Gizmodo: dual format

Samsung Killing Second-Gen BP-U5500 Dual Format Player Before It Sees the Light of Day

matt buchanan — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:45:31 EST

Samsung just cancelled their $599 second-gen dual format Blu-ray/HD DVD player, the BP-U5500, which was due out soonish. Looks like LG gets the dual player market for HD DVD flotsam all to its self. We bet they're thrilled. [PC World]

LG Sticking With HD DVD: Dual Format Players to Ease the Pain

matt buchanan — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:08:11 EST

Seeing ponies where Toshiba sees death, LG isn't letting go of HD DVD just yet. They're going to keep popping out dual format HD DVD/Blu-ray players (launching new ones even), scraping up the remaining dregs of HD DVD and easing HD DVD adopters' transition into this brave new Blu world. It might seem like they missed the memo, but if you ask who's crying now, it's not anyone with a dual format player.

"LG believes that at this present moment in time, it is necessary to provide a player which supports both formats and therefore create simplicity and convenience for the existing HD DVD consumer."
"With the recent announcement from Toshiba, Blu-Ray will now be the format that will pave the way for high definition movies, however this does not rule out HD DVD immediately as there are still a number of consumers who have chosen HD DVD and begun to build a HD DVD collection."

"Overall LG is still excited about the future of this market, LG has always set out to lead high definition players and will continue to do so with more technology evolutions and hybrids which will launch in due course."

[Pocket-Lint]

Prediction: HD DVD Not Dead, Toshiba Will Produce Dual Format HD Players

matt buchanan — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 21:54:30 EST

We snagged a second with Wolfgang Schlichting, IDC's research director for removable storage, to ask what the picture looks like for HD DVD. His thoughts? HD DVD isn't dead yet. Toshiba will probably produce dual format players (Blu-ray and HD DVD) and differentiate with HD DVD-only on the low-end. The key is for them to stay strong through the next year. One of the most insightful predictions we've heard about the format war since the Warner defection.

LG HD-DVD/Blu-Ray Player: Leaked for Purchase Now

Mark Wilson — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 15:40:28 EST

We just got tipped off that Best Buy now has the LG Blu-ray HD-DVD Combo Player available for order online, despite its Feb 4th release date.

Despite subsequent controversy around the unit, many saw LG's combo player as THE announcement of CES2007. While its $1,200 price tag means that grandma and grandpa won't be upgrading any time soon, at least some company has taken the initiative to produce the product we've all been waiting for since the next-gen DVD wars began.

–Mark Wilson

Order Page
Thanks Jose!

LG Dual-Format Player Coming, Just Without an HD DVD Logo

Adam Frucci — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 10:36:21 EST

While it looked for a minute there like the DVD Forum people (the dudes behind HD DVD standards) were about to piss all over LG's dual-format campfire, all they ended up being able to do was keep the HD DVD logo off the new player. Their beef was with the player's lack of support for HDi, meaning you can watch an HD DVD straight through but don't get access to the fancy menus and such.

The LG BH100 will still be released on or around February 4th for $1,200, so you can still go drop an exorbitant amount of money on a product that will only have cheaper and better versions of itself released in the coming months. Saints be praised! –Adam Frucci

LG: No HD DVD logo on combo player [Crave]

Dreams Do Come True! LG's Makes World's First Blu-ray/HD DVD Dual-Format Player

Jason Chen — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 21:53:45 EST

The day we've dreamed of has finally come. No, our parents aren't getting un-divorced, nor is Timmy coming back from that "dog farm" he got sent to—LG's just announced the world's first dual-format Blu-ray/HD DVD player to be unveiled at CES. Launch? Some time in early 2007.

We cannot wait!

LG Electronics (LG), a leader in consumer electronics and mobile communicati ons, announced that it will launch the world's first dual-format high-definition disc player, capable of playing both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD content. The unit will be released in the United States in early 2007. Details will be provided at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held January 8-11 in Las Vegas.

LG expects this technological breakthrough to end the confusion and inconvenience of competing high-definition disc formats for both content producers and consumers.

– Jason Chen

NEC, Trying to Call a Cease-Fire in Absurd HD Disc Format War, Creates Bi Chips

Charlie White — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 13:49:31 EDT

NEC announced plans to ship a pair of chips that will make it easy to read Blu-ray discs and HD DVDs on the same player. The processors will reportedly cost the same as single format chips do today, and NEC vows to ship 300,000 of these bi-lingual parts by next April. To whom it will ship these chips, the company didn't say.

As the competing BD companies hold their breath until they turn blue in this idiotic format war, perhaps astute consumers will stay away in droves. Meanwhile, the stubborn contestants will hear the sound of crickets and see a tumbleweed blowing by, whining, "Okay, okay NEC. Maybe we should have a look at those chips, mkay?" By then, it'll be too little, too late. Pathetic. – Charlie White

NEC moves toward a Blu-Ray-HD-DVD combo [Akihabara News, via CrunchGear]