Samsung announces it will offer a multi-standard -Blu-ray and HD-DVD- player "in the coming year"...
When interviewed by the Financial Times Deutschland, Choi Gee-sung, head of Samsung's consumer electronics, has announced the company intends to launch a range of next generation DVD players that will offer both the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD formats on the same device.
He said that "It won't be simple, but you'll see our solution in the coming year."
With the end of talks between rival standards Blu-ray and HD-DVD, and although Samsung is backing Blu-ray, he said that "Consumers will be too confused otherwise." Hence the decision to go for a multiple format range. Choi Gee-Sun declared that "We would welcome a unified standard but if this doesn't come, which looks likely, we'll bring a unified solution to market."
This would certainly come at a premium price, because of engineering and supplemental licensing costs, but Samsung might catch consumer interest, should the standard war continue. Samsung has a multi-standard track record, notably in the mobile video and phone segments.
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