The Best Of Both Worlds

The format war between HD DVD and Sony's Blu-ray discs may be over before it really gets going. According to a January 4th story that ran on Dark Horizons, a Blu-ray/HD-DVD Combo player is set to debut this week. The hybrid technology will bow at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show, that takes place in Las Vegas, from January 8th-11th.

The Sands Convention center: Site of CES 2007

Garth Franklin offers up the skinny:

The high definition disc format war looks like it might come to an unofficial end next week with electronics manufacturer LG firing the killing salvo.

The company has announced in a press release today that it will be showing a dual-format player capable of displaying both HD DVD and Blu-ray titles at next week's annual CES convention.

LG did not give many details on the technology used in the player, or how much one will cost, but said it expects the unit to be available for purchase in the United States in early 2007.

It's also got high ambitions for it, saying in the release that "LG expects this technological breakthrough to end the confusion and inconvenience of competing high-definition disc formats for both content producers and consumers".

Further details will be announced next week. The success of the unit will rely significantly on the number of units that can be manufactured and their planned price for it.

If it is low enough then expect that item to become one of the most in-demand pieces of electronics all of next year.

Now that is something I would definitely buy--Assuming the price was right. The formats have had their share of problems since all of this format fun began 18 months ago or so. Thus far neither one has taken off yet. I think consumers are more than a bit skiddish. As for me, this news alters my plans for a tech DVD upgrade--I think I am gonna wait and see what the LG dual player does first, before making my move