LG PC Blu-ray/HD-DVD Combo Drive
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Estimated more around $500 according to this article:
The GBW-H10N has been available separately - at least someplace in the world - since June of last year, when a BenQ-branded edition showed up in Taiwan for over $900 retail. Today, the average price of this component is about $550 USD.
Although HP remains mum on pricing until Wednesday, expect this component to add about $500 USD to the price of a performance Pavilion system.
This article has a picture of it, and I like their commentary:
HP is joining up with LG and Samsung on the neutral ground of dual-format players. While many companies still seem to think that consumers are dumb enough to pick sides at this point in the asinine format war, the smart money is on letting the companies deal with the mess and giving consumers a player that can handle either disc.
Yep, HP is sticking a dual-format drive in a couple of its Pavilion desktop computers. This is a shift in policy for the company, who started out being firmly on the HD DVD side of things. Way to side with the consumers, HP. Hopefully more companies will soon follow suit so we can put this silly format war behind us.
I thinking (hoping is probably more accurate & fair
) that this "format war" will turn out more like the "war" between +R / -R , in that inexpensive drives easily handle both. 
The announced retail price of the super multi-blue drive is US$1200.
What it will street for I do not know.
Cheers,
What it will street for I do not know.
Cheers,
I know this is an old thread, but I thought I would bring it back up again since the price of this drive is now $299.
Diogen, I think I remember reading that you have one of these. What are your impressions? It seems like a no-brainer if you have a powerful enough computer. I think I can upgrade my HTPC including the price of the drive for under $600. Then I won't have to worry about the format war at all
Diogen, I think I remember reading that you have one of these. What are your impressions? It seems like a no-brainer if you have a powerful enough computer. I think I can upgrade my HTPC including the price of the drive for under $600. Then I won't have to worry about the format war at all
jwf:
That's actually a new SKU.
Factor in the cost of the drive, the cost of the video card and the cost of the software when shopping
Best,
That's actually a new SKU.
Factor in the cost of the drive, the cost of the video card and the cost of the software when shopping
Best,
I do have this one
NCIX.com - Buy LG GGC-H20L BLU-RAY HD-DVD Reader BD-ROM 6X HD DVD-ROM 3X DVD+-RW 16X8X6 DL 4X Black SATA Software - GGC-H20L In Canada.
It is a reader only for both formats (unlike the one discussed above).
I like it very much.
For a little bit more you can build a completely new HTPC!
Have look at this post (and read the links if you haven't seen them before)
Asus...helping the HTPC BD/HD DVD crowd - Page 2 - SlySoft Forum
That's the motherboard I used (video on-board, HDMI output, HDCP support, $90 at that time).
Add AMD X2 5000+ Brisbane Black Edition ($150), 2GB RAM ($90), hard drive ($100), this drive ($290)
and your total cost is $630. I used an ARIA ANTEC case I had ($120).
Bottom line: for $750 you have a new HTPC. BTW, the software player (PowerDVD) for both formats is included with the drive.
It is not in "production" in my home theatre yet.
Mainly because I have very few HD/BD discs (it plays fine Bourne and Die Hard 4) and no HDMI receiver.
It is used primaraly for codec/player/OS and AnyDVD testing and is connected directly to the projector.
When used with Vista (with its room correction audio, analog out) it sounds very good.
Diogen.
EDIT: I made a mistake in adding up prices - it's $100 more.
But building it today using newegg, you could probably get it for under $750.
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Thanks for the info diogen! So you just used the on-board video on the motherboard? I was thinking I would have to buy a snazzy new video card.
Yes, I do.
An external video card might cut the CPU utilization to under 20% but I'm happy with around 50%.
The system is cheap and very quiet (pick a Brisbane CPU, 65nm technology, if you go this way).
If you do want it to do gaming, the mobo, although mATX, has a PCI-Ex16 slot and you can add
an external video card.
There are a few Intel boards by now in the race. If you prefer them, look at the G35 boards.
Diogen.
