4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players are coming top personal computers. Pioneer has announced the first drives to be made available for PCs, which are due out in Japan at the end of next month.
The BDR-S11J-BK and higher-end BDR-S11J-X have been confirmed for release outside of Japan yet.
The drives are likely to carry a premium pricing, but users will also need a pretty jacked-up PC to facilitate them.
PC owners will need a Windows 10 machine running the Intel Kaby Lake i5/i7 processors and at least 6GB RAM (via Myce).
There’s also the need for a 4K monitor (preferably with HDR support) with HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2 support.
Related: Ultra HD Blu-ray – Complete guide to 4K movies
Anyone wishing to use these drives will also need to install the CyberLink PowerDVD, which will ship with the drive.
While there are some standalone 4K Blu-ray players, such as Sony’s X800 machine, the most high profile machine to date is the Xbox One S console.
Microsoft included the drive in its reasonably-priced console which has enticed many AV fans to choose it over the PlayStation 4 Pro.
Given Sony’s crossover interests in 4K video, it remains a huge surprise Sony excluded this from its high-end console offering.
Should you buy a 4K TV right now? head-to-head
Will you be seeking a 4K drive for your PC? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
