While Samsung backed down earlier this year on plans to produce a combo Blu-ray/HD DVD player, it looks like its rival LG is picking up that particular project, and will introduce its own dual-format player later this year.

As we can find out from an internal memo sent by an LG executive to the company's US Sale Department, LG is dropping plans to introduce its first Blu-ray player, the BD199, which was originally planned for this spring due to "uncertainty in this early stage of the market for optical discs." Instead, the company will consider developing a dual-format player, which could be available as early as the fall.

This announcement comes just a few weeks after LG signed an optical disc drive pact with HD DVD leader Toshiba in February, and indicates that the company believes a dual-format player would be a better product to ship than one supporting just one of the two rival next-generation formats.

LG launched the BD199 in January at the Consumer Electronics Show. At the time, it said the player would ship in Q2. However, the company had no reaction to the statements made last week by Blu-ray backers preparing to release hardware and content on or after 23 May.

The LG memo says the company's dual-format player is planned for late summer or early autumn, according to CE Pro.