Blu-ray/HD DVD unification talks in deadlock

The
reports telling Sony and Toshiba were close to an agreement of a unification of
the Blu-ray Disc format and the HD DVD format turned out to be wrong
and the negotiations are now in a deadlock according to the Herald Tribune/asahi.com. The key issue is the
physical format where Toshiba wants to use HD DVD's structure where the data
layer is placed 0.6 mm from the disc surface, similar to the current DVD format,
while Sony and Matsushita refuse to abandon Blu-ray Disc's structure where the
data layer is placed 0.1 mm from the disc surface.

The two sides had sought to strike a deal by mid-May, when Sony is scheduled to unveil details of its next-generation PlayStation video game console at a trade fair in the United States.   Successful sales of the new PlayStation would also benefit Toshiba, which co-developed with Sony the semiconductor chips used in the machine.   Sony had already announced it would adopt the Blu-ray format for software titles for the new PlayStation.   The deadline is now likely to be missed as the two groups are at loggerheads.   The Sony-Matsushita side wants an agreement on the 0.1-mm-deep data layer before moving on to other specifics.

If
a compromise is not reached soon a format war is likely inevitably as both camps
have announced that they plan to release products by the end of the year or
early next year.

Source: Asahi.com