As consumers gradually change over to HDTV sets, the demand for HDTV content also increases. Current optical media contenders are Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. Both formats use a 12cm disc, Blue laser and handle several hours of high quality HDTV content. Data capacity is 50GB for dual-layer Blu-Ray and 30GB for HD-DVD. However like BetaMax vs. VHS, a HD-DVD is totally incompatible with the Blu-Ray disc standard, meaning that a combo drive would require two sets of pick-up equipment, thus greatly increasing manufacturing cost as well as the physical equipment size.
Currently Blu-Ray is backed by Sony, Pioneer, Panasonic, HP and various other companies. Blu-Ray recorders are already shipping in Japan although very expensive at present. As the consumers and Hollywood do not want to deal with two formats, only one will likely succeed, but as Sony is involved with the movie industry as well as backing the Blu-Ray format, this may help push it further.
HD-DVD on the other hand is only mainly backed by Toshiba and NEC and while the DVD Forum has approved HD-DVD, it has only reached the prototype stage to date. HD-DVD does have an advantage that it is easier to manufacture since existing DVD manufacturing equipment may be suitable, unlike Blu-Ray which requires new manufacturing equipment.
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The two competing formats are Blu-ray and HD-DVD. If you remember the VHS versus Betamax war of the early 1980s, be prepared--a similar format war may be starting again. And the war will be about more than just home video. Today's DVDs are a medium for computer software distribution, retail videos, and PC backups. So next-generation, blue-laser DVDs will have to do all these things as well. The first retail blue-laser units on the market--which are currently available only in Japan and cost thousands of dollars--are set-top video recorders. Meet the Contestants Those recorders all use the Blu-ray format; this format is backed by Sony, Pioneer, Panasonic, Hewlett-Packard, and other computer and consumer electronics companies. The competing format, HD-DVD, is primarily the product of Toshiba and NEC. Earlier this year, the DVD Forum officially endorsed HD-DVD, although the decision was by no means unanimous. All of the major Blu-ray companies belong to the DVD Forum, and many of them have no current plans to back what they consider an upstart. And no company has yet announced an HD-DVD product, though Toshiba and NEC have shown prototypes. Blu-ray was designed with an emphasis on capacity; HD-DVD targets compatibility. Blu-ray can hold about 50GB on a two-layer disc compared with HD-DVD's 30GB (by comparison, today's two-layer DVDs hold less than 9GB). But an HD-DVD disc is physically closer to today's DVDs, making it easier to manufacture discs in existing factories and to make drives that can also read and write today's DVD and CD formats. Read the full rather lengthy story here. |
I predict that if only one blue laser optical disc standard originally went into development with just one video format (such as MPEG4), it would likely have reached the shelves by now. Then again, as the DVD has only taken off about 7 years ago many consumers would be reluctant to have to make another upgrade. VHS had around double that period before the DVD and is still popular today for making recordings. Currently set-top DVD recorders are just starting to reach affordable prices.
Feel free to discuss and find out more about HDTV, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD on our Satellite, HD-TV, Blu-ray and HD-DVD Forum.
Source: PC World - New Zealand
