Vice president of Samsung Electronics said that the company has not
intention to develop HD-DVD players or combo devices (Blu-Ray/HD DVD), giving its full support to Sony's Blu-ray technology.
David Steel, vice president of Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics is going to give its full support to Sony?s Blu-ray
drive in the competition with Toshiba?s HD-DVD platform to help it become
the next-generation standard.
"Samsung is going all-out for Blu-ray. We were the first one to market the
Blu-ray player," David Steel, vice president of Samsung Electronics, told
The Korea Times on Friday. Steel is the global marketing executive for
digital appliances.
Steel also said that Samsung has no plan to develop HD-DVD players or
combo devices, which support both the Blu-ray and HD-DVD platforms. A
public relations official of Samsung confirmed it on Monday.
It is the first time Samsung has admitted that it has completely shifted
to the side of Blu-ray. Though it has been a main member of the Blu-ray
team composed of global companies such as Sony, Apple, Hitachi, Sharp and
Philips, the Korean company had said that it could sell HD-DVD devices as
well in the future.
In September, LG Electronics, Samsung?s domestic rival, decided to abandon
HD-DVD development plans.
Samsung introduced the world?s first Blu-ray video player in June in the
United States. It cost $999. It is competing with Toshiba?s HD-DVD player,
which is being sold for $499.