I have been siting on the fence waiting for one of the new HD formats to lose. I was hoping it would be those rotten Bastages from Sony but it looks like they're gaining ground. :confused: SOooo, I have been eyeing a Universal player some time but didn't want to pay $1K for something that had major problems like the LG. Well it looks there is a new player coming out from Korea call the Samsung BP-5000

http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/home_av/others/0,39037627,62005620,00.htm
Ifthey can bring this in at under $1K and it plays all the content of both formats will you buy it?

Well, I'm still fighting the good fight and not caving to Sony's FUD. I don't want blu-ray to win not just because of Sony but because BD's anti-consumer aspects like region codes and worse interactivity platform (assuming BD-J ever gets done, BD-J is a worse platform than HDi).

I know not everyone is lucky enough to have Verizon FiOS service, but with my FiOS service, D-VHS tapes I make look 99% as good as BD discs, so I'm not in a huge hurry.

Dave

It is my understanding that the rumored $500 price is a mistake; it will actually be priced something like $400 more than their Blu-ray only player.

No, I won't buy it. Already got an A2 and just need a Blu-ray player, if I decide to go that route at all.

It is my understanding that the rumored $500 price is a mistake; it will actually be priced something like $400 more than their Blu-ray only player.
No, I won't buy it. Already got an A2 and just need a Blu-ray player, if I decide to go that route at all. well that's a good point, if the price of the combo player is more than buying one of each then who the hell's gonna buy it? :confused: The thing I don't like about HD-A2 is no 6channel analog audio, so you need the XA-2 for that.
I'm a cynical optimist though, this Christmas will see a real shake-up in the HD market and a company that can make a combo player at the $500. price point will kill both of the stand-alone players in sales. I mean the blue lasers can't be all that different, it's gotta just be a software problem right? :)

I mean the blue lasers can't be all that different, it's gotta just be a software problem right? :)

The data is closer to the surface on BDs (which is why they need the scratch protection layer) which means tighter focus tolerances. BD players have a more expensive optical system for this reason. Then there is needing both BD-J and HDi for the interactivity (which is a software problem). The movie data on the disc is the same, so yes, once read, that can be handled the same. :)

While the optical system is more expensive, there is a savings in hardware; one case, one power supply, one scaler, etc. It should be more expensive but not twice or more expensive.

While the optical system is more expensive, there is a savings in hardware; one case, one power supply, one scaler, etc. It should be more expensive but not twice or more expensive.

Oh, I agree. Basically, you need a BD-J implementation, an HDi implementation and an optical system that can focus at all the required blue and red laser depths. Given the price of Toshiba HD DVD players, even with the added expenses, there is no way a BD player should cost more than $500 currently. To that, I can't see more than another $100 (for the reasons you stated) to support HD DVD. So, a universal player should cost no more than $600.

well that's a good point, if the price of the combo player is more than buying one of each then who the hell's gonna buy it? :confused: The thing I don't like about HD-A2 is no 6channel analog audio, so you need the XA-2 for that.

Or pick up an A1 cheap and just deal with the slow load times. :)

About the LG, Everyone has been saying they are having major probs with it? Not me I have had mine since Early January and for a few audio drop out here and there I have no other problems loads up way faster than any player i have went to look at or have seen at Friends homes. And the early rumors that they were not going to do firm ware up grades is not true. they have had i think 3 firmware upgrades for mostly audio fixes and adding audio output options like true HD on blu-ray, which by the way sounds great! I Actually have been waiting for thiere second gen player for my main TV 65 inch Mitsu.

And the pic Quality is awesome! Still waiting for my moome card and soon after will get the MP mods but for now 1080i out of the LG into my Lumagen outputting 1080p to the marquee looks great to me!

Yes i also heard that the samsung will be 400 euros( close to 1.40 now to the dollar !!) higher than their blu-ray player so that puts it into the same price rang as the LG maybe a bit lower.

Nope, I went with a Samsung BR player about 3 weeks ago, and that's it for me. I'm not going to deal with two formats, and the Reon processor in the Samsung is outstanding. SD DVD also looks better than ever.
Up until 3 weeks ago I could have cared less who won this stupid format war, but all along I've been reading sales figures, and it seems like BR is pulling farther ahead with every passing month.
However I'm hearing a rumour that HD-DVD has a software ace up it's sleeve, Lord of the Rings.

Combo players do nothing more than prolong the war... We don't need combo players.

Kal

However I'm hearing a rumour that HD-DVD has a software ace up it's sleeve, Lord of the Rings. Argghh, I KNEW it. A bonehead, sony fanboy, friend of mine was tell me this was on BR, but there is NO WAY i'm investing in ANY formay that doesn't have these movies on it. :mad:
Looks like it's going to be either HD-DVD, dual format, or nothing for me .

