June 22nd 2006

Samsung To Hedge Bets And Produce Combo Player

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Samsung, which despite the doomsayers, is on course to be first to market in the USA with a Blu-Ray player, has confirmed it is considering supporting the HD-DVD format as well.

However, that support will come in the form of a combined Blu-Ray / HD-DVD player and not a standalone device.

"We don’t have a plan to make an HD-DVD-only player but are considering a universal player," Samsung’s home platform spokesman Kim Du-Hyon said. "We are preparing HD-DVD now, and if we launch a universal player, it will be the end of this year or early next year."

In a slightly unconvincing statement Kim also said that he expected Blu-Ray to stomp all over HD-DVD once consumers saw the two formats side by side. However, Samsung doesn't seem prepared to back that conviction up with actions and is set to build a combo player anyway.

Samsung's BD-P1000 Blu-Ray player will go on sale in the United States on June 25 for US$1,000.

Source: CIO