http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/06/samsung-intros-bd-p1500-blu-ray-player-bd-up5500-combo-player/

Edit: some more info: http://gizmodo.com/341077/samsung-bp+u5500-599-hybrid-blu-and-hd-dvd-dual-player

This is a very nice unit. The price is also fantastic - 100$ less than the player I currently want for BRD-only. That also means certain places will most certainly have it for cheaper. It would be nice to finally have one player for them ALL. I'll have to read more once upconversion reports come out and such.

Thanks for the link!

Well, assuming Samsung actually still releases this, looks like I might have my sights set on my next player. I would expect the MSRPs on both these models to drop before release time. Throw in typical online discounts and I bet the duo player will be easily available in the $400s. Assuming they release of course...

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if this thing never sees a store shelf. Samsung is great at announcing products and then later never making them and with WB's move we will have to wait and see.

Amazing, people are still trying to get a hold of a 5000 and then here comes the 5500 in a few months and it'll be CHEAPER to boot. I'm glad I gave up on the 5000 for the XA2 and a PS3 I was planning on getting anyway. Hopefully there will be a solid combo player in a year or so when I'll want to trade in my XA2.

wow i just cancelled my order for the 5000. no way i'm paying 800 for a player that has many quirks and is more expensive than this new combo player coming out. also looks like hd dvd is pretty much dead so no point in getting dual format now. unless you got a really huge hd dvd library.

5500 in May:rolleyes:

They can't even get the 5000 out. If the 5500 is anything like the 5000....well, see sig

I was waiting on the 5000 to get the firmware upgrade but something tells me this 5500
won't have the analog outs. I really could not tell from the engadget atricle.
I need the analog outs and the internal dts hd ma decoding. Like everyone else I have hd dvd and I am in the market for a dual format player since we want have any new players in the future from toshiba. Shame but I really want my high def movies.

It makes no sense at all that anyone would pay 799 for a player whose performance and functionality has been quirky at best given the announcements (WB & Samsung). It would be surprising if HDDVDs and HDDVD players do not sit on the shelves gathering dust for months to come. I will not buy another HDDVD (rent only)and will definitely wait to see how this plays out. I was going to buy the 5000 but I do not see the logic in that now.

It's official...my 5000 is being boxed up tonight to go back tomorrow!

This may be a good or bad news for us, the 5k owners.

If the 5500 is the same as (or better than) the 5000, then the lower price does not make sense at all given Samsung cannot meet demand for the 5000 at the current price level of $799.

If the 5500 is a scaled down veriosn of the 5000, then it may be a good news for everyone. Some people who do not need the analog outs or the advanced upscaling will not have to pay for these features.

If both players 5X00 have mostly the same firmware, then Samsung will have more insentive to get things right.

I hope someone will have the chance to corner Samsung reps at CES on that one too.

It's official...my 5000 is being boxed up tonight to go back tomorrow!

Yep. You'd think they'd announce a firmware fix prior to announcing a new unit. This is certainly true to Samsung form: fixes are by upgrade rather than firmware.

I'm going to return it and continue to watch my HD DVDs on my faithful A3 until someone gets something right.

Analog outs are expensive for the players something tells me this will be a hdmi only high def audio support. I hope the 5000 gets the firmware update I will pay the extra for that feature, it is still cheaper than a new hdmi receiver currently.

This may be a good or bad news for us, the 5k owners.

If the 5500 is the same as (or better than) the 5000, then the lower price does not make sense at all given Samsung cannot meet demand for the 5000 at the current price level of $799.

If the 5500 is a scaled down veriosn of the 5000, then it may be a good news for everyone. Some people who do not need the analog outs or the advanced upscaling will not have to pay for these features.

If both players 5X00 have mostly the same firmware, then Samsung will have more insentive to get things right.

I hope someone will have the chance to corner Samsung reps at CES on that one too.

A little bit more info.... http://gizmodo.com/341077/samsung-bp+u5500-599-hybrid-blu-and-hd-dvd-dual-player

Should be interesting to hear more about this player and seeing if the 5000 gets its fixes. I know my 1200 sure is not getting fixed quickly.

I suspect they are giving up the Reon chip for upconversion--just like the 1400 gave it up as the replacement for the 1200. Too bad, if true.

