LG kills Blu-ray model, considers combo player

While Samsung backed down earlier this year on plans to produce a combo Blu-ray/HD DVD player, it looks like hometown rival LG is picking up that particular gauntlet, and may introduce its own dual-format player later this year. According to an internal memo sent by an LG executive to the company's US sales force, LG is dropping plans to introduce its first Blu-ray player, the BD199, which was originally planned for this spring (and which the company was proudly showing off at CES just two months ago) due to "uncertainty in this early stage of the market for pre-recorded high-definition optical discs." Instead, the company will consider developing a dual-format player, which could be available as early as the fall. The announcement comes just a few weeks after LG signed an HD DVD patent-sharing agreement with Toshiba, and seems to indicate that the company is intent on hedging its bets as the BD/HD DVD war begins in earnest.

[Via HDBeat]

[Kublakhan @ Mar 3rd 2006 5:08PM]

Finally a good idea... 'till HD DVD wins the constest. I'd invest stock in HDDVD if that was possible.

The reason I say HD DVD is going to win is because Bluray is less consumer friendly... easier to ruin data if scratched... no managed copy... more expensive.. the list goes on.

In the future you'll look back at this comment and think I'm a fortune teller or something...

[Rick @ Mar 3rd 2006 5:16PM]

Apple a bit too threatening.

[The1 @ Mar 3rd 2006 5:27PM]

This strategy seems like a safe bet with Blu-Ray being more expensive.

[Andrew @ Mar 3rd 2006 5:49PM]

Um...Kublakhan...
It sad to say you invested stock in HD-DVD, and you dont even know everything.
Both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD have adopted the 'Managed Copy' thing (with Blu-Ray adopting it several months ago). But here is the funiest thing about that. I hope you know that just because they say you are able to have the 'Managed Copy' doesnt mean you can do it for free. Its up to the individual business (who puts the data on the disc) to decide if they want you to pay for the 'Managed Copy' or have it for free. So how many bussinesses do you think will let you have the managed copy for free.

Also one thing this does allow for is easier pirated copies of the material...for both sides of the camp. This is why it took so long for Blu-Ray camp to sign on.

[Mojo Yugen @ Mar 3rd 2006 5:50PM]

I vote for "or something"

[Hmmm @ Mar 3rd 2006 6:07PM]

Kublakhan, you don't seem to be up to date. Blu-ray already supports mandatory managed copy and it has an special coating that protects the data side, which HDDVD doesn't. Movies will cost about the same on both formats for the time being, although Blu-ray back catalogue will be as cheap as DVD editions. However, Blu-ray players will be cheaper and become available faster than HDDVD's, thanks to PS3.

I don't think either Blu-ray or HDDVD will kill DVD anytime soon, but Blu-ray already has more support from movie studios, software publishers and most importantly, will have a greater installed player base. On the other hand, there's no HDDVD trojan horse, and that can kill it early during the war.

And no, nobody will remember you as a fortune teller. Maybe as a misinformer.

[Kublakhan @ Mar 3rd 2006 6:27PM]

Hey Hmmm and Andrew, leave me alone and go play with your vaporgirlfriends!!!!! You losers think the new super media format will be the striped round chocolate keebler cookies with the hole in the middle! Eat me....

[Linh @ Mar 3rd 2006 6:43PM]

Kublakhan, wtf man, they were pointing out your misinformation, how old are you?

regardless, I hope more companies can pull off a dual player... altho I'm guessing costs will be driven up. I don't think we'll get away from managed copy... movie studios will never release anything w/o copy protection... there will need to be a radical change in thinking somewhere to even consider this. I personally would like to see HDDVD win just to spite sony (i know it's not a good reason).

[Viramor @ Mar 3rd 2006 7:12PM]

#7 Thats assuming PS3 actually comes out this year...

[Matt N @ Mar 3rd 2006 8:27PM]

I'm all for boycotting both formats until either a. one side looses and bows out, or b. dual-format players become available.

I hope LG pulls it off and captures a huge market share with their player sales. That would show the Blueray and HDDVD idiots what consumers want.

[whuh? @ Mar 3rd 2006 9:30PM]

Seem like they are scare BD might fail. It's safe to create a hardware that does play both BD and HD-DVD.

[Russ @ Mar 3rd 2006 9:52PM]

This is Exactly what is needed to shut both parties the hell up!!

Anybody remember the DVD+R /DVD-R wars?? That all stoped with the release of the DVD+/-R drives. We all have the ability to read and/or write to either one.

