By James Wells
LAS VEGAS: LG’s dual format high definition disc player, Super Multi Blue, which can play both Blu-ray Disc (BD) and HD DVD, has been named the best product released at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The BH100, which was designed to solve consumer concerns about a potential high definition format war, won both the CES Editor’s Choice Award and the CNET Best of CES 2007 Award.
"We are proud of the Super Multi Blue Player and LG’s continuing recognition as a leading innovator in the global consumer electronics industry," said Michael Ahn, president and CEO of LG Electronics CEO and president North American Headquarters.
"With the marriage of Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD, LG has alleviated customers’ confusion about the two formats, taking a great step towards resolving consumer uncertainty due to the two high-definition formats."
LG will launch the dual format product in North America in February 2007 for $US1,199. An Australian release date has not yet been confirmed.
Although the product is a world first, the BH100 has been criticised by some analysts since it will not play compact discs and does not offer full interactivity contained on HD DVD discs.
Suppliers supporting the BD format this week claimed victory over HD DVD, including the North American president of Twentieth Century Fox, Mike Dunn, who said that BD will outsell HD DVD in the first quarter of 2007 by 3.5 to 1. If this is the case, then a dual format machine may be less interesting to consumers than LG previously predicted.