On the face of it, a DVD player that plays supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats such as the LG BH100 should resolve all the fears about which high definition format is likely to lose the format war and become obsolete within a few years. Since the LG BH100 delivers excellent quality video from both HD DVD and Blu-ray discs, even if one of the formats goes the way of Betamax, the player itself will not be destined for the scrap heap. Unfortunately, the limited feature set on the BH100 and operational quirks means the unit doesn't quite deliver all that it promises.

The BH100 cannot play audio CDs and does not support either of the high resolution audio formats DVD-Audio or SACD. If you're not an audiophile or have a separate digital audio player, the inability to play audio CDs may not prove too much of an obstacle. While the BH100 plays both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs, it does not support HDi interactive features. The advantage of this is that the unit plays HD DVDs without first going to the menu setup. You can still access special features on HD DVDs, although you won't know what you're accessing until it starts playing. Again, for those who aren't special feature junkies, this probably still isn't a deal breaker. For us, the major drawback to the LG BH100 is that the device doesn't support the latest high definition soundtracks. Dolby Digital Plus and DTS HD are outputted as standard Dolby Digital and DTS, so the superior sound quality of Blu-ray and HD DVD discs is, effectively, completely lost.

The BH100 only outputs 1080p at 24 frames per second, an unusual choice when so few HDTVs can handle it. Most HDTVs, though, will simply deinterlace the 1080i signal to 1080p but you'll want to check your own TV before opting for this DVD player.

On the positive side, the BH100 is a stylish looking device. The front panel is devoid of any buttons, which have migrated to the top of the machine instead. This makes for a sleeker appearance but may cause problems for those who want to stack other components on top of the BH100. The picture quality on Blu-ray is superb and for the most part similarly excellent on HD-DVD, although we found the player occasionally froze for a split second during playback on certain HD-DVD discs.

The BH100 can also playback standard DVDs and upscale the images to 720p, 1080i and 1080p resolution. It is the ability of the unit to handle both Blu-ray and HD DVDs, though, that makes the LG BH100 stand out and only its lack of support for high definition audio soundtracks prevents us from recommending it more strongly.


Pros: The first dual format Blu-ray and HD DVD player, stunning picture quality, HDMI upscaling
Cons: Lacks support for high definition audio soundtracks, can't play audio CDs, no support for high resolution audio formats; no support for HDi interactive features

Warranty
1 year parts, 90 days labor