I aplaud LG for being "daddy" and putting an end to the argument once and for all.

Now it's up to Big Media to battle with content instead of locking the consumers into "one or the other" with hardware

[s7r1k3r @ Mar 3rd 2006 10:56PM]

Blu ray is not consumer friendly. To most people the next logical step to dvd is hd dvd. It just makes more sense since hdtv is starting to surge in sales. The naming can make a big difference especially when it comes to regular consumers.

[Cary @ Mar 4th 2006 2:05AM]

HD-DVD doesn't need a proective film because it's data layer rests in the middle of the disc.

Whereas Blu-ray has it's data on the very first layer.

both sides have pros and cons

blu-ray can have upto 8 layers right now which increases capacity but make data much more vulnerable so they had to spend more money on the discs with a protective coating.

In the end. Blu-ray better tech, but more expensive and all manufactures will have to upgrade their equipment to produce.

HD-DVD can be made with current equipment with a slight modification, no extra materials used for protecting disc means cheaper to produce and sell.

Blu-ray uses Mpeg2. Hd-DVD uses mpeg4.

In terms of HD video both will store the same amount in terms of runtime.

But Blu-ray has higher data density.

I like Blu-ray, I just hate Sony. They treat consumers like garbage.

[OddManOut @ Mar 4th 2006 3:02AM]

Dual format, eh ? Well...well...well....

[Hilo @ Mar 4th 2006 5:20AM]

i'm thinkint the whole microsoft is doing this to make sure niether is the winner is what this is about.

[Rotelle @ Mar 4th 2006 5:40AM]

A combined HD-DVD/Bluray player is a win-win for consumers�and to answer the question, KublaKhan (I would guess) is about 14 yo.

[Greg @ Mar 4th 2006 6:38AM]

Sony's BluRay will win, theres not really any contest

[Ian @ Mar 4th 2006 7:39AM]

I understand the cnvenience of a Combo player, but I feel that making combo players will cloud the market with both formats and not allow for a clear winner to prevail. I don't think we need both formats, that would be a bit of overkill and cause for a good amount of confusion and disarray with the common consumer.

[Ross @ Mar 4th 2006 7:45AM]

Hey folks
What comes after this mechanical data storage stuff?
Is there a nice stable unscratchable/bendable, higher density, faster access, greater capacity, cheaper to manufacture/buy etc. replacement for this archeohardware?
what giveth, and what taketh?

[Z @ Mar 4th 2006 8:02AM]

I agree with Ian.

With recordable media, there were differences in formats, but anytime you buy an audio CD or a DVD movie, it's one standard and will play on anything.

But differences in format in regard to pre-recorded media is going to confuse consumers. It's stupid and all about ego and greed with these companies.

[SuperDinoYoshi @ Mar 4th 2006 12:29PM]

Lets face it, the only person who cares enough to put money on the line for a given format is Sony. Everyone else will wait for a format to win to produce a BD or HD-DVD only player. And no, Blue Rays will cost more money than HD-DVD disks, HD-DVDs are easier to be made with DVD factorys... explained simply. And considering, what its only 1 out of 10 tvs is HD? It could take a while to "establish" a winner. So all you fanboys have at it, but heres to the DVD lasting another 7 years or so.

[n8 @ Mar 4th 2006 8:58PM]

I think this format war is going to be like that old peacnik saying "what if they had a war and nobody came?" I have an HD and quite frankly can't see the need for an HD DVD player at all. My current DVDs look great, and are on-par with HDTV signals. Granted mine isn't a 1080p set, but few are or will be. Most folks are going to migrate to HD sets in the near future, but with DVD players and media so dirt cheap, and with the home PC burners and blank media being so cheap, I think the DVD is going to be the standard for quite some time. That means HD-DVD and BluRay are going to be fighting for a very small market share, which is going to be expensive for everyone - Sony in particular is not going to be able to make up the price of the PS3 in media sales the way they were hoping, I would guess.

[eric @ Mar 5th 2006 5:06PM]

I keep saying that anyone manufacturer that sells a stand alone Blu-Ray for $1000/$1500, while Sony under cuts them with the PS3 (est $500-700??) is foolish. I can't imaging many companies other than Sony thinking this is such a great idea. You're not selling a player so much as you're solidifying Sony's standard.

Now if you're selling a combo HD DVD and Blu-Ray, now that would be something worth buying!

