First Look: LG BH100 Blu-ray/HD DVD player

Last month we mentioned LG's introduction of the BH100, the first DVD player that plays both Blu-ray and HD DVDs. Now Consumer Reports has got their hands on a BH100 and have a first look at this revolutionary player. According to CR:

With two incompatible formats, Blu-ray and HD DVD, competing in the emerging high-definition DVD market, consumers have been wary about buying a player that might become obsolete if the rival format becomes the standard. LG Electronics is trying to allay their concerns. The company has introduced the industry's first "hybrid" high-definition DVD player designed to play movies recorded in either the Blu-ray or HD DVD format. At $1,200, the player is fairly expensive, but some single-format players cost as much. Overall, it's worth a look for early adopters eager to start watching high-def DVDs.
Our tests showed that the BH100 lives up to its promise, providing excellent video quality from Blu-ray and HD DVD titles. But it lacks the Internet connection we've seen on other HD DVD players and doesn't support the Microsoft-based iHD interactivity used in HD DVD titles.

Overall the mini-review states:

If you want a high-def player immediately, the BH100 is worth considering, but it's not your only option, even if you want the ability to play all types of high-def titles. With Toshiba's entry-level HD DVD player now selling for $500 and Samsung and Philips offering $800 Blu-ray models, you could purchase two players for about the price of the LG unit, with the bonus of an Internet connection plus support for HD DVD interactivity. (The Toshiba outputs only 1080i.) Even if you decide to buy the BH100, hang on to your standard DVD player so you can play audio CDs and get the best 480p picture quality.

I've got to agree with Consumer Reports that because of it's price the BH100 is probably only going to appeal to early adopters or someone who has some dough to blow. Still, we're excited to see the BH100 out there and we should see more dual format DVD players hitting the streets here in the near future.

At ConsumerReports.org

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February 19, 2007

First Look: LG BH100 Blu-ray/HD DVD player