Washington, D.C. (January 4, 2007) -- LG Electronics says it will launch a dual HDTV DVD device that can play both Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs.

The electronics company made the announcement on Wednesday and said it would release further details at next week's Consumer Electronics Show, such as pricing and launch dates.

The dual player is aimed at ending the format war between the Sony-backed Blu-ray DVD and the Toshiba-supported HD-DVD. Consumers have been hesitant to purchase the new high-def DVD players due partially to concerns that the format war will eventually leave them holding an obsolete machine.

In a statement, LG said it hoped the dual player would "end the confusion and inconvenience of competing High-Definition disc formats."

Swanni Sez:
LG's announcement could be good news for high-def owners looking to buy a new HDTV DVD player. With a dual player, consumers would not be left holding the bag if one format eventually goes out of business; they could still play new movie releases on the dual player.

However, the success of the dual player will depend greatly on its price and performance. If the player costs as much as today's Blu-ray players (up to $1,000), then consumers will remain on the sidelines.