Dual format players

[GooMan]

I'm new to the forum but have been reading the posts here for awhile. I was reviewing a resume and went to the guys website and came across this: "Broadcom Announces the Industry's First Complete Blu-ray™/HD DVD System-on-a-Chip Solution for Media Player Development" (http://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=929044).
"The BCM7440 incorporates the decoding, processing and memory functions for both Blu-ray and HD DVD media players, eliminating the need for manufacturers to build two different hardware platforms. The chip supports the wide variety of mandatory audio and video compression standards required for Blu-ray and HD DVD optical disc formats, including H.264/AVC, VC-1 , MPEG-2, Dolby® Digital Plus, Dolby Tru-HD and DTS-HD. The BCM7440 also provides full backwards compatibility for current DVD video titles as well as DVD-R, DVD-VR and audio CDs."


Has anyone heard anything about dual format players? I recall that LG at one point might have had one in development but then scrapped it.

[Maximus]

A company releasing a dual format player would more than likely break their license agreement with the BDA and DVD forum. The only reason that this chip can be marketed as a dual format chip is that HD and BD have similar requirements, bith BD being a bit higher as bandwidth is higher and BD-J is more resource intensive than HDi, but generally they are the same codecs for video and audio.

[KenThompson]

We don't need a dual format player. Blu ray all the way. Having such a player will just drag the war on even longer and now that playstation 3's are selling like hotcakes its only a matter of time till Toshiba throws in the towel. With all the consumer electronics companies all solidly behind blu ray why would you think HD DVD is going to be viable long term. Only a matter of time till Universal see's the error of their ways and gets on the blu ray band wagon and its over. One million playstations is only the beginning.By years end there will be 4 or 5 times the blu ray players on the market. So who needs a dual format player?

[PeterTHX]

All it means is that suppliers for both formats can buy from Broadcom and use their chips in their respective players.

Panasonic is on record as saying "hell no" to allowing any of their patents to be used in dual format players.

[dialog_gvf]

What do people pushing universal players think they will cost? It seems some think it will be an average price or something like that. Simple logic: If BD costs X then BD + extra costs X + extra.

Start with the massive engineering challenge of the dual NA blue laser pickup. There only a few companies capable of developping such a thing. This in a world where Pioneer couldn't even get CD pickup working in time.

It would have to come from TSST, Sony/NEC, Sanyo, Pioneer or LG (strike Sony/NEC, and Pioneer). It will be expensive. And, most important, it must exist before a universal player can even be considered.

Gary