Report: 50GB, dual-layer Blu-ray discs WILL play

So check it: intrepid optical media journo Bill Hunt -- the same man who told us with some confidence that 50GB Blu-ray discs would definitely NOT work on currently-configured BD-P1000 players -- is now reporting that dual-layer movies WILL actually play on the Samsung machine, no firmware update required. Hunt was at an unnamed Hollywood studio the other day before a taping of Attack of the Show when he had the privilege of watching one of the first production 50GB discs playing in an unmodified P1000, even observing the seamless switch from one layer to the next. According to Hunt, the previous compatibility problems were restricted to BD-R discs only -- media that was being used to test authoring -- and that the final production BD-ROMs should work just fine on your existing hardware. In all honesty we're kind of disappointed at this revelation, as were just about to snatch up an HD DVD player, and now once again we're hopelessly torn between the two formats. Bah, maybe we'll just cave in and settle for whatever low-res fare we can dredge up on Unbox and iTunes.

[Mark M @ Sep 14th 2006 1:43PM]

First!!

So you mean that if you spend $1000 on a machine you might be able to play some of the discs released for it?

Sign me up.

[Jiggsaw @ Sep 14th 2006 1:47PM]

BetaRay.

[Jay @ Sep 14th 2006 2:18PM]

Or you could just wait for the PS3 in less than a year -- it'll really knock the price down.

[Dave @ Sep 14th 2006 2:24PM]

It plays of course, just the HD DVD fanboys spread fake "news" all over the net... wich they cant support.

But the toshiba player still have no dolby audio :D

Blu-Ray wins :D

[Hay @ Sep 14th 2006 2:42PM]

Engadget HD-DVD fanbois much? I think so. Why don't you just hate everything Sony while you are at it? Internet geeks compose one of the base-headed, most ignorant demographic I can think of at the moment.

Ps. Blogs don't work well as a news source unless you are fairly objective.

[- @ Sep 14th 2006 4:54PM]

I, for one, bow down to the new overlords of High-Definition DVD media format -- Blue Ray!


OK, Blue-Ray (Sony) may have won this time but we'll get you. You just wait, 8 years from now we'll see who the new media format king is then, Hmm?. Mwah ha-ha.

[Boxer5353 @ Sep 15th 2006 12:27AM]

Definetly WAYYY better than HD-DVD. Sure the price is high, but just as with all other consumer electronics, the price will come down after a couple of months being on the market. For avid movie watchers Blu-Ray is the way to go (as lots of movies are now coming out on Blu-Ray) and it is way better quality.