What can the 5500 do that the 5000 cannot? It seems suicidal to me that Samsung is pre-announcing a low-priced replacement for the 5000. I must be missing something:confused:

EDIT: OK. Sounds like the 5500 is a 5000 sans Reon processor

This is just what I've been looking for. A player that can handle both formats, has an ethernet, can handle all the new audio codecs (even if it decodes internally, fine with me) and will be under $600.

I can then have one device in my rack that outperforms both the PS3 and HD-D2. And at retail prices, probably cheaper. I'll probably keep the PS3 and HD-D2, but relegate them out of the theater room. Also will free up more rack space to store my HD Media :)

I'm keeping a close eye on this one.

OK, the 5500 is slimmer - to me this would mean something is lass - feature or quality......

I learned from all recent Samsung players to read reviews before purchasing. How are we supposed to trust this is going to work well out of the box, or be available on time, or be upgraded with firmware in a timely manner based on current experiences with the 1400 and 5000???

Unless I'm missing something this sounds just like the BD30...

"For a true, cinema-quality experience at home, the BD-UP5500 supports the latest audio decoding. With 7.1-Ch PCM, DTS-HD High Resolution and Master audio, and Dolby TrueHD Bistream output via HDMI 1.3, the BD-UP5500 accurately reproduces every delicate nuance with lifelike precision"

This would only be a good fit for someone WITH an HDMI 1.3a AVR. I do have a 1.3 processor but I really hope this means that enable bitstream on the 5000 and it's announced ASAP.

No mention of analog outs. That is the difference in price. If they fix the firmware on the 5000 that is the one I will get, I don't want to buy a new avr.

Can someone at CES find out if the 5500 will also use the Broadcom 7440 chip?

No mention of analog outs. That is the difference in price. If they fix the firmware on the 5000 that is the one I will get, I don't want to buy a new avr.


No HQV video processing either. That explains the difference. Other than that, I hope it is based on the same chipset and will share mostly the same firmware. In that case, the 5000 will be supported as good as the 5500.

The BD-UP5000 would have been down to $600 by May, so I wonder how the 5500 will affect the price of 5000's still on the market when the 5500 begins shipping.

The BD-UP5000 would have been down to $600 by May, so I wonder how the 5500 will affect the price of 5000's still on the market when the 5500 begins shipping.

I would assume the street price of the 5500 (come May or whenver they release it) will be 399. Remember, the MSRP of the 5000 was 999 before it hit the street at 799.. then 749. I can see a $599 price of the 5000 by October.

A $200 delta for the HQV and possibly 7.1 audio (don't know if the 5500 has it) may be worth it to some people.

Am I the only one reading this as no onboard HD decoding?

Am I the only one reading this as no onboard HD decoding?

It may, but it may only send them via HDMI.

There is no mention of analog out (not that the 5000's speaker settings are good in any way right now), or the HQV.

In the gizmodo article, it says both decode and bitstream.

Am I the only one reading this as no onboard HD decoding?

From Cnet's writeup on the 5500:

"Soundtrack support is solid, with onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, plus the ability output high resolution audio in bitstream format."

So it looks like it will indeed be doing onboard HD audio decoding and passing them out via bitstream.

Lack of Reon HQV, not cool though.

CNet quick write up on Samsung 5500 (http://ces.cnet.com/8301-13855_1-9841162-67.html?tag=more)

If this does 1080p/24 for both formats and has HBR out for external decoding i will buy this asap!!

Perfect for HD DVD supporters who are being forced BD.

From Cnet's writeup on the 5500:

"Soundtrack support is solid, with onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, plus the ability output high resolution audio in bitstream format."

So it looks like it will indeed be doing onboard HD audio decoding and passing them out via bitstream.

Lack of Reon HQV, not cool though.

CNet quick write up on Samsung 5500 (http://ces.cnet.com/8301-13855_1-9841162-67.html?tag=more)

Thanks the gizmode blurb didn't mention onboard decoding. I guess some genius in at Samsung decided they can take out the Reon save $300 in production costs and sell these with $100 more profit. Honestly, it probably is a good move for Samsung, and the vast majority of buyers not on AVS. Nowadays you can buy $99 upscaling DVD players and most people have never heard of Reon.

Anywho, Samsung please fix the audio issues on my 5000 and I'm a happy camper!

does the REON HQV chip only affect standard def. dvd's or does it also affect the PQ for BR and HD?

