DailyTech - LG's Blu-ray, HD DVD Combo Drive Priced at $1,200

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Hardware LG's Blu-ray, HD DVD Combo Drive Priced at $1,200
Marcus Yam (Blog) - March 15, 2007 2:39 AM

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19 comment(s) - last by timmiser.. on Mar 16 at 2:11 AM

LG's enthusiastically named "Super Multi Blue" SATA drive

A drive for your PC that will burn Blu-ray Discs and play HD DVD movies is coming this May

LG hit CES with a splash following its announcement of an HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc combo player made for home entertainment systems. With the set top version in stores, LG has turned its efforts to creating an internal SATA combo drive for computers.

The new GGW-H10N, coded for fashion as “Super Multi Blue”, is a Blu-ray Disc reader and rewriter with HD DVD-ROM reading capabilities. According to the specifications posted on CDRinfo, the GGW-H10N can record up to 50GB of data on a dual layer Blu-ray Disc. A single layer disc can be burned at 4x speed, writing 25GB in about 24 minutes. Burning of dual layer media, however, will require the burner to back down to a slower 2x speed.

Burning large amounts of data on a single disc is convenient, but pricey endeavour. A quick search on Newegg.com finds that blank Blu-ray media costs the consumer anywhere from $11 to $20 per disc, and only 25GB single layer media is available. Furthermore, the majority of blank Blu-ray media on the market today are rated for 2x write speeds, which would hold the LG drive back from its 4x top Blu-ray writing speed.

In addition to supporting the latest high-definition formats, the drive also supports nearly the entire gamut of optical discs. The GGW-H10N will read and write DVD±R, DVD+RW/-RW and CD-R/RW.

While the internal drive carries less hardware inside it than LG’s standalone player, it will carry the same shocking sticker of $1200, making it an expensive piece of equipment for early adopters. The GGW-H10N is expected to be released in May.

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HTPC

By GTaudiophile on 3/15/2007 6:24:04 AM , Rating: 3

I am sure there are others like me who would love to make this drive the centerpiece of an HTPC but not when the price of the drive costs more than the rest of the entire system itself.

When it comes down to under $100, I may consider it.

But I applaud LG for paving the way. Let's hope their competitors get on the same wagon and start driving that price down.

RE: HTPC

By Lazarus Dark on 3/15/2007 6:45:56 AM , Rating: 3

100 bucks? You have quite a wait still I think.

But I just want a damn combo player! next gen recording is very immature in my opinion, as noted by the expense and lack of even dual layer media. And when ten layer BD's come out this drives writing ability will be a joke. I just want a BD-rom/HD-DVD-rom drive to play high def movies for under 300, a realistic price I think. It doesn't even need to have dvd/cd red laser capability, I mean who doesn't already have a good dvd/cd writer and what case besides ultra small form factors don't have two 5.25 bays?

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RE: HTPC

By TSS on 3/15/2007 6:56:23 AM , Rating: 2

to make a dvd/cd combo drive costs next to nothing so that red laser for backwards compatibility isn't what's driving the price up.

i'd think the first 100-200 bucks drives and combo drives are about 2 years away, when the 3rd generation hits, the 1st will be alot cheaper to buy. it's all about the waiting game and how long you can wait.

seeing as im a gamer and it'll take years before those emerge on larger media for the PC so i can holdout a lil while ^^

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RE: HTPC

By AGAC on 3/15/2007 9:02:24 AM , Rating: 2

You´re absolutely right. LG (or anyone else, for that mater) should make a cheaper combo player as it is a much easier sell to early adopters. I would buy a player. US$ 1200 for a combo burner? No thnx.

Needless to say that backups can be done a lot cheaper (and faster too) with aditional hard disks nowadays.

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RE: HTPC

By ElJefe69 on 3/15/2007 9:16:00 PM , Rating: 2

er. this isnt expensive it just doesnt make sense for the fact you can get 2 drives for less. and we know that 2 drives last longer than 1 drive, normally...

