HD-DVD and Blu-Ray?

Question

Do any other companies make HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players besides LG? I want to get one, but LG's is like 900+ bucks!!! Or would it be more worth it to get a HD-DVD player AND a Blu-Ray player?

I do have an XBOX 360 and I've considered buying the HD Player, and then buying a seperate Blu-Ray player.

Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I've been planning to get a PS3.

Maybe...............

Answer 1

Samsung now has a Blu-Ray/HD-DVD combo player. It is model # BD-UP5000 and it has a list price of $999. It has gotten decent reviews, but it's still more expensive than buying both a standalone HD DVD player and a separate Blu-Ray player. The advantage would be that you'll need less wires and cables to hook it up. Here is a link to a review of the unit by Sound & Vision Magazine.

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/hd-dvd-bluray/2568/samsungs-bluhd-combo-player-bd-up5000.html

Answer 2

So far the combo players from LG and Samsing are way too expensive, and they give up some functionality. Avoid.

Getting both standalone types is an idea, however that costs, and the formats are still not fully firm, technically. I am an early adopter, and I am sitting this one out. I will continue to enjoy DVD until the war seems to pick a winner. If I can get a Toshiba A3 (HD DVD) for under $100 with 7 free movies, then I will do it just for the novelty, and be prepared to turf it in a year or 2 if Blueray wins.

Answer 3

With HD-DVD players as low as $100, and the PS3 still considered a very good player at $400, it's probably cheaper to buy 2 separate machines.

Of course, most TVs only have 2 HDMI ports, which makes things sort of difficult if you end up with more than 2 HDMI devices - such as a game console or 2 in addition to your movie players.

Of course, given how messed up both standards are right now, I don't think either is worth wasting money on.

Answer 4

I have been told to avoid the add-on HD player for the 360. It uses a USB connection and they had to do funny things to compress the data so it could work at a lower bandwidth.

Get a stand alone HD player.

The dual format players DO play both - but at the cost of some features unique to HD or BluRay.

Answer 5

Samsung is coming out with one. But it would still be expensive around 1200 bucks. It's still cheaper if you buy separate players.