I'll wait for the 5550 unit... or perhaps the 5555 which will be announced 6 months later and will reportedly offer the new IAWWYBI.NNFMU chip. :cool:

(It actually works when you but it. No need for multiple updates.)

like i said before....there is a certain tact sharpness with the 5000 that i haven't seen with the other units, other than the 1200. the upconversion on standard dvd's is awesome. furthermore, i've read a few posts from people that say that the picture on the sammy 5000 is sharper than they have experienced on their panny bd30's.

there is a certain tact sharpness with the 5000 that i haven't seen with the other units, other than the 1200. the upconversion on standard dvd's is awesome.

Yup, so far my 5000 is great. It is VERY clear that the 5500 is just a downgraded cheaper model so if the stuff they take out is not important to you, go for it. If it is, buy the 5000. That is pretty simple.

OTOH, if the other studios jump to Blu-Ray, forget the whole thing and by a Panny. Although this would be the smart thing for the studios to do, when is the last time all the studios did the smart thing?!

Nope, the format war will drag on, and on, and on, despite what consumers want or even what is good for the studios. So there will be a place for combo players for a couple years yet and after that if you bought any HD-DVDs (thank heavens I only rent them, not buy them).

5500 in May:rolleyes:

They can't even get the 5000 out. If the 5500 is anything like the 5000....well, see sigMaybe the 5500 is really a 5000 with a different skin? :D

From Cnet's writeup on the 5500:

"Soundtrack support is solid, with onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, plus the ability output high resolution audio in bitstream format."

So it looks like it will indeed be doing onboard HD audio decoding and passing them out via bitstream.

Lack of Reon HQV, not cool though.

CNet quick write up on Samsung 5500 (http://ces.cnet.com/8301-13855_1-9841162-67.html?tag=more)


I'm still catching up on all of this but would it matter to me if I had the Reon on the 5000 or wait (if it is released) for the 5500 and use my Onkyo 875 onboard Reon and sound processing to do the work and save a couple hundred bucks on the 5500?

5500 in May:rolleyes:

They can't even get the 5000 out. If the 5500 is anything like the 5000....well, see sig
My feelings exactly, Mr. Good Cat. Returned the 5000. Very happy I did...thanks to your prodding. BD30 and A35 owner now. Great combo with my Integra 9.8.

It's official...my 5000 is being boxed up tonight to go back tomorrow!

same here, im gonna go box mine up and drop it off at BB this evening

How about a 7000 from Sammy. Decodes all audio, bitstreams all audio, analog outs all audio. Has the Realta chip and plays SACD and DVD-A. The ethernet connection would be gigabit.

The next product could be the 9000 which would have all of the above with HD DVD and Blu Ray writers.

The cream of the crop 12000 would have all of the above and a superb 7 channel amplifier with sub pre out.

If this dually is released and has full HD-DVD capabilities, then it might be the standalone i've been looking for.The only drawback is only BR profile 1.1 compatible.Profile 2.0 is supposed to launch slightly before or about the same time as the players are.

So, when will we see this at our local stores?

So, when will we see this at our local stores?

2 articles have 2 different dates. One said May, and the other said 2H08.

A best guess would be in the Sept. - Oct. time frame. If you are an optimist, then a July street date, maybe?

I waited a while for the 5000 to hit the stores.

I waited a while for the 5000 to hit the stores.

Yeah, I think the 5000 took at least 8 months to be released since it was announced. I think the announcement was back in March or April and it barely made it by the end of the year. Moral of the story is don't be too optimistic about this thing being available anytime soon.

5500 in May:rolleyes:

They can't even get the 5000 out. If the 5500 is anything like the 5000....well, see sig

You have to wonder what the odds are that the new ones will be able to do the advanced audio codecs properly. I can't say I have much faith in Samsung these days.

Heck, I'm just trying to find a 5000. No one has them! I wanted the Reon and analog audio outs. I'm not willing to wait another 6-8 months for a player that might be delayed even further and skimp on the features.

However, as others have said, this new model is still great news! I expect Samsung will have firmware compatibility just like Toshiba does with the A3/A30/A35.