820 dollars for plextor BD drive. 2x writes. This LG does 4x for single layer right? I would doubt though that it is a better unit despite recent plextor bashers. However, if you add that with a hddvd drive, which, no one really should bother with who owns a pc (lower format size, one of many reasons) then you have 1200 dollars worth.

I have to point out though that blu-ray drives are marked up 30% above what they need to be. Take 180 dollars off this price for reality if you know how to bargain and arent talking over a phone to some random guy with an accent.

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...

By shabby on 3/15/2007 6:07:26 AM , Rating: 2

Did i read that right... its a bluray reader/burner but only reads hd-dvd? Whats the point if it cant burn hd-dvd?

RE: ...

By IceTron on 3/15/07, Rating: -1

RE: ...

By doctor sam adams on 3/15/2007 10:29:00 AM , Rating: 2

It's a Blu-Ray burner and it has HD-DVD reading capabilities as well. What do you mean, what's the point? The point only arises from how you look at things.

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RE: ...

By leexgx on 3/15/2007 9:17:45 PM , Rating: 2

BR disks store alot more then HD-DVD disks so i not miss the HD-DVD burning my self

my self i am with BR as the dual layer disks be grate to basicly back up every thing i need onto my collections i have

DVD disks are to small and Tripple layer hd disks to get it to 51gb (1gb more then an BR 2 layer disk thats only 2 layers there 3 layer disk is 75gb)
3 layer disks will most likey be very pricey per disks in any case but the BR 2 layer disk be cheper compeared to HD-DVD 3 layer disks

i agreee with other poster it probly be year when thay come down to £100 or maybe sooner if thay want to push it hard

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RE: ...

By timmiser on 3/16/2007 2:11:32 AM , Rating: 2

To answer your question there are no HD-DVD burners. Yet.

One thing if you were interested in putting your home hi-def movies on High def disks, HD-DVD does allow you to put the HD content on a regular and cheap DVD+-R that will play in HD-DVD players, the only drawback is you don't get a whole lot of playing time off of a dual layer DVD+-R disk.

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LOL @ cost !!!

By PiGLeTx on 3/15/2007 8:13:44 AM , Rating: 2

I havnt checked the lastest prices but i suspect you can buy a xbox and ps3 with hd dvd/blu ray support for that cost of this device.
maybe throw in a wii as well?

RE: LOL @ cost !!!

By FITCamaro on 3/15/2007 8:53:38 AM , Rating: 2

Can't burn though.

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RE: LOL @ cost !!!

By FITCamaro on 3/15/2007 8:56:01 AM , Rating: 1

Forgot to add, the only interest I have in this new formats in the size for PC backup purposes. It'd be sweet to be able to back up 50GB to a single disc even if it did take half an hour. Better than having 10 single layer DVDs or 5 dual layer DVDs. I don't mind paying $20 a disc for 50GB media. I'm just not paying $1200 for the drive. $200 would be the highest I'd go.

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RE: LOL @ cost !!!

By timmiser on 3/16/2007 2:06:13 AM , Rating: 2

That's a legitmate argument for the LG settop dual format player. But this is a pc driver and and bd burner.

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Forget this

By TheRequiem on 3/15/2007 4:30:35 PM , Rating: 2

It would be cheaper to buy TWO seperate drives, this is bogus...

RE: Forget this

By ElJefe69 on 3/15/2007 9:16:57 PM , Rating: 2

um..... no it wouldnt be. cheaper blu rays are 2x burn or they are the same price as buying both separate. also 1200, as I said above, is for suckers to pay.

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Good start.

By rockyct on 3/15/2007 5:47:53 AM , Rating: 2

It's good to see that at least once company realizes that format wars only hurt consumers. Even though this drive costs more than individual blu-ray and HD-DVD drives combined, at least it's a start.