Samsung: Dual-Format Player Shipping Now

[Iron Man]

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh..._Shipping/1240

Retail price has dropped to $799

What effect do you think it will have on the format war?

[The Guardian]

That's the same price as the LG that's already out isn't it?

My guess is, not much effect.

[yspkrk]

I think it's too expensive to give much effect on the format war.
Btw, I expect samsung will soon release profile 1.1 version of BD player; UP5000 is 1.1 player.

[ESUNintel]

I work retail, and have had many customers ask for the Samsung player or the LG Super Blu; however, the price scares them away. Many rather wait a bit, or at our store we do a great job at showing them how Blu is better than HD-DVD, so many end up buying a stand alone Blu player or PS3.

I don't think this player will have much of na effect on the format war.

[tron3]

Let's not look at this through blu-colored glasses. Sure, the price is scary. I see minimal adoption being a neutral unit. But if BD takes over in 2008 it doesn't become obsolete. It becomes a crossover technology for red to come to blu.

I am more interested in seeing the reviews on this dual player. That says volumes about the success or decline of a product.

[Spankey]

I will NOT pay anything more than $98 for anything that plays HD-DVD. That is the market price they set. That is the market price I will pay. Oh...and 12 HD-DVD's would need to be included...

[yspkrk]

Originally Posted by tron3

It becomes a crossover technology for red to come to blu.

Good point! I like the word "crossover" as I like crossover music.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Iron Man

What effect do you think it will have on the format war?

I can see three possible purchasers:

(1) HD DVD owners that want some Blu-ray titles - Positive for Blu-ray

(2) Blu-ray owners that want some HD DVD titles - Negative for Blu-ray

(3) Fence sitters that have been waiting for a riskless entry - A tie to positive for Blu-ray.

To explain (3), I figure that probably the same sort of splits we see overall will apply to (3) purchasers as well, and that merely boosts the unit sales at those 2x-3x levels, which is actually positive.

[hc666]

Seems like a bit of a deal, being 1.1 and everything. Would allow ppl to rent either format and sit back to see who wins in the end.

If this goes on sales after xmas, I think it could be a hot seller for fence sitters.

[milou6]

Forgotten in the "dual player" discussion is the fact that this player will decode DTS Master Audio internally and even output it via 7.1 analog!

[DaViD Boulet]

high-cost (above $600) dual-format players only have relevence to high-end buyers who will pay more. Meridian or Denon could get away with it.

commodity-level universal players won't affect this war one bit until they costs roughly the same price as *affordable* single-format players.

[spam.curitiba]

with the rep of how bad the blu samsung players have gotten I don't know how good this would be plus wicky has a point.