How about a 7000 from Sammy. Decodes all audio, bitstreams all audio, analog outs all audio. Has the Realta chip and plays SACD and DVD-A. The ethernet connection would be gigabit.


how about denon releases this by next christmas so i can replace my 3910, xbox add-on, and the ps3 i'm going to buy? :D

Could somebody please explain to me if I were to get this 5500 player will my onkyo tx rs803 be able to decode everything that this 5500 can offer? I am trying my best ti understand all this master audio dts decoding and i am just lost. My reciever does have hdmi but it doesen't have the 1.3. Now you guys mentioned that the 5500 doesen't have analog audio. I don't know what that is. Will my receiver work with this machine. I appologize for my ignorance, but I am struggling to try and keep up with all of you electronic majors. Thanks a million

Could somebody please explain to me if I were to get this 5500 player will my onkyo tx rs803 be able to decode everything that this 5500 can offer? I am trying my best ti understand all this master audio dts decoding and i am just lost. My reciever does have hdmi but it doesen't have the 1.3. Now you guys mentioned that the 5500 doesen't have analog audio. I don't know what that is. Will my receiver work with this machine. I appologize for my ignorance, but I am struggling to try and keep up with all of you electronic majors. Thanks a million

There is honestly not enough information to determine that at this point.

Could somebody please explain to me if I were to get this 5500 player will my onkyo tx rs803 be able to decode everything that this 5500 can offer? I am trying my best ti understand all this master audio dts decoding and i am just lost. My reciever does have hdmi but it doesen't have the 1.3. Now you guys mentioned that the 5500 doesen't have analog audio. I don't know what that is. Will my receiver work with this machine. I appologize for my ignorance, but I am struggling to try and keep up with all of you electronic majors. Thanks a million

If the Sammy can decode the HD audio formats in the unit and send it PCM and if your receiver can accept the PCM audio over HDMI, it should work.

I'm not real familiar with the 803 (even though my cousin owned one before upgrading to his 805) and the specs on the 5500 are still in question.

does this mean it would pass DTS HD and MA and Dolby True HD out of the optical link?

:confused:

does this mean it would pass DTS HD and MA and Dolby True HD out of the optical link?

:confused:

No, nothing will pass these codecs out of the optical or coax outputs. They will only be passed via HDMI, if at all.

doesn't it just piss you off that samsung barely just released their "top of the line player" and already their is a sucessor (not really, but anyways) and they KNOW it has problems. is it that much cheaper for them to release a new machine instead of hiring someone to make some firmware updates to actually make their current players work as advertised? i really think their should be some law made that prosecutes for false advertising. samsung originally said the 5000 would do internal decoding, then just before release said it would do it by FUTURE firmware. now the 5500 says the same thing. i am willing to bet both of my n**s that the 5500 will NOT internally decode dts-ma, etc upon release. sorry, but samsung (along with many others) doesn't give a rats a$$ about customers.

i guess their motto is "let's be the first to develop something so everyone buys it.... who cares if it doesn't work as advertised."
i would love to see toshiba develop a combo player that will have samsung wipe its a$$.

I must be missing something. Is this correct?

5000 - Reon but does not have TrueHD or DTS HDMA internal decoding
5500 - no Reon but has TrueHD or DTS HDMA internal decoding

Seems kinda strange to me. If true, I would definitely go with
the 5500 as a need the internal decoding - but not the Reon
DVD processing.

I believe the message is that when 5500 becomes available, it will be able to handle DTS MA and TruHD (pass the streams or decode to 7.1 PCM, it has no 7.1 analog outs). I highly doubt 5500 can do it now, unless they use some mocked up beta FW version. the one that will eventually be released for the 5000 and installed on the new 5500.

I must be missing something. Is this correct?

5000 - Reon but does not have TrueHD or DTS HDMA internal decoding
5500 - no Reon but has TrueHD or DTS HDMA internal decoding

Seems kinda strange to me. If true, I would definitely go with
the 5500 as a need the internal decoding - but not the Reon
DVD processing.


I would say

5000 - Reon but does not have TrueHD or DTS HDMA internal decoding-right now
5500 - no Reon but has TrueHD or DTS HDMA internal decoding, no multi-channel analog

I know this is the dual format forum, but Samsung also annouced the 1500

he BD-P1500 will also feature bitstream audio output of 7.1 PCM, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution and Master Audio via HDMI.

Due this June, the BD-P1500 is expected to retail for $399.

I would say
he BD-P1500 will also feature bitstream audio output of 7.1 PCM, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution and Master Audio via HDMI.

Due this June, the BD-P1500 is expected to retail for $399.

The BD-P1500 is BD only.

The BD-P1500 is BD only.

I know that's why I said

"I know this is the dual format forum, but Samsung also annouced the 1500"

In light of the WB announcement it seemed relevant

like i said before....there is a certain tact sharpness with the 5000 that i haven't seen with the other units, other than the 1200. the upconversion on standard dvd's is awesome. furthermore, i've read a few posts from people that say that the picture on the sammy 5000 is sharper than they have experienced on their panny bd30's.
Is it as sharp or sharper than an XA-2 (or a A-35, for that matter)?
Thanks.

