Samsung Considers Swinging Both Ways

By Geoff Duncan Updated July 25, 2014

Electronics giant Samsung, currently the only maker with a Blu-ray movie player actually one the U.S. market, will decide later this year whether it wants to launch a movie player compatible with both Blu-ray and HD DVD high-definition disk formats.

At a briefing with reporters in Suwon, South Korea, assistant manager of Samsung’s home platform products division Kim Du-Hyon said the company is already working on a drive which can handle both Blu-ray and HD DVD, although Samsung doesn’t have any plans to release a player exclusively for HD DVD content. Kim did re-iterate Samsung’s position as a staunch Blu-ray supporter, predicting Blu-ray will ultimately defeat HD DVD in the marketplace.

Samsung doesn’t seem to be alone in considering supporting both HD formats in a single player: LG Electronics has publicly stated it plans to make drives which support both formats. However, no information is available on what such devices might cost in the market place, or whether licensing fees or manufacturing costs will make consumer prices prohibitive

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Audio / Video

A huge discount just landed on Samsung’s gorgeous Frame TV

Samsung's 65-inch Class 'The Frame' QLED 4K Smart TV displaying a famous oil painting.

Generally, TVs and smart TVs along with them are meant for traditional entertainment like movies, shows, and streaming content. Every once in a while, you can also use them to display personal media, like family photos, slideshows, and beyond. But what if there was a TV that merged these two applications, and was treated a lot more like an artistic picture frame? That's precisely the idea behind Samsung's The Frame QLED 4K smart TV -- in art mode, it looks like a frame allowing you to enjoy art, photos, and much more. That art mode kicks in automatically when it's not in use. Here's the best part, though. Samsung is having a huge sale on its The Frame TV series, right now, allowing you to get some incredible discounts on a TV of your preferred size. You can shop for yourself below, and choose the size you want, or stick with us as we explore the finer details of this gorgeous television-frame combo.

Why you should buy the Samsung The Frame QLED 4K smart TV

Audio / Video

Order Samsung’s brand new 98-inch QLED 4K TV and get $2,000 off

The Samsung Q80C placed in a living room on a TV stand.

While regular Prime Day deals are certainly appealing at the moment, we're impressed to see what Samsung is offering as part of Prime Day TV deals season. If you want the ultimate home cinema experience, you can preorder the Samsung 98-inch Q80C QLED TV for $7,000, saving a huge $2,000 off the regular price of $9,000. Now, we're not saying that $7,000 is cheap by any means but if you've been keen to invest in something huge in every sense of the word, this is a great saving. If that sounds like you, take a look at what else we have to say about it.

Why you should buy the Samsung 98-inch Q80C QLED TV
As one of the best TV brands, you're in safe hands with Samsung. The Samsung 98-inch Q80C QLED TV is certainly a vast example of what Samsung has to offer with a 98-inch screen needing a pretty huge living space to serve it justice. It's worth it too. Of course, there's the QLED panel which means you get super vibrant colors across the board. That's further helped by features like the Supersize Picture Enhancer that uses AI to optimize content for the larger screen. AI and 20 neural networks also boost sharpness, deepen blacks, and upscale any non-4K content. There's also Direct Full Arrays technology that controls the amount of lighting across all parts of the screen, even in sunlit rooms.

Audio / Video

Samsung’s ‘The Terrace’ outdoor QLED 4K TV is $4,000 off (seriously)

Samsung The Terrace outdoor TV.

If you love the outdoors but you also love watching TV, we've found the ideal deal for you among the many Prime Day TV deals that are still hanging on. Samsung has cut the price of its The Terrace Outdoor QLED TVs by a lot thanks to its Prime Day deals style sales event that ends today. The deal means that you can buy the for $2,800 saving you $700 off the regular price of $3,500. It also means you can save a massive $3,500 off the so that it's $6,500 instead of $10,000. With all sizes and types catered for, let's take a deeper look at how they can enrich your life.
Why you should buy the Samsung The Terrace QLED TV
None of the Samsung The Terrace QLED TVs are cheap but they're fantastic if you want a TV that can live outdoors without you worrying about the weather damaging it. If you've set up a sweet set of garden furniture and a nice roofed area for you to chill in, add a TV and you're all set. The biggest choice here is whether you need the Partial or Full Sun The Terrace. The Full Sun version is a lot more expensive but it has a different refresh rate and can cope with direct sunlight better than the Partial Sun model. Both panels are protected for up to six hours in the sun at 700 watts and up to 104 Fahrenheit so it's ultimately down to the placement of your TV. In most cases, the Partial Sun TV is the best option.

As mentioned, the 55-inch model is $2,800 but you can spend $4,000 for the . It usually costs $5,000 so you're saving $1,000 on the usual price. Alternatively, go all in with the for $5,000 reduced from $6,500. In all cases, you get one of the best outdoor TVs.