Tech Shout!

In the move of heightening its position in the format war, on Wednesday, LG launched an updated version of its high-def DVD player, which offers support for both Blu-ray as well as HD DVD formats.

In January, the South Korean electronics maker introduced the BH100 in the market. The forthcoming BH200 has undergone a 16 percent price cut and will be available for $999. Though it is yet around twice the amount of a stand-alone Blu-ray (sells for about $500) or HD DVD player (Priced at approx. $400), the move is surely a positive one.

The upcoming LG player is on its way by mid-October, in the US. It will be packed with features that the original LG player lacked. It is expected to be capable of Blu-ray disc and HD DVD playback with advanced BD-Java and HDi technology.

This step by LG could perhaps be as an answer to Samsung’s upcoming dual format player, the BD-UP5000. Slated for an autumn release, the $1049 player will also offer full support for both BD-Java and HDi along with web-enabled features for both formats.