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LG's dual Blu-ray/HD DVD player - will it just prolong the war?

by Adam Turner

Monday, 05 February 2007

LG's answer to the HD disc format war - a dual Blu-ray/HD DVD player - has hit the US shelves for a whopping $US1100, but will it see the public bogged down in another prolonged struggle?

Like on the battlefield, a short war with a clear winner creates stability and public confidence. The industry needs people to vote with their wallets, choose a winner and move on. Sitting on the fence with LG's dual format Super Multi-Blue Player (BH-100) player just slows mass adoption of one format. This keeps prices high, which further slows mass adoption. One day Blu-ray players will be a $50 cash-and-carry item at the supermarket, but LG's efforts are pushing that day further into the future.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for interoperability. Multi-format DVD burners were a great idea which saw that ridiculous format war fizzle away, but I don't think Blu-ray and HD DVD can happily co-exist on a long term basis because movie houses don't want to invest in both formats.

Like Betamax versus VHS, there can be only one. Right now I don't care which one it is, but the sooner there is only one the sooner I'll be able to afford to buy one, rather than just reviewing them and sadly handing them back. If you shop around online you can pick up a Samsung Blu-ray player for $US600 and a Toshiba HD DVD player for $US400, so LG will need to do far better than $US1100 to make any sales.

Personally I think Blu-ray's inclusion in the Playstation 3 will be what gives Blu-ray the advantage it needs to win the war. The porn industry will also have its say in the eventual winner, but I think the porn kings have lost some of their pull when it comes to influencing formats. The internet is such a cheap, accessible delivery model for porn that the Blu-ray v HD-DVD war is of less importance than earlier format wars. Still, the porn industry has always been the one to watch when it comes to new technologies, from VCRs to e-commerce and video streaming, so it would be foolish for new and old media players not to keep an eye on the internet's skin merchants. They may have lost their influence on optical disc formats, which is old tech anyway, but the porn kings still hold the future of video technology in the palms of their hands.{moscomment}

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