LG Electronics says it plans to sell a DVD player that will play both warring high-definition DVD formats.
The first dual-format high-definition player will play discs in the HD DVD format, which is backed by a consortium headed by Toshiba, as well as the rival Blu-ray format, backed by a group led by Sony.
The LG unit will be unveiled at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, South Korea-based LG said. Details, including pricing and availability, will become available then, the company said.
The two DVD formats have been battling for market share since being introduced last year. Both are expected to get a boost this year as more studios release films in the formats and more players become available.
But the formats are incompatible, forcing consumers to choose.
Studios and electronics makers have said the resulting format war will delay widespread adoption of high-definition DVDs, which contain sharper images and extra features not possible with standard-definition discs.
LG said it expects its dual-format player to ”end the confusion and inconvenience of competing high-definition disc formats”. — Sapa-AP