Samsung has confirmed that its BD-UP5000 Duo HD will ship sometime before Christmas, ending speculation that it would join LG in supporting both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs in the same player. (Shot at right is current Samsung Blu-ray player, but case design should be similar.)

By doing this, the two Korean powerhouses are taking a lot of the juice away from single-format developers. I mean, come the holidays, would you rather beat up some other shopper for the last Blu-ray player or the last dual-disc player at the Best Buy?

Read on for early studio support of Samsung's bold move...

Perhaps it's no surprise to you that it was one of the format-agnostic studios, Warner Home Video, who first came forth with a pat on the back:

"We welcome Samsung's Duo HD player as another solution in the marketplace that will help reduce consumer confusion and buyer hesitancy towards HD media," said Ron Sanders, President of Warner Home Video. "This is an innovative product that can move us closer to mainstream consumer adoption of HD technologies."

Sanders did not add, "This also means you can buy a Blu-ray and HD DVD disc of every movie we release!" But you know he was thinking it. –Wilson Rothman

SAMSUNG Electronics to Release Duo Hd Player [Samsung]

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