus of attention since it was launched in the US. Blu-ray promises stunning high-definition pictures and sound, plus interactivity that theoretically far surpasses what DVD can muster. Can Samsung's deck persuade us all to leave SD discs behind?
BD is a prestige format, and this is reflected in the P1000's impressive build quality and finish. The top half of the frontpanel has been endowed with a glossy paint job. Beneath this is an angled ‘slope' that sports memory-card slots for photo playback, video output selector and standby buttons. Set into both is a control disc that provides only the most basic of playback functions. For everything else, you'll need the handset.
Click to enlarge |
All the cables you'll need (HDMI, component, stereo audio and – for some reason – composite video) are in the box. There's no Scart cable, because the BD-P1000 has no Scart socket. This may restrict certain system configurations.
Beneath the lid you'll find a switch-mode power supply, the BD-ROM drive, and a densely-populated main circuit board. To decode video, whether MPEG-2, VC-1 or H.264, Samsung has plumped for Broadcom's 7411 chip. The best this can manage is 1080i – a shame, because Blu-ray can support 1080p natively. Additional silicon deinterlaces this 1080i signal, to produce the 1080p output that's only available on the HDMI port.
