“In an expansion of their alliance, Microsoft and Toshiba said Monday they plan to develop high-definition DVD players together, cross-license technologies and cooperate in designing new models of mobile personal computers,” Yuri Kageyama reports for The Associated Press.
“The deal, announced by Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates and Toshiba Corp. president Atsutoshi Nishida, is a big win for the HD-DVD format in its competition against another technology called Blu-ray Disc, which is backed by Sony Corp. and Apple Computers [sic] Inc., to become the world standard for next-generation of DVD players,” Kageyama reports. “Blu-ray has more capacity, with 50 gigabytes, compared to 30 gigabytes for HD-DVD disks. But proponents of HD-DVD say their format is cheaper to make because the production method is similar to current DVDs.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple and Sony are on the side of the better technology while Microsoft goes with the cheap, second-rate “solution.” How typical is that?
Remember what happened to the better standard Betamax when the cheaper VHS came along. They need content, though, and both Sony and S.J. have clout in the content business.
An additional hope is that HD-DVD is backed by MS, and MS never showed to have a clue about the hardware business.
I may have to side with Sony on this one. They are at least working hard to make their DVD’s hold more and better data because of their need to get it into their broadcast cameras.
IMX is already DVD based.
yeah but better doesn’t always win. I can see the public going for “HD-DVD” just because of the name.
Blu-Ray’s cool too, though.
How many viruses can you fit on a HD-DVD???
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Once again, Microsoft backs an inferior technology simply because it could be more profitable in the short term. How sad.
Isn’t PS3 going to play Blu-Ray? That should help.
Apple’s upcoming vPod will make disc format arguments irrelevant as far as movies are concerned. 500GB capacity up to 500 movies in glorious H-264.
Ahhh, rocket scientists at their best…=P
Did we ever really think Microsoft would support Blu-Ray?
Line in the sand are being drawn. Stakes are gettin higher.
Just got a HDTV and though regular DVDs are quite impressive on the screen, there is a definite need for a HD DVD format now. The industry is being incredily slow about this. At this rate it is going to be 5 years before the new DVD format gets cheap enough for the average punter like myself gets to afford one!
Let us remember, however… that Toshiba was right the first time, and DVD became their invention, whereas we got Playstation out of Sony’s first stab. I can’t see this working out in MS’s favor, since there are already tons of companies on the Blu-Ray campaign, but we shall see. h.264 already pounded WMV-HD at the video consortium, so yeah, MS doesn’t get it.
Either format will work great with the complete line of Apple hardware and software. I wouldn’t worry about this one folks.
Honestly, people always go for the cheaper product if it is “good enough”. I agree that the name “HD-DVD” is way more marketable too.
vPod?
Who needs a 30 Gb or 50 Gb DVD? We have one good quality movie on half a DVD (4.7 Go).
If you put your whole life on a HD or blue-ray DVD, you would lost your whole life in half second.
I found this on the Internet:-
“The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), is a group of leading consumer electronics and PC companies (including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson)”
Looks like a winning team to me.
Well, true to form, if MS is backing it, most undoubtedly it will suck.
Microsoft is the anti-Midas. All the gold they touch turns to crap.
MW member… uh huh-huh…huh-huh
Hmmmm… next generation Mac mini with upgraded video card that can handle the 30″ Cinema display… oh, and it has a built-in H.264 decoder on the card. So top of the line Cinema display for sub $3,000… plus a Blue-ray capable player for $500 and you’ve got a system that can play full blown 1080p for way cheaper than most 720p systems out there.
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formats are ultimately decided on by the masses that buy it. It is not really a brand issue thing.
“Who needs a 30 Gb or 50 Gb DVD? We have one good quality movie on half a DVD”
Hey, who needs color TV or computers? What’s wrong with your Super 8’s, too? I like my 5.25″ floppies. That way I can make sure my data is distributed in case one of them goes bad.
Frenchie-
What are you talking about?
First, movies take up more than the 4.7gb of a single layer disc. In fact, if you look at movies like the Lord Of The Rings trillogy, they can use up to 4 dual layer disks per movie. (2 for each movie and 2 for special features.)
Second – the resolution of DVD is less than the resolution of HD. Go to a friends house and watch some true HD content – not just regular tv on a HD tv – and compare that to a DVD. HD makes you understand that DVD is NOT ‘good quality’ as you stated.
A standard HD movie encoded in h.264 will take about 22gb without special features.
Lord of the Rings with special features in Hi-Def would take 1 disk per movie on blu-ray and 2 disks per movie on HD-DVD
funny how they’re forcing Apple and SOny to see each other more and more on the same page..
Wow..
So the Xbox has gone the road less travelled
“”The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), is a group of leading consumer electronics and PC companies (including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson)”
Looks like a winning team to me.”
You aren’t kidding. I dont care how big MS is, when you have companies like Sony and Philips on your team, thats some pretty heavy clout. Throw in Apple and Steve’s influence. Yeah, i HOPE Microsoft backs the other standard. Just another giant anchor on their boat.
MW anything, as in anything MS does is most likely mediocre at best.
“Apple and Sony are on the side of the better technology while Microsoft goes with the cheap, second-rate “solution.” How typical is that?”
It’s pretty typical, but it should be noted that this more like MS following Apple’s long-traveled road. Apple supported DVD Forum (backers of HD-DVD) in 2001 when they announced the 733 MHz Power Mac G4 with SuperDrive. It’s only recently that Apple has backed Blu-Ray.
Apple supports both formats, and I believe they will continue to do so until the market makes a choice. Nonetheless, I do hope that Blu-Ray wins out in this battle.
“Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, … and Thomson”
Isn’t that just about every decent-sized maker of HDTVs except Toshiba?