HP to launch desktops with Blu-ray / HD DVD combo writers?

Regrettably, there's not a lot to go on just yet, but DigiTimes has it that HP will soon be launching "next-generation PCs with a Blu-ray / HD DVD dual-format burner." The announcement was reportedly issued at a product presentation held in Singapore, and while no model numbers were doled out, we can purportedly expect the two-faced machines to land in Europe and America sometime next month. Notably, HP has hemmed and hawed between formats in the past, but we're all for a rig that burns (and reads) both.

[Via TG Daily]

[Peppie @ Sep 12th 2007 3:31PM]

I know I may be a minority, but I really like HP desktops and laptops. It just seemed like a few years ago when all of a sudden they just started looking really good. I pretty much knew HP would do something like this. For some desktops you can already spec it so that you can read/write blu-ray and read HD, of course two drive bays for each though. If this is an all-in-one bluray/hd reader/burner then I think this will sell pretty good for those people that want both.

[John Milan @ Sep 12th 2007 3:39PM]

Ive got the HP IQ770 and its awesome...Radio Tuner,Big HD,Touch Screen and all in one form factor...so, I would definately use another HP as an all in one media center esp one with a combo drive!!!!

[Adam B @ Sep 12th 2007 6:07PM]

Hopefully that'd help lower prices some.

[NHAnimator @ Sep 12th 2007 4:01PM]

This whole HD-DVD/BR thing is never going to be solved as long as companies continue to produce dual readers and writers. While HP may make money on this, I as a consumer feel like I'm getting totally screwed by both sides simultaneously. (And that is NOT a good feeling.) And as long as the market is split, prices will not drop nearly as fast as they normally would with new technologies.

What will happen in the end? Will I have to buy both players just to be guaranteed that I'll get to watch every movie I want?

Right now, both consortia can bite me. Wake me up when you want to play nice.

[Renegrub @ Sep 12th 2007 4:09PM]

You can already buy an HP desktop with a Blu-ray burner and HD-DVD rom combo drive online in the US. It is a pretty impressive upgrade $600 and I would consider it, if only the damn discs could play through Windows Media Center. But each type of disc requires a special player. Not too elegant for the living room. You can also add an external CableCard tuner to it.

[Bullitt @ Sep 12th 2007 4:14PM]

voodoo pc, which hp owns, already has blu-ray/hd-dvd burners

[Tony @ Sep 12th 2007 5:00PM]

Here are the model numbers for the HP Pavilion Elite m9000 Desktop PC series. I might be able to grab specs as well.

HP Pavilion Elite m9040n Desktop PC
HP Pavilion Elite m9065cn Desktop PC
HP Pavilion Elite m9080d Desktop PC
HP Pavilion Elite m9085cn Desktop PC
HP Pavilion Elite m9090d Desktop PC
HP Pavilion Elite m9090tw Desktop PC
HP Pavilion Elite m9095tw Desktop PC
HP Pavilion Elite m9098d Desktop PC

Tony

[vijay @ Dec 26th 2007 9:56AM]

Pls send me the price at INDIAN Market of Those PC.

vijay

[will @ Sep 12th 2007 5:48PM]

Still quite useless until the blank media becomes more affordable.

[Mark @ Sep 12th 2007 6:41PM]

Good idea..but...

1) It'll probably add on another 700+ dollars to the laptop
2) Who in their right mind would buy HD-DVD or Blu-Ray recordable media when it is twenty-five dollars per disc?

[timothystorey57 @ Sep 12th 2007 8:39PM]

OMFG...A Blackbird 002 with a combo-writer ;)

[Rasesh @ Sep 13th 2007 3:32AM]

The only thing is , when these come out they are just toooo expensive to get your hands on.

[Tony @ Sep 13th 2007 8:55AM]

I think the low end m9040n is going to cost about $1,200 without the HD/BR drive upgrade.

The HD/BR drive is an additional $600 -- I'd probably get the HD Drive - it's only $200 and these things are going to come with an HMDI out connection.