Why would you need a Reon HQV chip if you're going to be playing HD-DVD and BD discs? Maybe I'm missing something, but I honestly don't see the fuss over the Reon chip unless you're going to stick with your standard DVD's. And in that case, just get an Oppo upconverting DVD player.

Why would you need a Reon HQV chip if you're going to be playing HD-DVD and BD discs? Maybe I'm missing something, but I honestly don't see the fuss over the Reon chip unless you're going to stick with your standard DVD's. And in that case, just get an Oppo upconverting DVD player.
Simple. A lot of people want one player that does everything. And it will be a long, long time before some of those DVD titles are on Blu-ray. Also, if you are really into HD you probably have a TV that benefits from a decent DVD player.

I must be missing something. Is this correct?

5000 - Reon but does not have TrueHD or DTS HDMA internal decoding
5500 - no Reon but has TrueHD or DTS HDMA internal decoding

Seems kinda strange to me. If true, I would definitely go with
the 5500 as a need the internal decoding - but not the Reon
DVD processing.
Man, it's always something. I want/need both the great upconversion of my SD collection from the 5000, and also internal decoding of the new audio formats from the 5500. What an unfortunate scenario.

Why would you need a Reon HQV chip if you're going to be playing HD-DVD and BD discs? Maybe I'm missing something, but I honestly don't see the fuss over the Reon chip unless you're going to stick with your standard DVD's. And in that case, just get an Oppo upconverting DVD player.

For those us us that have a decent amount of SD DVDs the Reon is essential to watching the DVDs that are not on either of the formats. I have a decent amount of Discs and really I want to watch them in the best available way.

The whole point of having a new player is so that we dont have to rely on more equipment. I for one am trying to have less not more machines. Adding an Oppo means another 1-200$ and another HDMI connection, and another place on your rack\stand\ect. When space gets to be a premium less is sometimes more.

How about a 7000 from Sammy. Would you settle for a Samsung BD-UP6500

http://asia.cnet.com/crave/2008/01/08/samsung-s-upcoming-duo-hd-player-to-feature-hqv-/

DISCLAIMER: I can find no mention of this player anywhere other than this. Thus there is no confirmation of the above story. Skepticism meter turned on full. :rolleyes:

Would you settle for a Samsung BD-UP6500

http://asia.cnet.com/crave/2008/01/08/samsung-s-upcoming-duo-hd-player-to-feature-hqv-/

DISCLAIMER: I can find no mention of this player anywhere. Thus there is no confirmation of the above story. Skepticism meter turned on full. :rolleyes:

This is mentioned in the 5k owners thread. Ironically enough the 6500 is claimed to do everything the 5k was supposed to do.

Yes but the gentleman who mentioned it is quoting the same source, CNET Asia, so there is still no confirmation of the story. Also, as mentioned above, a lot can happen between now, and a year from now. This player may, indeed, see the light of day (I hope so). On the other hand, it may not. IMHO, it's much too early to count on it at this point.

I'm still catching up on all of this but would it matter to me if I had the Reon on the 5000 or wait (if it is released) for the 5500 and use my Onkyo 875 onboard Reon and sound processing to do the work and save a couple hundred bucks on the 5500?

I also own the Onkyo 875 so, while at CES, I spoke with the Samsung rep who was covering the 5500 at the booth. The unit definitely will not have the HQV Reon processor (which you and I shouldn't care because we already have it and why pay for it twice.) It does not have analog outputs. It will have onboard decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTSHD but can also bitstream the signal via HDMI without decoding to your 875 for processing (ala Toshiba XA2 or HD-A35). He confirmed the list price of $599 and stated that the unit was scheduled for release in May 2008. If all this stuff works, it seems like it could be a nice match for the 875. Frankly, with all of the issues that newly released players seem to have these days, even if it does hit the shelves in May, I'll probably wait a few months to decide whether to purchase while I follow the threads that will inevitably emerge in this forum.

What's the BIG improvement the 5500 can make over the previous combos?
That is: PQ, access to content, audio formats, that kind of stuff...

I don't think analog outs are the answer, most would/should use digital.
REON, isn't a BIG deal, cause pre/pro's & display's have it.
Sure a price drop would be nice, butt considering you get "two" HD players for <$600US that's not bad.
Just what quality/feature will be missing from this unit, that would make one decide two separate HD format players are the way too go?
Thanks.

