Samsung Touts Next-Gen 4K UHD Blu-ray Player, Gear VR Sales

5 Jan, 2017 By: Stephanie Prange

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LAS VEGAS — Samsung executives hailed the growth of 4K UHD Blu-ray disc and player sales, touting the company’s next-gen player for 2017, at a Jan. 4 CES show press conference.

“At CES last year we introduced the first 4K UHD Blu-ray player to the U.S.,” said Joseph Stinziano, EVP of Samsung Electronics America.

“It had a super response that exceeded even our own expectations. Nearly 2 million UHD Blu-ray discs were sold in 2016, and we anticipate consumer demand for UHD Blu-ray players to grow at more than two times that in 2017.”

He touted Samsung’s next-gen UHD Blu-ray player and “consumers flocking to UHD.”

The new player allows consumers to stream titles from the player directly to their mobile devices.

Samsung executives also showed off new QLED TV models that improve picture and sound and, with thinner profiles and better design, integrate well into home décor.

New TVPlus software allows consumers to buy more-recent movies from services such as FandangoNow through the TV, adding to the already available options such as Netflix.

Tim Baxter, president and chief operating officer of Samsung Electronics America, said all Samsung TVs in 2017 will be smart TVs, building on the company’s continued success in the market.

“We remained the No. 1 TV brand in the world for the 11th year in a row,” he said.

Virtual Reality also got a big nod.

“More than 5 million Gear VR powered by Oculus provide immersive entertainment to consumers globally, and consumers have viewed over 10 million hours of video,” Baxter said.

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