LG unleashes first dual-format DVD player in stores

Computerworld - LG Electronics today said the industry's first dual-format high-definition disc player is now available at retail stores with a price tag of about $1,200, according to Pricegrabber.com.

The LG Super Multi Blue Player (LG BH100) was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show last month (see "LG to show dual HD DVD/Blu-ray player"). The player is now available at national retailers, such as Best Buy, Circuit City and CompUSA, as well as regional retailers and local dealers.

The LG BH100 allows you to play both Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD high-definition content by blending both technologies. While some industry pundits have seen the combination of the two high definition DVD formats as a solution to the quandry of which format to choose, others see combination players as mucking up the format waters (see "Hybrid products unlikely to end DVD format war") .

According to LG, the BH100 is best suited to LG's expanded lineup of Full HD 1080p plasma and LCD HDTVs.
Michael Ahn, president and CEO of LG Electronics North America, said he expects the new player to help trigger sales for both formats and high-definition televisions in general.

The LG BH100 incorporates interactive functions based on BD-Java, which allows advanced menus and functions to be displayed over the video of Blu-ray discs. The same level of advanced menu interactivity is not available while playing HD-DVD discs.

The player also upconverts standard DVDs to 1080i resolution, providing compatibility with existing movie libraries while improving the picture quality of those discs, LG said in a statement.

The BH100 supports various A/V formats, including MPEG-2, VC-1, H.264 video, MPEG1/2 audio, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital+, DTS and DTS-HD audio. The unit also includes multiple inputs/outputs such as HDMI out, component/composite video outputs, and optical/coaxial/discrete 5.1 channel audio outputs, among others.