By the time this comes out, it may be cheaper to buy two separate players, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.

http://www.computerpartner.nl/articl...ws=int&id=4995

One of the main backers of the Blu-ray Disc format, South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., plans to release an optical disc player this year that will play both Blu-ray Disc and the rival HD DVD format, it said Friday.

Samsung hopes to make the BD-UP5000 player available before the end of 2007 in the U.S., said Kwak Bumjoon, a spokesman for the company in Seoul. He said the player could be available in Europe in the following few months, but an exact release schedule has not been decided. No details on possible pricing were also available.

The news makes Samsung the second company to shift from a single-format stance and adopt the idea of a dual player than can read both types of disc. The other, fellow South Korean maker LG Electronics Inc., launched a dual player in North America earlier this year.

Consumer electronics and computer companies have been divided on the two formats for the last few years. Blu-ray Disc is principally backed by Sony Corp. and other major supporters include Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic), Sharp Corp. and Dell Inc. HD DVD's main supporter is Toshiba Corp. and it also counts the support of Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp. as well as the backing of the DVD Forum, the group behind the DVD format.

The result has been widespread confusion among consumers who, if they buy one of the new players, face the prospect of not being able to play some of their favorites because the movie studios have also picked sides.

So it might appear to consumers more than a little ironic that Samsung, which helped create the format mess in the first place, is trying to push the new player as something it's doing because it thinks of consumers ahead of business.

"Our main concern is with the consumer and not a particular technology," said Kwak.

Both formats were launched commercially last year and sales remain poor because of this battle between the two rival systems. Prices have also been relatively high although competition between Sony and Toshiba has been gaining pace in the U.S. and there have recently been some price cuts.

Sony's BDP-S300 will launch in the middle of the year for about US$599 while Toshiba's HD-A2 player carries a recommended price of $399 but can currently be found on Amazon.com for $309. In contrast LG's BH100 dual-format player costs $1,000.

another link:
http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/04/12...player-on-the/

Samsung Press Release:

http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/P...413_0000338109

SAMSUNG Electronics to Release Duo Hd Player

Seoul, Korea – April 13, 2007 : 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.

About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2006 parent company sales of US$63.4 billion and net income of US$8.5 billion. Employing approximately 138,000 people in 124 offices in 56 countries, the company consists of five main business areas: Digital Media, Telecommunication Network, Semiconductor, LCD, and Digital Appliance. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones, and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

It will be interesting to see what price this will be...

I'm all over a dual format player for anything less than $500.

If this is less than 600 bucks, I'll be shocked... and also likely buying one.

Helping to ensure that we will have both formats FOREVAH!

...Or until 2008 when you can just put in your 4 Terrabyte flash card and download HD movies directly to your library or transfer them at a kiosk.

I'm thinking it will be about $800-900.

Let's have one that plays SACD and DVD-Audio too! (And then actually put out some more stuff on one of them!)

I hear Sony is gonna counter punch with a player thats a Bluray / UMD combo player.

Um, you do know that 2008 is next year, right? Not 50 years from now.

Less than 500 and count on one being in my home.

I've got the 360 add-on and would break down to buy into blu-ray if the price was right. I don't think we're going to see a 'winner' in this war anymore.

Holy cow, we're in the future.

Knowing my luck I'd buy one of these and a week later the format war would end


I'll pick one of these up if the price is around $750

$750? Really?

You can about buy a HD player and PS3 20 gig for close to that now. And some stand alone blu-ray players should be coming down in price this summer.

Now if it comes out at $500....then I think your talking. But $750 and above, I don't see the point.

^ What is the standard dvd upconversion of this player isnt that great??

The only way I would get another player right now, is it the price were under $999, performance for hd content was good AND it could match/beat the standard upconversion of the XA2.

To me, that would be worth ebaying my ps3 and XA2. I really doubt Samsung is going to have a player that can match the XA2 in terms of upconverting standard content. Well see.

The 20GB PS3 is no longer in production.

One Box...Dual purpose. That's why I'm buying it. I don't have the space.

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6435582.html

Samsung Slates Duo HD Deck Debut For Q4
U.S. pricing, feature details on Blu-ray, HD DVD deck not set yet by manufacturer
By Steve Smith -- TWICE, 4/23/2007
NEW YORK — Samsung Electronics North America is not yet ready to divulge the retail pricing and feature package for its dual-format, high-definition optical disc player supporting HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc, but it confirmed it will be available in the United States during the fourth quarter.

Reid Sullivan, marketing VP for Samsung's Digital A/V division, told TWICE pricing and feature specifics on the deck, called the Duo HD player (BD-UP5000), would be available a few months prior to its U.S. launch.

The Duo HD player, whose existence was revealed in a press release from Korea, will fully support both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats and their interactive technologies, HDi and BD-Java.

Sullivan did not reveal specific distribution plans but he did note that this type of deck will attract "more early adopters." While Samsung denied rumors last year that it was working on its own dual-format, high-definition optical disc deck, the decision was made to enter the market because "of market research showing that consumers want more HD content. They are confused and concerned about a format war," Sullivan said.

He added that while there is more demand for HD content "there isn't much overlap in titles" between the Blu-ray and HD DVD camps.

Concerning pricing, Sullivan said that to provide the convenience of two formats in one deck "there has to be some premium," but he did not indicate it would be as large as the premium for LG Electronics' "Super Multi Blu" hybrid HD deck that debuted during International CES in January with a suggested retail of $1,199.

In Friday's announcement from Korea Dongsoo Jun, executive VP of the digital A/V division at Samsung Electronics, was quoted as saying, "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."

That has led some to believe that Samsung, a member of the Blu-ray camp, will be introducing an HD DVD deck some time in the future. Sullivan noted, "While we have the capability to do that, we do not have plans [for an HD DVD deck] in the U.S. market."

The Duo HD player will allow consumers can watch additional studio content such as trailers, director's comments, more elaborate interactive menus and behind-the-scenes footage. The Duo HD joins Samsung's second-generation Blu-ray player that is available at retail this month, the company said.

In a Samsung statement, Ron Sanders, president of Warner Home Video, said, "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. This is an innovative product that can move us closer to mainstream consumer adoption of HD technologies."

On the eve of CES in January, Warner Home Video introduced its hybrid high-definition disc that can carry both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc content.

Sanders said in the Samsung statement, "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 to 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."

When asked if the introduction of dual-format HD optical disc players will delay the eventual selection of the winner of this format battle, Sullivan said, "Everyone in the industry agrees that it would have been better to have introduced one format. In the short term there currently is a lot of confusion," Sullivan said, which Samsung hopes will be alleviated by this type of deck.

$1199 huh? Might as well buy two standalones.

Samsung's duo-player won't be $1199. That's the LG they're referring to.

Looks like $1049 for this player. I was really hoping for sub-$500. I guess it's a little early for that price range.

Link

No thanks

Right now you are paying for the convenience and guarantee of being future-proof (unless BOTH formats fail). I honestly do not believe that dual format players will become the norm - one format will win out or both will fail.

Sammy's dual player is pretty darn slick looking. Not $1k worth of slick looking, but definitely one of the more attractive next-gen players on the market.