The incompatibility of the next generation DVD formats HD-DVD and Blu-ray will become one of the biggest problems for us average movie customers. The high amount of money which you will have to invest in new equipment won't guarantee you that you will be able to watch your favourite movies on the player you have bought, because some of them will be available on HD-DVD and some on Blu-ray Disc.
It seems that the movie industry is aware of these problems and as a result of its pressure on the electronic giants we can report that Toshiba and Sony are holding talks to find a compromise over the next generation high-definition formats . Well, a bit late in my opinion, because the companies sitting on a table now have spent too much money in the development of the formats. Since the two formats are so different, it's very difficult to bring them in alignment, especially when we consider that HD-DVD will start this year. However, we will see if this soft round in the format war will end up in a compromise that has not only positive aspects for the companies behind the formats.
Until recently both Sony and Toshiba and their respective technology partners have resisted studio pressure to hold talks. However the recent appointment of Howard Stringer as CEO of Sony appears to have broken the ice. Stringer is believed to be less concerned with Sony's proprietary technology than the technically-minded executives who ran Sony before him. He also has close relationships with Hollywood bosses.
Stringer's position appears to be backed by Sony's newly appointed president, Ryoji Chubachi, who said recently that the company has not given up on a single format. |
Those of you who are interested can find the full article over at PC Pro. You are also welcome to discuss this topic here or in our Satellite, HD-TV, Blu-ray and HD-DVD Forum.
Source: PC Pro
