LG Announces Dual Format Player

[Jeff®]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/16378308.htm

LG Electronics to sell first dual-format high-def DVD player

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - LG Electronics has announced plans to sell a DVD player that will play both warring high-definition DVD formats.
The first dual-format high-def player will play discs in the HD DVD format, which is backed by a consortium headed by Toshiba Corp., as well as the rival Blu-ray format, backed by a group led by Sony Corp.

The LG unit will be unveiled at next week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, LG said Wednesday. Details, including pricing and availability, will become available then, the company said.

The two DVD formats have been battling for market share since being introduced last year. Both are expected to get a boost this year as more studios release films in the formats and more players become available.
But the formats are incompatible, forcing consumers to choose. Studios and electronics makers have said the resulting format war would delay widespread adoption of high-def DVDs, which contain sharper images and extra features not possible with standard definition disc.

LG, based in South Korea, said it expects its dual-format player to "end the confusion and inconvenience of competing high-definition disc formats."

[dialog_gvf]

I guess we'll have to see how this goes off.

If universal players rocket off the pad, then those combined with the PS/3 will be a tough thing for the studios to ignore. Why would a few piddly 10K HD DVD-only players be a factor any more?

If they are only mildly successful, then they provide only a cheaper dual-format buy-in and do little to decide the format war.

I can't see the HD DVD fanboy dream of universal player purchases AND no BD disc purchases. That seems to be what they are counting on. People spending for a premium and then never using it.

But: How good a BD and HD DVD player could this thing be?

Gary

[SpdDmon]

A combo player is the worst thing that could happen for both formats. IMO. And this is especially bad bad for both warner and paramount. Just imagine if both formats exist the next decade. this two studios will be like oh great now we have to make two discs for every movie we make for the next 15 years.

[b2bonez]

More flies in the ointment... Warner is going to introduce a "universal" disc. "Total HD"

Another gem found by Mr. Zuber

http://news.com.com/New+disc+may+swa...3-6147053.html

Warner Bros., which helped popularize the DVD more than a decade ago, plans to announce next week a single videodisc that can play films and television programs in both Blu-ray and HD DVD, the rival DVD technologies.

Warner Bros., a division of Time Warner, plans to formally announce the new disc, which it is calling a Total HD disc, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

b2b

[PeterTHX]

I agree with Speed Demon.

This stupid move by LG (crap Lucky Goldstar, you guys know it's GOLDSTAR, right?) only muddies the waters of the format war. Combo units didn't help DVD-Audio & SACD, and they won't help now. Universal has no reason to give in.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by b2bonez

More flies in the ointment... Warner is going to introduce a "universal" disc. "Total HD"

Another gem found by Mr. Zuber

http://news.com.com/New+disc+may+swa...3-6147053.html



b2b

From the article...

WHAT THE F#*@

However, among its perceived advantages, HD-DVD players are less expensive and also play standard DVDs, while Blu-ray players do not.

God dammit! ALL Blu-ray players play DVDs! Morons!

[onyxx]

I can only imagine this as an alternative player for those early adapters who bought in to both formats and those who are planing to ascend from only owning HD DVD to also owning BD (seems like more and more HD DVD owners are doing just that).

This player will not solve anything, it will only help out those who invested in the wrong format and make there old discs playable for a longer time.

[Rio]

It's pretty questionable that LG has enough engineering resources to:

1) develop universal drive which reads all of BD, HD DVD, DVD and CD
2) implement universal software to play HDMV, BD-J and HDi contents

especially releasing "universal player" by this early stage.

Won't it just put two software players from InterVideo or Cyberlink on to a PC which looks like standalone chassis with 2 individual drives?

[DaDane]

Just when victory was in sight!

With this move the war might never end! People might very well get the dual format, - just to be sure. Even if it's a bit more expensive.

The media's might determine it, - but it sounds like more and more companies are supporting both.

Only good thing about is that now people might actually dare to buy a system and not just wait until "the rest" has taken the decision.


Oh, - link to the news: http://www.hdtvuk.tv/2006/03/lg_dual_format_.html

(Edit: Seems to be merged with a thread about this dual player, - sorry I didn't see it before)

[DaDane]

What's goint on in their heads?

Jeffrey L. Bewkes, the president of Time Warner, said the Total HD disc has a better chance of catching on than dual players. Research commissioned by Warner indicates that consumers are willing to pay several dollars more than current high-definition DVDs for a disc that works on both players. At the Web site for Best Buy, Warner's Superman Returns DVD was selling yesterday for $19.99 in its standard format, $29.99 for Blu-ray and $34.99 for HD DVD.

I don't know the details but I am afraid that it's not 50 GB Blu-ray and whatever the top quality HD is at the moment. So they want me to pay a bit more for a little less. Argh....

[iceman]

Aye, a combo player will only prolong the war
However, this is probably good news for Warner... they might want both formats to coexist, since their "total HD" format would then make them lots of bling bling... BD vs HD-DVD vs total HD woot!!

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

From the article...

WHAT THE F#*@

However, among its perceived advantages, HD-DVD players are less expensive and also play standard DVDs, while Blu-ray players do not.

