Samsung Blu-ray/HD DVD Player in the Works?

LG made big news earlier this year with its introduction of the BH100, the first player on the market capable of playing both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. While it sounded great on paper, the actual player came with some serious problems: namely, it couldn't handle any of HD DVD's interactive features, and it was saddled with a $1,000-plus price tag. Now, it looks like Samsung might be prepping a dual-format player that picks up where the BH100 left off.

According to the A/V geeks at the Home Theater Blog, Samsung's Blu-ray/HD DVD-capable BD-UP5000 may be poised for a July launch, and the rumored specs sound pretty exciting. Word has it the player will arrive with a bleeding-edge HDMI 1.3 output (allowing for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio sound), and that it will also support all the special features on HD DVD discs (such as pop-up video commentary). Sounds enticing, but if the BD-UP5000 turns out to be the real deal, expect the price tag to hover near the $1,000 range, just like the BH-100.  

Related:
Rumors of a Dual-Format Player from Samsung Just Won't Die [Home Theater Blog]