LG kills combo player, goes back to Blu-ray-only plans

Geez, LG, would you make up your mind already? First you were gung-ho about bringing the BD199 Blu-ray player to market in Q2 of this year, then you scrapped that idea in favor a combo Blu-ray / HD DVD device, and now you're back to your original plan of releasing a Blu-ray-only model at some unspecified future date. At least that's the official word for now from the Korean manufacturer, courtesy of VP of sales and channel marketing Bob Perry's recent speech at the company's 2006 Summer Line Show in New York. Perry refused to give more than just a broad outline of LG's product roadmap, but with Europe already investigating both next-gen formats regarding anti-trust violations, we'll probably have all moved back to regular old DVDs by the time this proposed model is released, anyway.

[Guruboy @ Jul 31st 2006 10:47AM]

It could be because they realize HD DVD isn't going anywhere?

[darryl @ Jul 31st 2006 11:29AM]

"It could be because they realize HD DVD isn't going anywhere?"

HD DVD has taken a dirt nap. The format died before it left the crib.

"...we'll probably have all moved back to regular old DVDs by the time this proposed model is released, anyway."

Not likely... You can keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy though.

[Smoke_Dawg_187 @ Jul 31st 2006 11:41AM]

I don't think there will be too many Blu-Ray Players manufactured at first until atleast a year after PS3. Even though Blu-Ray has the most companies backing it, I don't think any are going to make the full investment until some of the dust settles. If the PS3 doesn't sell well and the sales of movies are as slow as UMD.

[Neo-Fight.tv @ Jul 31st 2006 11:58AM]

I expect this is due to pressure from Sony. They don't want a dual drive created, even though it's technically feasible. Their license agreement prohibts the creation of a dual-format drive. This is a victory for the lawyers...

Ben - Neo-Fight.tv

[Gaz @ Jul 31st 2006 12:03PM]

"If the PS3 doesn't sell well and the sales of movies are as slow as UMD."

I agree, Although DVD's were gaining speed when the PS2 was released, it was that machine that made people really sit up and take notice AND that was around 3 years after DVD's were first introduced. PS3 will be a huge factor in getting blu-ray into homes, but will average Joe go for what he/she knows the DVD (HD-DVD) brand name?!

[BobMac @ Jul 31st 2006 12:04PM]

I personally don't care if either format wins, but why are you guys so down on HD DVD? It has better quality movie transfers (at least for now) and is cheaper. Better and cheaper usually are good.

[John Sununu @ Jul 31st 2006 12:07PM]

This just mean we'll have to wait for the Chinese to implement a dual player, because they don't give a crap about licensing.

[Dave @ Jul 31st 2006 1:14PM]

HD-DVD is dead? Really? As far as I can tell from the reviews so far, the compression format and capacity for movies released so far, as well as video quality, it's the superior format. So I sure hope you guys are wrong.

[KilgoreTrout XL @ Jul 31st 2006 1:15PM]

I don't want either, but in particular why spend a ton of money on a Blu-ray player? You just get a big box of copy protection with lousy disc prices and a shitty codec.

[hmurchison @ Jul 31st 2006 2:24PM]

bobmac they're not down on HD DVD their just ignorant. You can basically ignore their posts because the is very little content in them.

[Dave @ Jul 31st 2006 2:58PM]

HD DVD delivers nothing more than Blu-Ray to me. I saw the supporting companys list and i think that this 20:1 in flavour for Blu-Ray is more than obvious for who will be the winner.
I (PC user using software and other data) personally hate HD DVD because BD has 67% more space and double the speed.
I thing soon more companys will drop HD DVD and will support only Bly-Ray because of this.
And the last thing i remember one person told me: "HD DVD is not cheaper, it is just less advanced and more crap"

[SuicideNinja @ Jul 31st 2006 3:22PM]

"And the last thing i remember one person told me: "HD DVD is not cheaper, it is just less advanced and more crap"

This isn't about computers. This is about movies. There's more money in licensing and movies than blank burnable media.

While Bluray is the obvious choice for a computer user (more space and...uh...more space), HD-DVD in its current state is the obvious choice for video (lower prices, better codec and picture, familiar brand name, more durable disc, LESS copy protection - no BD+).

More space isn't going to mean anything if it isn't needed in the movie world. If a movie can fit on an single layer HD-DVD disc at 15GB, but on Bluray (via MPEG2) it is pushing it at single layer 25GB, there is an obvious problem, especially if the former looks better.

What is even worse is that DVD only looks like crap on an HDTV. Upscaling helps, but why not just watch it on a non-HDTV over component? Many consumers would be appalled at the inherent graininess of a DVD on a large HDTV. They'll feel cheated on their purchase.

My stance? Both formats are just a scam. I hope they both fail. But to say Bluray is everything in the world merely because it could potentially hold more data is ridiculous.