God dammit! ALL Blu-ray players play DVDs! Morons!

Saw that too.. kids writing for NY times?

[4K display]

Dear LG,
It's kinda funny that 90% of Hollywood support wasn't worth building a BD player for and you turn around and make a machine that's twice as complex and twice the headache, for ONE studio, a studio with <9% marketshare no less...

Cheers

[56@Yamamoto]

Actually LG has been developping BR/HD DVD compatible drive. But I've not heard their drive was already completed. So perhaps this dual-format player will be only a mock-up.

[Josh]

I like the idea of the dual format disc, as long as it is single sided. If Warner continues with the stupid flippers, I will have a tough time making a purchase. The dual format player is going to be a real technical struggle. Assuming they can pull it off technically, I doubt this machine will do anything great. This won't be much a difference for HD DVD owners - who are used to subpar hardware - but Blu-ray owners will be disappointed with clunky controls and minimal support. Another issue will be price. A person can get a HD-A2 and PS3 for $1000 - if this machine is more expensive than that, what is the point.

[sticks]

Originally Posted by Blue

This maybe true, but let's wait for the offical announcment before we get too excited, as their have been announcements that Samsung was going to make a dual player - only to be denied by Samsung. Fox and Disney to release in HD-DVD only to be denied by both companies.

Yup, can't see dual disks or players without an increase in price and I won't pay more than thier already taking me for.lol.

[JTK]

If all of the things in this thread truly get confirmed and come to pass, then we're well on our way to SACD vs. DVD-A II, IMO.

Winner of the format war by default: DVD.

It's amazing to see how much effect propoganda, FUD, misinformation, and just plain being ignorant and a cheapskate can go as far as all of this.

I just wish the BDA had issued some more killer deathblows in the early goings and especially during Christmas time then they did.

It doens't help things when you see the NY Times and Time Magazine utterly blast the PS3, among other things. Those rags may not have any credibility with me personally, but unfortunately they do with a whole hell of a lot of other people.

And on and on and on...

I guess DVD is going to be the only real "winner" out of all of this.

[WriteSimply]

The problem that LG will face with this combo player, or practically any CE manufacturer dare enough to go there, is that unlike universal players (that plays SACD and DVD-Audio) the anti-pirating technology between the two are different. There are also the interactive feature that is different (HDi and BD-Java).

Any glitches off normal playback needs a new firmware. That includes every glitch in interactive features.

If LG releases such a player, they must be ready to face a huge amount of customer feedback. First off, try the set-up menu.


fuad

[JTK]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

The problem that LG will face with this combo player, or practically any CE manufacturer dare enough to go there, is that unlike universal players (that plays SACD and DVD-Audio) the anti-pirating technology between the two are different. There are also the interactive feature that is different (HDi and BD-Java).

Any glitches off normal playback needs a new firmware. That includes every glitch in interactive features.

If LG releases such a player, they must be ready to face a huge amount of customer feedback. First off, try the set-up menu.


fuad

Oh yes, there's all sorts of potential technical bugaboos and headaches that even I can conceive of off the top of my head.

Hell, good luck to both Warner and LG. These aren't going to be easy tricks to pull off, that's for sure.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...6307#post36307

I really thought you hit the nail on the head with posts 17 and 23 here.

In light of all of this...your concerns are quite valid but it may already be too late.

[Blue]

Originally Posted by JTK

If all of the things in this thread truly get confirmed and come to pass, then we're well on our way to SACD vs. DVD-A II, IMO.

Winner of the format war by default: DVD.

That depends, if it's just LG that does a dual player there will be little impact. If we start counting all the players either HD-DVD or Blu Ray out there including 360 add on and PS3 that is where the momentum will come from. If everyone starts making dual players well then yes chaos - then again many movies will have trouble fitting on HD-DVD. OK Deci lower the bit rate! All the players have had teething problems, this one is about twice as much as anyone else. The Warner and their multi disc's (if single sided are likely to confuse the hell out of it) here comes the first firmware patch. Another interesting thing is most of the HD-DVD world don't seem that enthusiastic nor the BD, it may br rejected by both. No matter what it's going to be an intersting year.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by Blue

That depends, if it's just LG that does a dual player there will be little impact. If we start counting all the players either HD-DVD or Blu Ray out there including 360 add on and PS3 that is where the momentum will come from. If everyone starts making dual players well then yes chaos - then again many movies will have trouble fitting on HD-DVD. OK Deci lower the bit rate! All the players have had teething problems, this one is about twice as much as anyone else. The Warner and their multi disc's (if single sided are likely to confuse the hell out of it) here comes the first firmware patch. Another interesting thing is most of the HD-DVD world don't seem that enthusiastic nor the BD, it may br rejected by both. No matter what it's going to be an intersting year.

Agreed.

So no one gets me wrong: I'm not worried...I'm just very annoyed at the prospect of more stalling and delays and I just really feel like the BDA as a whole could have and should have issued some more killer deathblows, especially around Christmas time, then they did.

I guess slow and steady wins the race and all that.

It doesn't change anything for me personally. I have my PS3 and I'm going to continue to buy nothing but BD discs for as long as I possibly can.