While manufacturers like Samsung and LG have canceled their plans for hybrid Blu-ray/HD DVD players, this hasn't stopped NEC from developing a new chipset compatible with both formats.
Japanese chip maker NEC Electronics Corp. said on Tuesday it began shipping a chip compatible with both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats in next-generation DVDs, bridging a format war splitting the electronics industry in two.
If other hybrid technology is developed, the new chip could lower costs to build dual-format players, helping consumers and the movie industry sidestep the rivalry between the two opposing camps.
The chips go on sale for 10,000 yen ($84), roughly the same price as NEC Electronics' chips which read only Blu-ray or only HD DVD formats, the world's No. 8 chip maker said.
While this is a step in the right direction, we still need an optical pick-up capable of reading both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats. Right now, NEC plans to begin production in the fourth quarter of 2006 with monthly shipments reaching 300,000 units in April. More information can be found here.
