Sharp's BD-HP50U Blu-ray Disc player with profile 1.1 support

Sharp already outed the BD-HP50U Blu-ray Disc player during the Sharp press event. Now the details. BD-ROM profile 1.1 support for all that crazy (and often useless) PIP you can stomach, HDMI 1.3 digital output at 24fps, x.c.Color, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD 7.1 channel audio with Lip Sync tech to automatically adjust audio and video processing times. Yours in May for $700. Really Sharp, $700?

[stephenbratz2 @ Jan 6th 2008 5:00PM]

Seriously, are you that surprised it is $700? Welcome to the Blu-ray pricing scheme - pricing all but the rich out of the market. I know, I know, Warner told me it is good for the consumer, so it must be true.

[chris @ Jan 18th 2008 7:38PM]

High price comes with a new model

[John @ Jan 6th 2008 5:02PM]

$700 !!! I guess now since Bluray has claimed victory over HDDVD they can go back to high prices.

[Shmoe @ Jan 6th 2008 6:10PM]

Let's just pray MS does the smart thing and ups Warner's payoff to $750,000 or $1 billion.

[Shmoe @ Jan 6th 2008 6:10PM]

Let's just pray MS does the smart thing and ups Warner's payoff to $750,000 or $1 billion.

[Wwhat @ Jan 6th 2008 5:54PM]

I just hope I never get a blu-ray player, ever.

[Shmoe @ Jan 6th 2008 6:07PM]

Gotta love those Blu-Ray fanboys. We can all sit back and enjoy the HD content now at an affordable price. I'm sure despite a recession and gasoline above $3 per gallon that all consumers will rush out to spend $700 for HD content on a disc when they could have the same for far less with HD-DVD.

[Shmoe @ Jan 6th 2008 6:08PM]

Plus, you gotta love the extra layer of user-friendly DRM that Blu-ray offers.

[pquistgard @ Jan 6th 2008 6:49PM]

Ok, I guess you could call me a blu-ray fan-boy, but one look at that crap-looking thing, and then the price, and only one word comes to mind: Early-gen. And sure, you can try to convince people that this player is indicative of all BD players out there, but I'm afraid that's not true.

Do you THINK Sharp are trying to compete with the PS3 for price and features as a BD player? I don't think so. Yes, HD-DVD fully developed quicker than BD, but what does it matter when mass-adoption hasn't begun in earnest yet? We're still early in the game. 2008 is the year where BD will finally get to maturity, and its 2.0 spec completes its sheer superiority as a format over HD-DVD.

The first profile 2.0 player just got announced. Expect a PS3 update to match soon after.

Stop winging guys. Just get over it and adopt Blu-ray at your leisure over the year of 2008, as players get cheaper and 2.0 comes to fruition.

[MegaZone @ Jan 6th 2008 10:15PM]

Of for christ's sake people, this is *one* player, and it is overpriced. Philips announced the BDP7200 which seems to have similar features for an MSRP of $349! Samsung's BD-P1500 is $399. Don't be so quick to claim BD prices are going up or such BS. This is Sharp being stupid with their pricing - if they don't drop it before release it isn't going to sell well when better players are cheaper.

[Sam Winter @ Jan 12th 2008 9:44PM]

All you idiots know you can already get sub $300 BD players. This is a highend player just as HD-DVD had highend players. Once HD-DVD admits defeat, volume will increase dramatically and drive prices down. Especially when the chinese players make it across the pond.. $200 BD players will be here 2-3 months after BD is declared the winner! mark my words...