It’s been long overdue, but it looks like desktop systems will soon be able to benefit from 4K Blu-Ray drives, as Pioneer are set to release their first consumer drives. This is great news, but the downside is that it’s only planned for release in Japan, at least for now.
With more consumers having access to 4K TVs, as well as 4K desktop monitors, the need for these drives is growing, especially for those who built HTPC systems for their home cinema. It’s frustrating that current Blu-Ray drives can’t read the discs, but with new standards in place for content protection, the chipsets most likely needed to be upgraded first to combat piracy.
There’s another catch too, you’ll need some hefty hardware to run the discs. One of the latest Core i5 or i7’s from Intel, 6GB of RAM, a 4K capable HDMI 2.0a port, and a compatible display.
Two models are expected, the BDR-S11J-BK and BDR-S11J-X models, with the BDR-S11J-X being their premium version with improved acoustic performance and better audio playback for CDs. The drives hit the market in February in Japan, but no pricing or international release details have been revealed so far.
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