A high-def hug for DVD rivals?
Warner Bros., LG unveiling products that merge Blu-ray, HD DVD
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After a launch year that saw very slow pick-up for the Blu-ray and HD DVD formats, two separate approaches to ending the split between them are expected to be unveiled at the CES confab in Las Vegas:
- Warner Bros. will debut a format it calls "True HD" that features both Blu-ray and HD DVD movies on one disc. Theoretically, it allows consumers not to have to worry whether they have the right kind of player when buying a hi-def DVD.
- LG Electronics, and possibly other manufacturers, will show new DVD players that read discs in both formats. Though it will likely debut at $1,000, it should appeal to high-end consumers who have avoided buying a hi-def DVD player for fear they'll end up with the 21st century version of a Betamax machine.
Thus far, the biggest driver of hi-def DVD adoption has been Sony's Playstation 3, which comes standard with a Blu-ray drive, and Microsoft's Xbox 360, which offers an HD DVD attachment for just $200.
Neither looks likely to change their technology to play both formats.
Similarly, Blu-ray backers like Sony and Disney and HD DVD backer Universal don't seem too interested in Warner's hybrid format.
So while both solutions have the potential to end consumer consternation over the competing formats, they may in the short run be one more confusing option for hi-def adopters to sort through.
