BREAKING NEWS: Cambridge Audio to launch Blu-ray Disc player at CES
Here's a first glimpse of Cambridge Audio's new Azur 640BD Blu-ray Disc player, previewed at the CEDIA Expo back in September, and due to be launched at CES in Las Vegas later this week. It's expected to sell Stateside for around $999.
The 640BD is due for release in early 2009 and is designed to partner CA's new Azur 640R V2 7.1 AV receiver ($1799), also shown in the picture.
Cambridge Audio's first BD player has internal decoding for Dolby Digital EX, DTS-ES, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD surround sound.
It delivers bitstream output via HDMI 1.3a from all the latest high-definition audio formats, and comes with a full set of 7.1 analogue outputs, Ethernet, Toslink and SPDIF connections.
The 640BD will also upscale DVDs to 1080p, supports 24fps (frames-per-second) on Blu-ray discs and is Profile 2.0 compatible out of the box.
The matching Azur 640R V2 multichannel receiver uses the latest Cirrus Logic/Crystal chipset with twin 32-bit DSPs to enable full support for Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD High Resolution, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound.
Power output is 7 x 100W, and it has three HDMI inputs, video upconversion for all sources to HDMI, auto set-up and LipSync audio delay.
We'll be chasing Cambridge Audio for UK pricing on the new models just as soon as our feet hit the ground in the States, and will report back as soon as we know any more.
Comments
All Cambridge Audio wil tell us at this stage is that the UK price will be 'similar' to the US price of $999, which at the time of writing equates to around £685.
However, that could change by the time the unit goes on sale here, given the wide fluctuations in exchange rates in recent months.
Any news on UK prices?
just thought - isn't it overkill to have the hd decoding in both the amp and the player. Does CA really want you to partner these two?
At this price it has its work cut out for it.
Phew - I will be buying an AV receiver, blu-ray and speakers later this year, and have been watching the news for the CA release recently. I want a system that will be good with movies and music - but being british makes this system even more appealing for me.
Maybe its about time we had a similar blinkered view to the rest of the word in having a slight emotional bias towards our own!
I really, really hope this new kit gets cracking reviews.
Shouldn't read too much into those US prices, Doc - after all, the CA products are sold through a distributor in the States, rather than direct via a retailer as they are in the UK.
Which is why, for example, an Azur 360C CD player is £170 here and $360 there...
"The new AV receiver has triple HDMI inputs"..
I hope the US prices are calculated with a UK to exchange rate in the region of £1 to $1.50 or less!
Two hdmi out on the 640R v2 please!!!!!!