What's the BIG improvement the 5500 can make over the previous combos?
That is: PQ, access to content, audio formats, that kind of stuff...

I don't think analog outs are the answer, most would/should use digital.
REON, isn't a BIG deal, cause pre/pro's & display's have it.
Sure a price drop would be nice, butt considering you get "two" HD players for <$600US that's not bad.
Just what quality/feature will be missing from this unit, that would make one decide two separate HD format players are the way too go?
Thanks.

How about being able to put a disc in, of any format, and not having audio/visual/lockup issues?

It's the sole reason I tossed mine for a PS3/A35/Oppo 3-1HDMI splitter.....

Seggers

How about being able to put a disc in, of any format, and not having audio/visual/lockup issues?

Seggers

Does anyone think this will be addressed properly?
I know of a lot of dissatisfied 5000 owners.
Or, are combo's a no go (nova ;) )?
Thanks.

Does anyone think this will be addressed properly?
I know of a lot of dissatisfied 5000 owners.
Or, are combo's a no go (nova ;) )?
Thanks.

We shall see. Apparently, there is a NEW firmware update soon to be released to the masses.

We shall see. Apparently, there is a NEW firmware update soon to be released to the masses.
Thanks.
And this FW update 'suppossedly' does address "all" playback problems?
Well, maybe a ray of sunshine for all the 5000 owners (those that haven't giving up & return them anyway! :p ) & us 'future' 5500 owners! ;)

Thanks.
And this FW update 'suppossedly' does address "all" playback problems?
Well, maybe a ray of sunshine for all the 5000 owners (those that haven't giving up & return them anyway! :p ) & us 'future' 5500 owners! ;)

I have no idea what it will/won't address. However, I would assume it would fix the playability issues not fixed last week. Anything else, including anything that may show up on new releases, will be just gravy.

and by "future" 5500 user, do you mean Christmas 2008? :) :p ;)

sincerely,

a 5000 user (or sucker?? We shall see)

How can you have a firmware update on a machine that has yet been released. After all, this thread is about the 5500, no?

How can you have a firmware update on a machine that has yet been released. After all, this thread is about the 5500, no?

Good point!............ but hopefully the 5500 will benefit from the firmware upgrades that are made for the 5000. My concern is that the 5500 will never see the light of day. Even though a Samsung rep at CES told me that it will release in May (see my post #68 above), I think it is unlikely that Samsung will be willing to incur the considerable expense to manufacture and market this product if demand for HD DVD dissolves over the next few months. Because of the similarity to the 5000, they may have invested a relatively modest amount of time and money on design and prototype efforts up to this point.

Thanks.
And this FW update 'suppossedly' does address "all" playback problems?
Well, maybe a ray of sunshine for all the 5000 owners (those that haven't giving up & return them anyway! :p ) & us 'future' 5500 owners! ;)

BIG ED,

I dont think in the near future you are going to have a player that plays ALL titles flawlessly. There are always going to be those discs that cause issues until the discs that are being produced are more or less the same. The least problematic player is the Ps3, but there are drawbacks to that as well. Problem discs are just something owners are going to have to deal with until the proccess of creating discs becomes more uniform.

This may be a good or bad news for us, the 5k owners.

If the 5500 is the same as (or better than) the 5000, then the lower price does not make sense at all given Samsung cannot meet demand for the 5000 at the current price level of $799.

If the 5500 is a scaled down veriosn of the 5000, then it may be a good news for everyone. Some people who do not need the analog outs or the advanced upscaling will not have to pay for these features.

If both players 5X00 have mostly the same firmware, then Samsung will have more insentive to get things right.

I hope someone will have the chance to corner Samsung reps at CES on that one too.

Hey all-- I didnt read the whole thread here, but was at CEs and saw all three 5500 demo units in action. The 5500 has the Blu Ray 1.1 spec and I thought the 5000 did not. There was something about , I am not sure, maybe the video processing, that makes the 5000 more expensive.

The Korean engineer for Samsung who was stationed there quietly told me SAmsung was not allowed to demonstrate HD-DVD advanced features on the 5500 at CEs ( the thing can play them all but Blu Ray players can't actually do anything like what HD-DVD does yet-- the 1.1 spec should bring Blu Ray closer however).

I would DEFINETLY wait for the 5500 and some actual user reviews.