Sanyo to make HD DVD players and recorders

NEC and Toshiba have so far got
little official support for their HD DVD format from major consumer electronic
companies compared to the rival Blu-ray Disc format but today Sanyo Electric has
announced its support for the format. According to the company it will use the
HD DVD format in its coming players and recorders because the software is more
user-friendly.

Sanyo Electric Co. said Tuesday it has decided to use HD (high-definition) DVD - one of two rival next-generation DVD formats - for its DVD player and recorder products.   The decision is a boon for Toshiba Corp. and NEC Corp., which are promoting HD DVD - a new optical disc format that they jointly developed. Sanyo's move comes amid a battle over the high-definition successor to the current generation of DVDs. A group including Sony Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. is promoting "Blu-ray" discs - a competing next-generation DVD format.

Sanyo
plans to launch its first HD DVD player in the autumn of 2005 and a recorder the
following fiscal year. Sanyo is perhaps more known for being a component maker
of for example pick-up heads and chipsets though and according to a Sanyo
spokesman the company will also make Blu-ray components if there is a demand.
More information is available here.

Source: iWon Money