Last week when we ran into troubles playing the latest Fox release of Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, we were quick to blame BD+. Fox told Video Business that they're not sure if it's BDJ or BD+ that's causing the issues, but either way it's not their fault. They suggest that if anyone's having problems playing the disc, that they should "lobby their hardware manufacturers to release firmware upgrades post haste." This is pretty much what we'd expect them to say, and in the end it's the consumer that's getting the short end of the stick. LG has stated that they'll have an update for the BH100 within a few days, while Samsung BD-P1200 fans will have to wait a few weeks.

[Via HighDefDigest]

Let's say you absolutely must have high-def movies, and who doesn't, but you also can't decide which format to buy. The obvious choice is to buy LG's combo player - the BH100. That way if one format doesn't pan out, you don't have to post the other one on Craigslist as your player supports both formats. However, said combo player actually cost more than buying a player from both HD DVD and Blu-ray. (Sony BDP-S300 + Toshiba HD-A2 = $899) Thankfully, LG is trying to keep up with the times and they dropped the MSRP of its player to $999 from $1199. The price is still technically higher than buying one of each but then retailers can slap their sale prices on 'em and get that price down to where it needs to be.

Although LG's Super Multi Blue standalone hybrid player snuck into a few CompUSA's before the street date and subsequently landed in several highly frequented big box retail locations, the firm is hoping to broaden the reach of its peace making device by getting it to more locales. The BH100 will reportedly ship en masse to the "800-plus network of US Best Buy stores" this June, and "at the same time, the player will spread to significantly more Circuit City outlets" than it's currently in. The company noted that as production hurdles have been overcome, it's growing easier to get these out to lesser-known stores, e-tailers, and a wider range of CCs and BBs, but interestingly, it was stated that there were "no announcements yet regarding a second-generation Super Multi Blue unit that might beef up its HD DVD capabilities."

We already heard the Blu-ray Disc Association's opinion on the status of the format war and now we can look forward to Sony's marketing campaign pounding a single point home: The format war is over, Blu-ray has won, it's safe to get behind one high definition format. Forgetting for a moment that Universal Studios has not switched to supporting Blu-ray and the current availability of a dual-format player, the company is buoyed by the growing installed base of its PlayStation 3 console and a rising tide of Blu-ray disc sales. VideoBusiness reports HD DVD sales remain steady, and among standalone players still holds a slight lead in numbers. Still, there are a lot of buyers unwilling to buy into either camp and risk ending up with the equivalent of a Beta tape player. Is the format war over yet? Not really, but if Sony manages to convince consumers that it is then it becomes -- they hope -- a self fulfilling prophecy.

After the world's first HD DVD / Blu-ray hybrid player has been talked about forever, showcased at CES, rumored around a bit more, received a price tag, hit a potential production snag, shown up in stores anyway, withstood a review, and smiled real pretty for the camera, what else is there to do? Ah, yes, we must make things official. Nearly three weeks after LG's BH100 went on sale in a variety of big box retailers, the player is just now becoming an item that's "officially on sale," and should be taking over the DVD player section of your nearest Best Buy, Circuit City, and CompUSA locations. No, it's not receiving any kind of price cut just yet, and it still doesn't rock the official HD DVD seal of approval, but now you can pick up a two-in-one player of your very own with LG's belated acknowledgement.

As promised after teasing us with their unboxing pics, the folks at Gadgetaholic have put down the camera and delivered a full review of LG's format-agnostic BH100 HD DVD / Blu-ray hybrid player. On that all-important point, they found that the player handled both formats "flawlessly," with picture quality for each pretty much in line with standalone HD DVD and Blu-ray players. Of course, you'll have to make do without HDi functionality or HDMI 1.3a support, which LG now says won't be able to be remedied with a firmware update. They also found the player to be somewhat lacking when it came to the still-important question of DVD playback, with the quality of upconverted DVDs varying noticeably from disc to disc. Add all that to the relatively steep $1,199 price tag, and Gadgetaholic has a tough time recommending the player for most users, finding it notable for what it achieves, but ultimately viewing it as more of a historical footnote than a serious contender.

Well this is more like it. After waiting forever between the initial announcement and first retail availability of the first wave of HD disc devices, LG's BH100 really rocketed to the shelves, and has just participated in its first unboxing (that we've heard of) mere weeks after the announcement at CES. We're a little disconcerted by that big front-and-center dent on the box, but the unit itself looks just dandy, and gadgetaholic promises a full review in the coming days. But that's not what you're here for, you just wanted to see this little guy ripped from his Styrofoam cocoon and flap his little Red and Blue wings, so hit the read link for the whole event. Fly, BH100, fly.

Whoa, that was quick. The story of LG's BH100 has moved from myth to reality quicker than some companies can even craft a marketing campaign, and astoundingly enough, the hybrid HD DVD / Blu-ray player has not only been captured on camera, but it's available for sale. You read right, LG's $1,199 harmony machine is apparently already leaking into a few CompUSA locations, and although we didn't know how its inability to play back HDi would effect the release status, we're now seeing that it beat the February 4th presumptions by a solid two weeks, and although it clearly lacks an "official" HD DVD logo, it seemed to handle The Hulk just fine. So if you just can't hold back your desire for a two-faced player any longer, and can track down a stocked CompUSA location, you can pick up your very own BH100 starting today. Click on through for a few more sneak peeks, and be sure to hit the read link for the full skinny.

[Via CNET]

LG already told us that its new dual format player would be available in the first quarter of 2007, but we are surprised that we are already receiving unconfirmed reports from Best Buy employees that the date is going to be February 4th. Apparently the BH100 is already live in the company's system, according to our tipster. This isn't as surprising as seeing it on Best Buy's website almost instantly after the announcement, but we're still wondering what LG plans to do if the DVD forum disaproves its lack of support for HDi. We understand that rules are rules, but it's hard to imagine the DVD forum suing the only company to make a standalone player other than Toshiba.

[Thanks, Derek]

LG has set the price for its BH100 combination Blu-ray and HD DVD player at $1,199. Available in the first quarter of this year, the company thinks it can resolve buyer confusion and push both high-def formats using Broadcom's chipset. 1080p and DTS-HD audio support are present and accounted for, but no word yet on other features, like 1080p24 or HDMI 1.3, but for more information check our live coverage of LG's press event and demonstration.

Update: Home Theater Blog found official pics of the unit already on Best Buy's website. Continue on for shots of the back and remote.