So Samsung says, "UHD 4K Standard Future Proof" on its spec sheet for the HU8550 UHD panels. What specifically does this mean...?

You get 1 HDCP 2.2-capable input; maybe more with an outboard box.

Page two of the spec sheet:

"UHD 4K Standard Future Proof
Stay current as UHD 4K standards continue to advance. Not only does
the One Connect Box* update your TV with the newest software and
features, it also makes your TV ready for any and all possible 4K formats.
With the One Connect Box, the evolution of UHD 4K will never leave
you behind.
*One Connect Box sold separately"

Page 9 of the manual:
"HDCP 2.2 is supported only by the TV's HDMI (MHL) port"

Thanks for the detail, PeterN.

So at least there appears to be one HDCP 2.2 capable input on the display natively...With the opportunity to pony up more $ if that doesn't do...

Future proof - until the future arrives and support goes away.

Just don't promise something to your customer that will not necessarily be true. Mitsubishi rear projection TVs were future proof. .NOT.

A client of mine bought a $4500 future proof Integra receiver that was card based. If technology changed, the new card could be put in to accommodate it. Until the manufacturer stopped supporting that model.

My question(s) about this follow...

Let's say you have a nice newish tv with one HDCP 2.2 input. Cool, run your 4k BD to that (when they materialize), optical out of the TV back to the receiver, under TV Audio (in the case of Marantz for example). Or would HDMI control shoot audio back to the receiver? What is the best way?

Next, how will this affect Atmos receivers. Would there have to be a 4K BD player with dual outputs, as mentioned earlier? Or, will an optical or digital coax transfer the Atmos signal to the receiver safely?

I ask because I have a client that may like the new Marantz 7702.... but I don't want to sell him something pretty expensive that will barely work in years coming...

I doubt it's going to prevent optical audio output, since it's always compressed audio and the studios are mostly paranoid about uncompressed audio.

BUT: the vast majority of TVs will not pass any audio greater than standard Dolby Digital 5.1 via optical or ARC. Second, Atmos is embedded in Dolby TrueHD, which means the only way you're going to get Atmos, or TrueHD, or DTS HD Master, or even plain DTS, is with a direct HDMI connection between the BD and the receiver.

Most people are speculating that the first generations of 4k BD players will have dual HDMI outputs; one with HDCP 2.2 for the 4K video, and another simply to pass HD audio to a receiver, since you can already do that now without HDCP 2.2.

There's going to be a HUGE established base of existing receivers that support everything needed but HDCP 2.2, so it'll be a situation like the first 5.1 audio being done via analog RCA jacks, or the first uncompressed audio over HDMI being decoded player-side and passed via LPCM instead of bitstreamed direct.

I heard North Korea doesn't like HDCP 2.2, so we may be in luck!

hahahahahahaha

Thanks Daniel!!