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A Dual Format Device Still Launching: Take That, End of Format War!
March 24, 2008

When Samsung pulled the plug on launching a second generation dual format player, I figured other companies would likewise scuttle plans for a new combo Blu-ray and HD DVD device. The whole format war thing had just ended and all. 
But here comes a company called Plextor which will be launching a $499 dual format computer drive. It reads both BD and HD DVD titles, and also plays and records DVD and CD formats. 
Conceivably, there are people that have a bunch of HD DVD titles, who are in suddenly in need of a player. In the name of easing the pain of early adopters of the format, Best Buy is giving gift cards in exchange for HD DVD product trade-ins, and Circuit City extended the period for which people can return HD DVD hardware.
But I wonder how big enough of a group that really is, and will they in fact change their mind and want a player again? That seems like a tiny niche of likely buyers. But I can't imagine any other consumer group going for it. If you're in the market for a high-definition drive, Sony is offering a format-winning BD product for a more attractive $200. If you just want a high-definition player, you might as well pick up a Playstation 3 or entry-level BD set-top for $399.
But maybe Plextor had too much money invested in its dual format model to back out now. And based on recent confusion over the end of the format war, may be there will be a good chunk of folks who wind up purchasing it.

Posted by Susanne Ault on March 24, 2008 | Comments (0)