CeBIT: Blu-ray Backer LG Prepares Competing HD-DVD Drive

HANOVER, GERMANY -- LG Electronics, one of the main backers of the Blu-ray Disc format, is working on a player for the rival HD-DVD format, the company said on Friday.

Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD are new optical-disc formats that are being positioned as replacements for DVD for high-definition content. Both formats are planned for launch in the first half of this year. Discs for one won't work on players designed for the other, so consumers face a choice between the two or waiting until a clear victor in the battle emerges.

"We are still behind Blu-ray Disc," said Annegees van Ligne, a spokesperson for the company, "but we are preparing an HD-DVD player."

Hedging Bets

The move makes LG the latest Blu-ray Disc supporter to shift its position. In late 2005 Hewlett-Packard said it would also support HD-DVD. LG stressed that its main support still lies with Blu-ray Disc, but that it's working on an HD-DVD player in case that format proves popular.

At present it's difficult to pick a likely winner in the battle. Both sides trumpet their technology as superior to the competition, but all of the pieces are yet to be put in place. For example, issues such as region coding are yet to be decided and details are still being worked out on copy protection and other issues that could have an impact on user preference.

In terms of pricing, the HD-DVD format appears to have the edge among the first group of players. Toshiba plans to launch two HD-DVD players in the U.S. in March for $500 and $800, while the cheapest Blu-ray Disc players yet disclosed will cost $1000 when they hit shelves in May.

Who Supports What?

Blu-ray Disc is backed by a group headed by Sony that also includes Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, LG Electronics, Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic), Mitsubishi, Philips, Pioneer, Samsung Electronics, Sharp, TDK, and Thomson.

The HD-DVD format is backed by a smaller number of major consumer electronics ms but has the backing of the DVD Forum, the group behind the DVD format. Its major backers include Toshiba, NEC, Sanyo, Intel, and Microsoft.

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