[hmurchison @ Jul 31st 2006 3:28PM]

Dave the problem with your argument is that even if HD DVD doesn't deliver a thing more than Blu-Ray it's half the price so the question is why should I be paying twice as much for Blu-Ray if I get exactly the same thing with HD DVD.

For a PC recording application I'll give you the extra space is nice but both formats are far slower than hard disc and far more expensive than tape.

As for being more advanced how about this

1. HD DVD is the only player that mandates TrueHD audio support.
2. Ethernet ports are also mandated (easy firmware updates and future downloadable content)
3. HD DVD does not have extra DRM that could prohibit Mandatory Managed Copy
4. We're getting movies in the superior VC-1 codec now
5. Every HD DVD has a mandated persistent storage and dual video decoder. Blu-Ray does not.

Explain to me how HD DVD is "less" advanced. I'm kinda thinking that your only argument will be based around more storage.

[Mike @ Jul 31st 2006 3:46PM]

"HD DVD delivers nothing more than Blu-Ray to me. I saw the supporting companys list and i think that this 20:1 in flavour for Blu-Ray is more than obvious for who will be the winner.
I (PC user using software and other data) personally hate HD DVD because BD has 67% more space and double the speed.
I thing soon more companys will drop HD DVD and will support only Bly-Ray because of this.
And the last thing i remember one person told me: "HD DVD is not cheaper, it is just less advanced and more crap""

Dave, you're an uninformed jackass. Here's why...

First, HD DVD discs are currently 30gig. BD is 25... with 50 nowhere in sight. Where you get your "67% more storage" number is beyond me. Score one for HD DVD.

Two, hardware manufacturers matter not. How many companies have BD players on the market? One. How many companies have HD DVD players on the market? Two. Score another point for HD DVD.

Further, the "20 to 1" hardware support is misleading.

Twice the speed? That's theoretical maximum read speed from the outer tracks. Read speed doesn't matter all that much, especially if you're watching movies. The read/write speeds are different for writable BD and HD media.

HD DVD is WAY cheaper to manufacture. There are about 500 DVD production lines in the world. It costs $150000-250000 to upgrade each of these lines to manufacture HD DVD discs.

BD requires all new lines at a cost of $1million-2million EACH... and those lines are only capable of producing single-layer 25gig discs.

Guess who pays the difference? You do.

If the two formats start a price war, HD DVD will outlive BD because of the difference.

Get your facts straight before posting BS.

[Lee @ Jul 31st 2006 6:23PM]

If you want some commentary on these formats by someone who's actually done side by side evaluation and bench testing, read this:
http://www.projectorcentral.com/blu-ray_2.htm

I'm not sure that I'd sound the death knell on Blu-ray quite yet, but most informed articles I've read point to clear advantages for HD-DVD at present.

[Mike @ Jul 31st 2006 6:39PM]

I was in CC yesterday looking to spend a gift card and saw they had HD dvd and BD disc for sale. I got kinda excited. The only player I saw was a Samsung BD. Some kid asked me if I needed help and he didn't have the red shirt so I figured he was a rep. The guy didn't have a clue about anything. Turns out he was a Samsung rep. He had to call a CC guy over because he didn't know how to get his own player to start playing, and also told me HD DVD was just standard DVD uprezed in the player! But he asked me like 4 times if I'd like for him to check if he had the player in stock.

Well after that, and after this news about the combo player, I think I'll hold off... One thing I did notice which was a plus in my book was that the HD DVD also contained the SD DVD version as well. Not sure if thats an option with BD. If it is, I missed it.

[Dave @ Jul 31st 2006 8:47PM]

Just for the record, the HD-DVD-hating "jackass" Dave is a completely different Dave.

[Will @ Jul 31st 2006 9:03PM]

Well I haven't really seen much HD-DVD advertisments lately, or at all as a matter of fact, most DVD relases for the last couple of months advertises DVD and Blu-Ray. No one cares about technology, people buy products based on the ammount of advertisments.
Basically I see it like this:
Blu-Ray went up 1 step with its advertisments
Went down 2 steps due to player quality.
HD-DVD went down 2 steps with its advertisments
Went up 1 for its players.

[rw @ Aug 5th 2006 10:44PM]

Well, that article posted by Lee was certainly different than what I had been reading, but it was a good article. This is torture - I want an high-def player and have been leaning heavily towards Blu-Ray. I love Sony products - I have many and have never had any issues with them. (My original CD player is close to 20 years old and still works - although I have newer units I mostly use now).

Based on the article, then the only advantage I see to Blu-Ray now is the price of the BDs versus the HDDs. I have seen BD movies for $19.99 - $24.99; all HD Disc movies I have seen are $29.99. So much cheaper unit for Toshiba, but movies prices as much as 50% higher.

I think I am going to have to buy a cheap upconverting DVD player with HDMI output and wait for this war to finish up.