Samsung expanded its lineup of Blu-ray format A/V products with the release of the new BD-P1500, the company's fourth-generation Blu-ray player. The new BD-P1500 can upconvert standard DVDs to 720p, 1080i and 1080p resolutions and offers Full HD video playback capabilities.

The player also connects to other digital devices through an HDMI 1.3 port with CEC for expanded color delivery and easy home theater control. The P1500 has BD Profile 1.1 Bonus View and is BD Live Ready. With its built-in Ethernet connection and USB input users can upgrade their BD-P1500 with the latest firmware which ensures the player remains capable of reproducing the latest and upcoming Blu-ray movies.

Audiophiles will love the BD-P1500 for going beyond standard Dolby Digital audio playback to include Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TruHD and DTS-HD High resolution (scheduled to available later this year via firmware update).

The BD-P1500 will be available in June 2008 and it expected to retail for less than $400.

Specifications

BD-P1500 Blu-ray Player

Video
- Blu-ray playback at content native HD resolution of 1080p/1080i/720p
- 1080p 24 Fs / 60 Fs
- Selectable DVD upconversion (720p/1080i/1080p)

Audio
- 2.1 channel output
- Coaxial and optical digital audio outputs
- Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD

Playable Media
- BD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD-R(V mode only), DVD-RW (V/VR mode), Audio CD, CD-R, CD-RW

Features
- HDMI 1.3 digital interface (1080p/1080i/720p)
- MPEG2, VC-1, H.264, HD JPEG decoding
- BD Java
- HDMI, Component Video, S-Video outputs
- HDMI CEC
- Ethernet port

Estimated Selling Price: TBD
Availability: June 2008

HT-AS720 5.1 Channel Receiver / Speaker System

Samsung also released today the HT-AS720 5.1 channel receiver / speaker system. This includes a fully powered subwoofer, accentuated by six satellite speakers. It gives the HT-AS720 a rumbling 650W of total output power.

The HT-AS720 is currently available.