High-Def Goes Purple with LG Dual-Format Blu-ray/HD DVD Player

In another last-minute announcement, LG will finally be premiering its on-again/off-again Blu-ray/HD DVD combo player -- the world's first -- at next week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

After first showing its planned BD-199 Blu-ray player at last year's CES, the manufacturer abruptly cancelled the unit, and promised to retool the deck as a dual-format combo player. Then in yet another turnaround, this past Fall LG again abandoned its next-gen hardware plans, apparently reaffirming its Blu-ray-only support.

Well, it now seems LG is back on the format-agnostic bandwagon, and is planning to not only announce its still-unnamed combo player at CES but demonstrate a full working prototype. The company will also reveal full pricing and availability information at the show, with rumors currently indicating a late Winter or early Spring arrival for the much-anticipated player.

LG's news comes only a day after news leaked that Warner will be unwrapping another potential salvo in the next-gen format wars, a hybrid Blu-ray/HD DVD disc dubbed "Total HD."

Given all this sudden Red State/Blue State lovey-dovey handshaking going on at CES, perhaps we should start calling 2007 The Year High-Def Went Purple?

Stay tuned for more news when CES officially kicks off next week.