[bd @ Mar 5th 2006 5:46PM]

I'd just like to say that anyone that bought an HDTV but won't upgrade to HD equipment is retarded. If you just want SD cable TV programming with a normal DVD player, then you were perfect with an EDTV set, or even an SDTV set. You paid the prime for an expensive TV without actually enjoying its benefits. lol

[bd @ Mar 5th 2006 6:01PM]

"23. I keep saying that anyone manufacturer that sells a stand alone Blu-Ray for $1000/$1500, while Sony under cuts them with the PS3 (est $500-700??) is foolish. I can't imaging many companies other than Sony thinking this is such a great idea. You're not selling a player so much as you're solidifying Sony's standard.

Now if you're selling a combo HD DVD and Blu-Ray, now that would be something worth buying!"

The PS3 is a stripped down blu-ray player compared to most other Blu-ray players. It just happens to play DVD games too; oh wait, DVD players (including blu-ray players) are also able to play games on DVDs. Bummer.

Sony's move is as stupid as Microsoft's (which in fact, it is not). Microsoft sold a $299 Xbox 360 just for the sake of saying "Hey, we launched at 299!!!". Sony is doing the same just to compete with HD-DVD. When Sony sells a lot of PS3s, that should lower the cost of Blu-ray production in general (doesn't Blu-ray production depend on Sony anyway? Probably manufacturers will lower their prices just after that; besides, the players are probably very expensive since manufacturers know they *won't* sell like hot cakes. Not even HD-DVD players, as a PS3 should look more attractive at the same price point. But PC burners will probably sell a lot (like Samsungs rumored $500 BD-RW), and PS3 will. Later on, full-fledged faster Blu-ray DVRs with TiVo and so on will be cheaper, and stand alone blu-ray players will be even cheaper than the PS3).

Most Blu-ray players, and HD-DVD players aren't aimed towards Joe Public. They are aimed at HDTV Joe.

PS3 will be aimed for Joe Public, or someone similar; that is, if Sony pretends to dominate the games market.

PC BD burners will be aimed for PC geeks in the beginning. So which disc do you think geeks will choose, the BD-burner, or the HD-DVD burner? It depends not only on the price of the player/writer, but also on the price of the discs. If Sony manages to launch its massive 200 GB Blu-ray they said they are developing at a nice price, it will own the PC market, regardless of how much Bill Gates wants to exclude it from Vista. Dell is the best brand of computers in general I believe, and they are one of the backers.

[Jason @ Mar 6th 2006 7:19AM]

Yeah, I agree with the guy who said he likes Blu-Ray technology but hate Sony. They're like tyrants.
Beta = superior technology + proprietary draconian implementation

Beta = Blu-Ray

[gslice @ Mar 6th 2006 8:41AM]

Good investment for the consumer. No matter what format wins (if either) you're still golden.

I might risk it and buy an HD DVD player to save money tho depending on how confiedent i am.

[P @ Mar 6th 2006 10:47AM]

2 things...DVDs do looks almost as good as many over the air HD broadcasts. If you have seen D-Theater you have an idea what to expect, except better video and sound. The difference is like standard def over the air to DVD...similar with HD over the air to disks, except possibly even bigger jump.

OTA is low bitrate mpeg 2, vs high mpeg 2 and mid mpeg 4. In addition the encoding is much more precise, the list goes on.

Just giving the heads up, my friend works at MS in their video encoding and I have seen the massive jump.

Also HD-DVD is cheaper, at least on the players, esp at first. Right at launch there Toshiba has a sub $500 player, expected to drop to about $299 by this fall. PS3 *should* make holidays this year and play BD for under $500.

Both formats will be carried by Netflix and treated the same as DVDs now, same membership. I think this is a HUGE deal for consumers and will really push both formats, and Netflix itself.

[ChuckD @ Jan 11th 2007 8:26PM]

Warner Bros announced and demonstrated the dual format disc at a press conference at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino on January 9 a combo Blu-ray and HD DVD disk. The demo was conducted with one disk that played on a Blu-ray machine, it was moved to an HD DVD machine and finally on an LG combo player. All were beautiful on the projected wide screen. Warner Bros announced the disks would begin to appear in stores such as Best Buy in July 2007. A few other studios appeared on the stage supporting a applauding the effort.

Have you ever watched Superman save the jetliner from crashing into the ball park three times in probably a 10 minute span?

[Tony Lalande @ Aug 29th 2007 10:22PM]

get what u can afford