Hitachi-LG First With Blu-Ray/HD DVD Combo PC Drive

[Doug Mohr]

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198000593

[pretzelkid]

The Sound and Vision magazine I received today has an LG branded BluRay/HD player combo unit on the cover...the war is over!!  :stpat

[Mark Strube]

...the war is over!!  :stpat

If only that were the case. At this point, the manufacturers are only beginning to figure out how to lower the price point on the single-format players (also with the recent news of Asian builds of HD-DVD players). The price on the standalone dual-format players (which LG also has) is going to take a good while to lower, while Blu-Ray and HD-DVD continue to duke it out. Sadly, at this point, the consumer is going to continue to lose, until either more than one manufacturer is making the dual-format players, or one of the formats outright fails.

[pretzelkid]

Sadly, at this point, the consumer is going to continue to lose, until either more than one manufacturer is making the dual-format players, or one of the formats outright fails.

I totally agree and after reading the review (I posted only seeing the cover) that LG unit is kinda quirky...no True HD Dolby...no HD player DVD menu's just a navigation menu instead and it can't play regular CD's and of course 1,200 bucks. The picture was stunning for both formats so at least there is that but like all things it's a start and prices will come down eventually.

[gparris]

If you buy the Toshiba HD-A2 or the newer model coming out soon like it that does 1080p output you have CD play and DVD upconversion capability for around $600, then add the $499 or $599 PS3 and you are at the same price point without any audio or video regrets.
LG missed the mark without the iHD interface and just 2.0 audio for Dolby TRUEHD along with no CD playback capability.
I am sure that other combos will come out soon enough, less expensive with better features, LG just wanted to be the first one out the door with this kind of product.

[Mark Strube]

Well, as of now the sale price for the HD-A2 is at $366... just check on Amazon. Right now the cheapest Blu-Ray player is $500. Doesn't make much sense to me how Blu-Ray titles are doing more overall sales than their HD-DVD counterparts (The Departed was a good test), especially considering the lower price on the stand-alones and the 360 add-on. I guess the PS3 accounts for more than I thought it would.

[gparris]

You have the newer HD-A2 vs. my HD-A1, which seems like an old clunker in comparison to yours in loading speed, smaller unit frame and so on.
I could care less about the analogue outputs (which yours left out) as I use my HDMI AVR with it, but I am not selling it, either.
The thing about it is, everytime a high-def disc is available in BD, I get that version over the HD-DVD if available since I don't like to battle with the Toshiba.
If the high def digest (see link, forum front page) reviews the quality of the BD to the HD-DVD disc the same, I get the BD disc (and it usually is lately).
With all the PS3's out there, gamers will eventually end of buying a BD or two along the way, too.

[Bebop]

I don't know if you can burn with the 360 HD DVD add-on. But, here is one from Toshiba for $370 ( unfortunately, it doesn't seem to burn HD DVD).

http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/03/14/toshibas-pa35-external-drive-does-hd-dvd-on-the-cheap/