According to ABI Research's latest report, The State of High Definition,
universal players, like LG's Super Multi Blue Player, will become the norm and could eventually end to the battle between Blu-ray and HD
DVD.
When LG Electronics launched its Super Multi Blue Player at the recent CES exhibition, it signaled an exit strategy from
the "war of the high-definition DVD formats." By creating a player that will accommodate both HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs, the Korean
manufacturer may have created a precedent that the rest of the industry will have to follow. A new study from ABI Research forecasts that
such universal players will become the norm, not the exception, benefiting confused consumers unwilling to commit to one DVD camp or the
other.
"We believe that universal players will come to dominate the high-definition DVD player market," says Steve Wilson, the
firm's principal analyst of consumer electronics. Samsung is expected to release its own universal player soon, and others, including
large CE vendors, may follow suit before long. ABI Research forecasts sales of 2.4 million players in 2007, rising to 55 million in
2011.
Personally, I don't see universal players as an end to the war. By supporting both formats, they will drag it out even
further. If you'd like to read more, ABI Research's entire press release can be found here.
