Samsung’s UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Earns UHD Alliance Premium Certification

Samsung Electronics announced today that its UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player has been certified as ‘UHD Premium’ by the UHD Alliance (UHDA). Now a part of Samsung’s total UHD ecosystem, the UBD-K8500 joins the 2016 Samsung SUHD TV lineup in UHDA Premium Certifications.

Samsung’s recently released HDR-compatible UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player offers four times the resolution and 64 times higher color expression than conventional Blu-ray players. When paired with Samsung SUHD TV’s Quantum Dot Display, the UBD-K8500 delivers a level of picture quality never before seen in the home. Its built-in upscaling technology enhances the picture quality from standard Blu-ray discs and DVDs.

The UBD-K8500 was tested to see if it could precisely read all of the information on a Blu-ray disc, which also bears the UHDA Premium logo, and reproduce what exactly is needed to meet true premium UHD picture quality. Moving forward, ULTRA HD PREMIUM logo from the UHDA will be included on all Samsung Ultra Blu-ray players to help consumers easily identify premium technologies and choose products with confidence.

“We are thrilled that the Samsung UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player has received the Premium Certification from the UHDA, and even more thrilled to offer our consumers a complete premium UHD home entertainment experience through the Samsung Ultra HD Blu-ray player and the 2016 SUHD TV lineup” said John JY KIM, Vice President of AV Product Marketing Group at Samsung. “Thanks to the industry’s continued focus on growing the UHD ecosystem to the fullest, consumers can expect more premium options with the best picture quality available – all at the comfort of their homes.”

As a trusted authority in UHD picture quality, the UHDA Premium Certification is designed to help consumers identify televisions, content and now playback devices that are capable of delivering a premium viewing experience at home. The certification is reserved for products, content and services that align with the rigorous performance metrics set by the UHDA for resolution, high dynamic range, peak luminance, black levels and wide color gamut.

The UHDA’s Premium Certification was adopted to TV products and UHD contents, but has now expanded to include Ultra HD Blu-ray players. Inclusion in this prestigious certification marks a meaningful step forward for Ultra HD Blu-ray players as it insures exacting video specifications are met to insure the players video output signal maintains artistic intent.

About the UHD Alliance

The UHDA is an organization dedicated to fostering the UHD ecosystem and promoting the benefits of UHD entertainment technology. The group announced the quality criteria for HDR, across displays, content and distribution methods. These specifications were developed through the collaborative efforts of leading film studios, consumer electronics manufacturers, content distributors and technology companies, with significant input from consumer surveys.

For more information on the UHDA’s standards and specifications, please visit www.uhdalliance.org.