Dell is planning to sell an $879 notebook equipped with a Blu-ray disc drive.

The company said that its latest Inspiron 1525 model will sport the player as an optional add-on.

The drive will read Blu-ray discs, as well as read and burn traditional DVD and compact disc media. Users can pay extra to upgrade to a drive with Blu-ray burn capabilities.

"As retailers and video rental companies expand their high-definition offerings, Blu-ray is the new 'must-have' technology to help get the most out of your viewing experience," the company declared.

The Blu-ray movies will be displayed on a 15.4in 720p screen and the notebook will sport an HDMI port which will allow it to connect with HD television sets.

Dell also touted the high storage capacity of the drives. Blu-ray discs sport up to 50GB of storage, a nearly six-fold improvement over standard DVD discs.