Retail availability of the first Blu-ray disc player in the United States is scheduled for June 25, according to an announcement last week from Samsung Electronics America.
Shipments to retailers of the BD-P1000 Blu-ray disc player have already begun. The commercial availability will come on the heels of Sony’s announced delivery of the first seven movie titles available on Blu-ray Disc.
Sony announced last week that “50 First Dates," "The Fifth Element," "Hitch" and the "House of Flying Daggers" will be available June 20 in the Blu-ray format. LionsGate Pictures is also expected to release Blu-ray content in June.
The Samsung BD-P1000 plays Blu-ray software titles at native 1080p and offers HDMI output for films digitally mastered in 1920 x 1080p. The BD-P1000 also up-converts conventional DVDs to 1080p through the HDMI digital interface.
