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South Korea's LG Electronics has said it plans to sell the world's
first DVD player capable of playing rival high-definition DVD
formats.
The dual-format player, to be released in the United States early
this year, will end the "confusion and inconvenience" of
competing disc formats for both content producers and consumers, the
company said in a statement.
The high-definition player will play HD DVD format and rival Blu-ray
format discs, the statement said.
In a replay of the VHS-Betamax battle between two types of video
cassette tape in the late 1970s, the two different DVD formats have
hit the market offering cinematic-quality images and interactive
entertainment.
But they are incompatible, forcing consumers to choose.
Since they were introduced last year, companies have been fighting a
fierce campaign to try to convince consumers that their product
should become the dominant format.
Movie studios, which are releasing high-definition DVD films, have
warned that the format war would delay widespread adoption of the
technology, which allows for extra features and sharper images not
possible with standard discs.
Details of the new unit will be released at the Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas next week, LG's statement said.
-- AFP
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