Bridging the format gap

High-definition DVD enthusiasts agonizing over choosing between two formats geared toward high-definition TVs -- HD DVD and Blu-ray -- may find relief with new products geared toward working with both formats.

Both HD DVD and Blu-ray have been struggling to dominate the high-definition marketplace, competing to become the DVD format of choice by offering high-resolution video to match the HDTV sets people are buying.

Techies say the competition is reminiscent of the Beta vs. VHS battle of the 1970s.

Alan Parsons of Cape Girardeau considers himself a movie freak. Back in the late 1970s, he had a Beta videocassette recorder while most people were buying VHS machines.

Then he jumped into the laserdisc craze of the late 1980s, and graduated to the DVD format in the mid-1990s. Now he's upgraded again.

"I've always followed the prerecorded movie technology," said Parsons, a landscaper. "I know that Blu-Ray and HD-DVD have been fighting for several years over which format is the best. I paid more money, but I bought a Blu-Ray player as a Christmas present to myself."

Parsons said there are not yet many movies available on Blu-Ray or HD-DVD, but either player will handle the old DVDs, and he has about 70 of them.

"DVDs aren't extinct and maybe never will be," he said. "But the Blu-Ray discs can carry more information. They have more storage space, which means one disc can hold a three- or four-hour movie."

Parsons said people need a high-definition TV to take advantage of the new format, regardless of whether they buy a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player.

Warner Bros. is set to introduce a high-definition DVD disc that can hold films and TV shows in rival and incompatible formats, such as those pictured above. (RIC FRANCIS ~ Associated Press)

"If you don't have the high-tech TV, you won't get the crystal clear picture," he said.

Time Warner Inc. is expected to launch a new DVD that will merge the two competing formats onto one disc, and LG Electronics Co. announced last week the debut of its new Super Multi Blue dual-format drive player at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The player will work with both HD DVD and Blu-ray formats by using two lenses and two lasers, said company representative Brent Tongco.

The Super Multi Blue won the coveted "Best in Show" award from CNET.com, during the electronics show, Tongco said.

Tongco said the new product is already being shipped to stores with a suggested retail price of $1,199 and has the support of large retailers, including Best Buy and Circuit City.

"We are the first, and we are the only one to come out with a dual-format player as of right now," Tongco said Friday. "With the competitive price point of about $1,200, it's the best of both worlds."

The objective was to create a product that would address the consumers' confusion over the two formats, he said. With one player that accepts both formats, consumers will not be hesitant to buy a player.

Joe Belcher, sales manager at Stereo One in Cape Girardeau, is anticipating the arrival of the Super Multi Blue.

Belcher also thinks LG Electronic's dual-format player is a good idea for the consumer by taking the guesswork out of which product to buy and creates a successful environment for both HD DVD and Blu-ray.

It will also attract new customers who were previously reluctant to choose between the two formats.

"The performance of this new technology is phenomenal," he said. "You have to see it to appreciate it."

Staff writer Jim Obert contributed to this story.

carel@semissourian.com

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