When it was up and running, though, the BD-UP5000 showed some solid potential. Video quality was very good: Since the Samsung includes Silicon Optix HQV processing, I was hardly surprised to see the player ace the complete lineup of tests found on that company's DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray test discs - benchmarks that we reviewers use to help gauge performance on disc players and displays. Picture detail with high-def discs in both formats was excellent, and the same held true for DVDs.

From a usability standpoint, our sample of the Duo functioned smoothly, switching between various disc formats in an effortless, transparent manner. Boot-up time from initially pressing the Power button to seeing a Samsung logo appear onscreen was 35 seconds - not bad compared with other high-def disc players. And you can load discs almost immediately, which is a nice convenience. The time to get to the beloved FBI Warning screen varied from disc to disc, but in most cases it was quicker than the player's initial boot-up period.

The Duo provides ultra-smooth 2x and 4x scanning for DVD playback. Fast-forward/reverse scanning on both HD DVD and Blu-ray, while not bad, actually seemed choppy in comparison. As with standalone HD DVD machines, pressing Stop and then Play at any time during HD DVD playback means you have to first go through the disc's initial startup menu and seek out the last scene to resume play. In contrast, pressing Stop and then Play with both Blu-ray discs and regular DVDs whisks you directly to the point where you dashed off to answer the doorbell. The player also proved capable of spinning CDs - thank you, Samsung!

Bottom Line My time spent previewing Samsung's BD-UP5000 Duo HD player left me hungry for more: Based alone on its video performance with both high-def disc formats and DVDs, this machine holds amazing promise. Assuming that the company sorts out the glitches we found in our preproduction sample, it could have a real winner on its hands. At $999, the Duo isn't cheap. But the prospect of finally chucking your separate Blu-ray, HD DVD, and old DVD decks for this do-it-all player is one that many people will surely find irresistible.

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