New Chinese Involvement Could Trigger HD DVD Price Plunge

[Boz]

In September 2005, as first reported by CDRInfo, the DVD Forum began talks with China's Optical Memory National Engineering Research Center about the possibility of that country's manufacturers being able to build optical drive components that are essentially HD DVD players, but not really.

Meaning, they would be just close enough to being HD DVD players that, if manufacturers wanted to go ahead and call them so, they could - by just paying the license fee. Or, as Chinese officials put it, they could opt to save as much as $1 billion per year collectively and not pay the license fee, if manufacturers were happy producing goods for consumption in China only.

It would save China the expense of developing its own format, which is something it did consider in the form of something called Enhanced Versatile Disc.

The result of that collaboration is the CH-DVD format, announced this morning. The HD DVD Promotions Group trumpeted the news in a message to BetaNews this afternoon. "This is great for the HD DVD camp," the spokesperson said, "since product developers do not have to start from scratch and can achieve shorter development times. The more drives that are made, the cheaper it is to make HD DVD players across the board."

The new Chinese consortium did its own trumpeting, though with a decidedly more formal tone: "The emergence of CH-DVD as a high definition format integrating Chinese-owned intellectual property clearly demonstrates that a Chinese optical disc technology is already at the world-class level. In the near future, all related industries in China are expected to make the transition from standard definition DVD to high definition DVD."

http://www.betanews.com/article/New_Chines...ge/1189196071/2

Btw, just people's information these Chinese players are already ready and kicking:

Four large CHINA CE manufacturers set out the CHINA Version HD DVD Player, it base on the TOSHIBA HD-A3, but use the different modulate code(FSM).

The four CHINA CE manufacturers are:

BBK(OPPO)

Haier

TCL

Tsinghua Tongfang

The detailed report (if you can read Chinese):

http://stor-age.zdnet.com.cn/stor-age/2007/0907/495415.shtml

Also, pay attention that the last 2 models are actually HD DVD. All pumped and ready to launch! LOL

Edited September 8, 2007 by Boz

[strekship]

For some reason they remind me of early 80s CD players.

[TruckWEB]

Okay, I know China is a big market, but I fail so see how this is good news for the HD-DVD camp? I mean, if they don't pay any licensing fee, they can't export those player anywhere else.

Four large CHINA CE manufacturers set out the CHINA Version HD DVD Player, it base on the TOSHIBA HD-A3, but use the different modulate code(FSM).

It use a different modulate code? Does this means that it's incompatible with HD-DVD movies? China will have to produce their own CH-DVD movies? Nothing to help lower the cost of production....

[Spik3balloon]

It use a different modulate code? Does this means that it's incompatible with HD-DVD movies? China will have to produce their own CH-DVD movies? Nothing to help lower the cost of production....

The CH-DVD players will be able to play HD DVDs, but HD DVD players will not be able to play CH-DVDs (without additional software).

The Forum has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China's Optical Memory National Engineering Research Centre (OMNERC) regarding licensing of the HD DVD-ROM China (formerly HD DVD-ROM China-only) format, specification for which was approved earlier this year. The only difference between the latter and the standard HD DVD format is the modulation scheme: the optical pickup in HD DVD China player will be able to play standard HD DVD discs, although Chinese discs will not be playable in standard HD DVD drives. According to the Forum, the Chinese government is keen to introduce the format domestically before the Olympic Games in August 2008. Large-scale integrates (LSIs) are already under development by manufacturers and use of AACS for the format is currently under negotiation.

Source: Screen Digest

[TDQuiksilver]

I suppose that's good and all, but how long before we see the "Recall: HD-DVD Players Produced In China With Life Threatening Agents" news showing it's ugly face?

The Chinese are known for their cheap products, but one can't help but think what garbage is imported from that country to around the world sometimes. And the design? No thanks, but you get what you pay for... or that's how the saying goes.

Here's to hoping this works out for the HD-DVD camp. :beer:

[Ayepecks]

^^ LMAO.

I like most of those designs, honestly. And I've had Haier products before and they've done fine. It's funny how you determine something is "garbage" simply because it's not on your side.

Like I've said, whichever format goes to sub-$100 first gets my buck.

[goji]

The CH-DVD players will be able to play HD DVDs, but HD DVD players will not be able to play CH-DVDs (without additional software).

Source: Screen Digest

So year old rumors are correct, China is pioneering its own variant of HD storage. I wonder if Hollywood titles will "legally" appear on these discs or if its meant for the local industry.

[TDQuiksilver]

^^ LMAO.

I like most of those designs, honestly. And I've had Haier products before and they've done fine. It's funny how you determine something is "garbage" simply because it's not on your side.

Like I've said, whichever format goes to sub-$100 first gets my buck.

Don't be so quick to judge. I could care a less if this article was about HD-DVD or Blu-ray players. What is funny is that maybe you're actually ashamed of the truth behind players priced below $100. Sure it may work okay and have your standard features and hook it up to your no-name 25" LCD, but isn't the whole point behind HD is being able to "experience it in all it's glory" ... "The look and sound of perfect" ... and so forth? You can be assured players priced below that range, especially this early in the game, will lack features and build quality that some of us desire. Cutting corners results in fractional costs for reason.

Call me crazy, but there are plenty of us out there that are electronics and A/V nuts. Hell, aren't most people looking for the best they can buy with their budget? If everybody's budget in the world was that of being able to only afford sub-$100 Chinese players, HD wouldn't be so "HD" would it?

Nobody said keeping up with technology was cheap... and anybody would be a fool to think otherwise.

I'm really not choosing any side here, just stating to the masses that it is pretty silly to moan about pricing when this whole format ordeal has just kicked off. We've really got to give it time to settle... much like DVD had to. Only then will prices go down on the hardware and software. Oh, and competition helps too. ;)

[*John*]

For some reason they remind me of early 80s CD players.

+1

[Ayepecks]

Don't be so quick to judge. I could care a less if this article was about HD-DVD or Blu-ray players. What is funny is that maybe you're actually ashamed of the truth behind players priced below $100. Sure it may work okay and have your standard features and hook it up to your no-name 25" LCD, but isn't the whole point behind HD is being able to "experience it in all it's glory" ... "The look and sound of perfect" ... and so forth? You can be assured players priced below that range, especially this early in the game, will lack features and build quality that some of us desire. Cutting corners results in fractional costs for reason.

Call me crazy, but there are plenty of us out there that are electronics and A/V nuts. Hell, aren't most people looking for the best they can buy with their budget? If everybody's budget in the world was that of being able to only afford sub-$100 Chinese players, HD wouldn't be so "HD" would it?

Nobody said keeping up with technology was cheap... and anybody would be a fool to think otherwise.

I'm really not choosing any side here, just stating to the masses that it is pretty silly to moan about pricing when this whole format ordeal has just kicked off. We've really got to give it time to settle... much like DVD had to. Only then will prices go down on the hardware and software. Oh, and competition helps too. ;)

Tell me: do you own a top-of-the-line DVD player, or do you own a cheap one that you couldn't care less about the loading speed or features? NO ONE CARES. As long as it plays HD DVDs, no one will care. Same with Blu-Ray players. If they release one for $100 that plays all Blu-Ray movies, no one is going to care that it doesn't have a super-duper 9 teraflop load module with a tinker gidget. People are going to buy whichever is cheaper (or, in the case of the PS3, what's already available to them).

HD is HD. I don't think you understand that. It's still high-definition. All these other features like internet connectivity and all that the average consumer isn't going to care about.

And you're not choosing a side? Your posts have told me otherwise. lol