There is so much speculation and mis-information on what format Lord of the Rings will be presented in... I wouldn't listen to any of it until something is firmly announced by New Line Studios.

For example, see this thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=825463

Which states:

The News:

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy will be released on both Blu-ray and HD-DVD on November 23, 2007.

Here is the interesting part:

As a gesture of good faith over the Matrix release, New Line/WB will be releasing only the Extended Editions on Blu-ray at this time, while HD-DVD will get only the Theatrical Versions.

The Blu-ray version will be on a BD50 in VC-1 with PCM!! It will also showcase a lot of the neat features of BD-J.

~Josh

Man. you guys got to get the facts right. Lord of the Rings extended version will only be available on Blu-Ray this fall.

HD-DVD is dead. Heck, Even Blockbuster and Netflix admitted that last week. They only rent BluRay at blockbuster now. Universal and Microsoft gave up and went BluRay.

DraganM the only reason to go with a multiformat player and pay alot more money for it is if your one of the dummies that got stuck buying a whole bunch of HD-DVD movies and have no way to watch them. hehe

They only rent BluRay at blockbuster now.

Man, you need to get your facts right. The VERY few brick and mortar blockbusters that will rent HD discs in the near future will only rent BDs. Blockbuster online and netflix will still continue to rent both. In fact, Netflix has stated recently that there is still no clear winner. Good attempt at FUD--to bad it failed.

Since no consumer in their right mind would want BD to win, I can only assume you either work for Sony or are one of the people they pay to post positive BD things in forums.

Man. you guys got to get the facts right. Lord of the Rings extended version will only be available on Blu-Ray this fall. Facts? What facts? Your source of this "fact" is where? Some blog where people post rumours which is no different then all the other noise that people post here?

All New Line has officially announced is the following found on this website: http://www.lordoftherings.net/index_400_hv_limiteddvd.html

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FAQs

Still have questions about this release? Here are some Frequently Asked Questions from other fans.

WHEN IS THE LORD OF THE RINGS GOING TO BE RELEASED IN HIGH DEFINITION (EITHER HD-DVD OR BLU-RAY)?

The high definition formats that have recently launched offer exceptional picture and sound quality in addition to new interactive bonus feature capabilities. New Line Home Entertainment is committed to the high definition format and is very excited about the idea of releasing the Trilogy in the format. However, New Line is also committed to maximizing the capabilities of the technology to deliver a cutting edge high definition experience. This will take more time as well as the participation of the filmmakers to achieve. It is currently not scheduled for release until, at the earliest, 2008.
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There have been no press releases, no official statements, NOTHING.

Kal

You know I've been back an forth on this, but I made a choice I'm going to buy both. But I'm going with the two top players, I already have the XA2. I have a feeling they will leave features out on a combo player on one side, or both.

Still having things like this on the market will make it a better place for Joe Twenty Four Pack.

You know what guys? There are some very nice forums devoted to this this a little further down the AVS page ;) Take all the fanboy crap there. Seriously.

As a STRONG supporter of both formats (3 players in EACH format, dozens of titles) I don't care. I get to pick whatever movie I want, whatever encode or audio tracks I want, and play it. Yeah. A combo player would be nice to save me some space and the trouble of teaching my wife the difference between the two, and I'm sure if it was cheap enough it would help the adoption a little. But at $900 it is an enthusiast's only machine, and given the features it lacks it's not even that.

I got in fairly early by purchasing a HD-A1 and have no desire to part ways with it. Even if HD-DVD hoisted the white flag tomorrow, the A1 is one hell of a good upscaling player for SD DVDs - not to mention the HD disks I already own. That stated, as the months roll by I'm finding more and more BR titles that I would like to own in HD. I also would not hate to have a high-def gaming system in my HT, so I plan to buy a PS3 around the first of '08. Regardless of how badly the fanboys on both sides want their side to win the "war", I think that it's still going to be a few years before anything is decided.

Personally I'm waiting for a reasonably priced CD/DVD/BRD/HDDVD combo PC disk drive. Since I run an HTPC anyway, no way do I want to let some black box handle the video, and if the pattern follows DVD the drives for PCs will be drastically cheaper than standalone players (which makes more sense the more the output quality rises; NTSC was dirt in terms of processing / bandwidth even in 1997).

For the moment, there's not enough content at reasonable prices (ie, available via a netflix-type service) to make it worthwhile, even though my display hardware way outmatches the content available on DVD. With FFDshow I figure I can scale DVDs well enough that it's not going to tear me up inside for a while.

(As an aside, a friend of mine is looking at a laptop which will do blueray, hddvd, and is, IIRC, under 2k. So the drives themselves are obviously not terrifically expensive!)