Samsung to release Combo HD-DVD/Blu Ray Player

[waheed]

Samsung Electronics Co., LTD., a leader in consumer electronics and digital media technologies, and the first company to introduce a Blu-ray disc player will introduce a dual format High-Definition (HD) optical disc player in time for the holidays.

Samsung's Duo HD player (BD-UP5000) will fully support both HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats and their interactive technologies, HDi and BD-Java. With the Duo HD consumers can enjoy additional studio content such as trailers, director's comments, more elaborate interactive menus and behind the scene footage. The new Duo HD joins Samsung's next generation DVD line-up which includes Samsung's second generation Blu-ray player available at retail this month. Together, these two models offer the consumer a strong line of High-Definition players to match Samsung's award winning, and best selling, line of HDTVs.

"We welcome Samsung's Duo HD player as another solution in the marketplace that will help reduce consumer confusion and buyer hesitancy towards HD media," said Ron Sanders, President of Warner Home Video. "This is an innovative product that can move us closer to mainstream consumer adoption of HD technologies."

"We are very pleased to announce the upcoming release of our Duo HD player. Consumers are hungry for more HD content but are currently confused about competing formats. Samsung's Duo HD player will allow consumers access to every HD movie title available regardless of the authoring format. Samsung is committed to making life simpler through technology and will market next generation DVD products which will satisfy the consumer and market requirement. This is a big win for the consumer.

As a member of the DVD Forum and contributor to the DVD Industry, we recognize that both HD-DVD and BD formats have merits. As such, we have decided to market a dual format player. Samsung is flexible to market a stand-alone HD-DVD player whenever consumers demand it. Our main concern is not technology but consumer choice" said Dongsoo Jun, Executive Vice President of the Digital AV Division at Samsung Electronics.

Source

Im just waiting for:

1. A combo burner for the PC
2. Prices to fall significantly

[BJ_M]

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=318537

lg is also going to have one

[jman98]

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=318537

lg is also going to have one

The problem with LG's player, as the article states, is that it doesn't fully support HD-DVD's interactive menus. Supposedly this will be fixed with a future firmware update. Samsung appears to be offering full HD-DVD support at the beginning.

[j1d10t]

And I wonder the the price tag on this will be.....

[SCDVD]

I suspect that players that support both formats will become commonplace. The player manufacturers will have to face the music or they will lose significant market share. Most of the player manufactures are allied to one camp or the other but when it comes down to it, they will have to look out for their own marketing interests first.

A prime of example of this was Sony's decision a few years ago to support both + and - R media in their burners. Initially, Sony only supported +R media. They were a part of the "+R is the only way to go" crowd. But the people who were responsible for revenue in the business unit that manufactures burners realized that if they only supported +R media, it would cost them dearly in market share for burners. Now, all burners support both + and - R media even though many of the burner manufacturers in the beginning were solidly in one camp or the other. I believe that over the next year or two the same thing will happen to HD players. They will all support both formats - the market will force then into it no matter what their PR position is now.

[waheed]

I was thinking exactly the same SCDVD.

I remember buying the sony dual fomat burner for both +/- (it was the DRU-500A). It cost me over £250 at the time and was the only burner capable of doing both formats. They were selling like hot cakes, other companies realised how much market share they were losing starting to follow and prices also fell.

All it takes in one company to offer support for both camps and the rest will follow.

I would however be surprised if Sony did offer support for HD-DVD as that would mean Sony would be supporting a competitor as it was Sony that developed Blu Ray.

[SCDVD]

I would however be surprised if Sony did offer support for HD-DVD as that would mean Sony would be supporting a competitor as it was Sony that developed Blu Ray.

That's a good point. I believe they will die hard over this issue but I suspect in the end they will be forced by the market to relent. They have done this before. Remember Betamax? It was Sony's pride and joy. But after all was said and done in the market, they manufactured VHS players. The business unit that makes HD players is charged with profit and loss responsibility. When they are pressed against the wall hard enough with respect to market realities, they will have little choice from a business point of view - Sell a lot of combo HD players or very few Blue-Ray only players.

[SingSing]

The current low price for samsung bd player bdp1000 is about $599.00. Will samsung charge more for the dual format, and price itself out of the market ?

[waheed]

A combo drive for the PC by HP:

http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/18911.html

Soon, more companies will follow for both standalone and PC based combo players.

[MJA]

"reading and writing of Blu-ray discs and reading of HD DVD media."

why not writing for HD DVD ?

[SCDVD]

"reading and writing of Blu-ray discs and reading of HD DVD media."

why not writing for HD DVD ?

It will happen. In the short term the manufacturers will spew a bunch of hype and techno- drivel but the market will force them to cave in or get out of the player business. That's kinda what happens when no one will buy what you are trying to hoist off on them.