Best Combo Player; LG BH200 vs Samsung BD-UP5000

[viiv]

Hi. My friend has an Toshiba HD-DVD player and wants to take advantage of Future Shop's trade in program. Now before you blast me or him about getting a combo player, it is because he unfortunanly already brought a sizable HD DVD collection and obviously does not want to repurchase those. At this point of course, he is not buying anymore HD DVD movies, Blu-ray only from now on, with the exception of possible future bargian basement clearance/closeout bargain bin deals, or if for some reason a movie he wants that is on HD DVD never gets around to being rereleased on Blu-ray. So all he wants to do is maintain "backwards compatability" with his existing HD DVD collection. Since both the LG BH200 and Samsung BD-UP5000 are on sale for 499.99 with the $100 credit he will get one for a cool 399.99. Also Future Shop is advertising a $50 giftcard with the purchase of a Blu-ray player, not sure if it will work with a combo player, or if they will combine the trade in offer with the giftcard offer, but it is a possibility.

So, at the same price, which is the better one? Am I correct that the MSRP on the Samsung is higher than the LG? Does that make it better? As brands, traditionally, isn't Samsung better than LG. Also with the cancellation of the BD-UP5500, he rests assured the Samsung will be their last combo player, with nothing newer and better coming, and thus should not be abandoned as quickly with firmware updates compared to if they released a new model. Since this will always be their final combo player, they may provide support for it in terms of firmware and work really hard to make it as good as a player as it can be cause nothing will be eclipsing it. With LG, it seems they will be making new combo model(s) in the future, so he will likely be abandoned when new models come out. Thanks,

Oh, and before I hear posts telling to buy a standalone Blu-ray player/PS3 and keep his HD DVD player, he doesn't have anyomre shelf space and only two HDMI inputs, one being used by his Motorola PVR, and the other by his HD player.

[JasonR]

I hear they both have issues, I would say neither. If I had to pick one I guess the LG?

[drb124]

I believe that the lg now has a firmware update that gives it bitstreaming of dts-hdma as well as dolby truehd so i'd get that one

[chasarms]

Originally Posted by viiv

. . . Oh, and before I hear posts telling to buy a standalone Blu-ray player/PS3 and keep his HD DVD player, he doesn't have anymore shelf space and only two HDMI inputs, one being used by his Motorola PVR, and the other by his HD player.

First of all, I have to say that I respect anyone's right to spend their hard-earned money as they choose. But, since this is a discussion forum, I'll add that this some REALLY obtuse thinking on the part of your friend.

Right now the split between BD-only titles and HD-DVD-only titles is, I'm guessing, about 60%-40%? In two years, it is going to be 90%-10%. In five years, it is going to be 97%-3% or less. Of the 400 or so HD-DVD titles, I'd guess less than 100 will never see BD.

In six months, you won't see a single HD-DVD disc on the shelfs. In a year, they'll be nothing but ebay fodder. It'll be out-of-sight, out-of-mind for 99 of every 100 HD media player shoppers.

CE makers are going to market and target the HDTV owners who have no HD media player at all. That's where the opportunity is. The market for hybrid players is TINY comparitively. Samsung is bailing out on the concept because demand for them is going to be close to nothing. In addition, with HD-DVD's significance fading daily, the hybrid units will have to be price competitive with a BD-only machine. That means lower margins on the hybrids and/or corner-cutting to reduce manufacturing costs. Bad for the CE companies, bad for the consumer.

I think you are a being optimistic in assuming Samsung will support hybrids long term. There just won't be enough of them in the market to justify the effort. LG will not stay in the hybrid game either for the same reasons.

The idea of investing $400 in something like that simply to avoid finding a little shelf space and buying a $50 HDMI switch is misguided at best.