Blu-ray players behind on interactivity
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 2/1/2008
FEB. 1 | Studios are promising their most elite Blu-ray Discs to date in 2008, but not all available and upcoming BD devices can playback the advanced features.
Due to a decision by the Blu-ray Disc Assn. to keep certain hardware requirements optional, there is a far-flung range of capabilities on display at retail. A number of studios’ latest and greatest titles, including the industry’s first Web-enabled BD software with Lionsgate’s War and Saw IV, require consumers to watch them on Profile 2.0 players to enjoy the touted new technology. But up to these titles’ respective Jan. 1 and Jan. 22 street dates, no available BD player was certified Profile 2.0 (a.k.a. BD-Live), with hardware that could playback the included Web-based interactivity, such as War’s online fighter game and Saw IV’s movie blog.
Below is a complete list of BD players and their capabilities.
| Brand | Model | Available | Notes |
| Philips | BDP9000 | Now | No upgrade available |
| Pioneer | BDP-95FD | Now | No upgrade available |
| Samsung | BD-P1400 | Now | No upgrade available |
| Sharp | Aquos BD-HP20U | Now | No upgrade available |
| Sony | BDP-S300 | Now | No upgrade available |
| Brand | Model | Available | Notes |
| LG | BH200 | Now | Profile 1.1 ready, firmware upgrade due in 2008 |
| Panasonic | DMP-BD30 | Now | No 2.0 upgrade available |
| Philips | BDP7200 | April | No 2.0 upgrade available |
| Samsung | BD-UP5000 | Now | Profile 1.1 ready, firmware upgrade due in February |
| Samsung | BD-P1500 | May | No 2.0 upgrade available |
| Samsung | BD-UP5500 | May | No 2.0 upgrade available |
| Sharp | Aquos BD-HP50U | May | No 2.0 upgrade available |
| Brand | Model | Available | Notes |
| Panasonic | DMP-BD50 | Spring | |
| PlayStation 3 | 40GB | Now | Profile 2.0-ready, firmware upgrade due in 2008 |
| PlayStation 3 | 80GB | Now | Profile 2.0-ready, firmware upgrade due in 2008 |
| Sony | Sapphire 3 | Summer | |
| Sony | Sapphire 4 | Summer |
