Despite previous reports that LG would not be able to release its Blu-ray HD-DVD Combo Player because the company forgot to include the interactive High Definition (iHD) feature for HD DVDs, the product is ready for ordering on Best Buy’s website. Without iHD, the device cannot playback all interactive menus and special features on an HD DVD. Because LG did not respect the HD DVD standard, the company cannot use the HD DVD logo. According to Gizmodo’s Brian Lam, the link is working correctly. However, the price tag is a whopping $1,200; more than an HD DVD player and a PS3. Regardless of all the factors hinting that the device won't sell very well, it is reassuring that a hybrid (crippled) player is finally available. At the very least, LG has stomped out a dirt road which the company and competitors can hopefully pave soon.
View: Pictures
News source: Best Buy (via Gizmodo)
View: Pictures News source: Best Buy (via Gizmodo)
I thought the point of the player is to make Blu-Ray look good. If they enable all the features for HD-DVD which Blu-Ray doesn't have yet, that's not a good thing for their business (considering LG is a member of the Blu-Ray group).
In making a dual format player they show-off the Blu-Ray, put down HD-DVD whilst drawing in "the patent early adopter".
People will buy HD-DVD's, but in the long game, HD-DVD "doesn't have the features of Blu-Ray".... for owners of this player.
The real dual format device is going to have to come from a neutral party.... and be cheap enough so that it's not more expensive than a single format player.
Yeah big boo to that price!
HD DVD folk crack me up.
When this player was first announced they were like "Yay! More support! The tide is turning!"
Now it's a "conspiracy" to make HD DVD look bad because it can't quite do all interactive features. ROFL!
HD DVD is dying all by itself. 175k units (desktop, laptop, standalones, add-ons) for all of 2006 (Toshiba's numbers via their own press release at CES).
No new manufacturing support from mainstream companies.
And (the killer) no new studio support with tepid title announcements and their lone exclusive studio, Universal, not announcing a lineup at CES when previously in 2005 and 2006 they have.
It's the "Scary Movie" version of "Titanic" I tell ya!
Why do companies keep making hardware that looks like it's 20 years old?
Same thing happens when software coders design the GUI, it might work but is ugly as sin. (Speaking as a coder myself).
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