Where Next for the DVD?

The war being waged over the next standard for DVDs has stepped up a gear with more companies pledging their support for the Blu-ray standard. VNUNet is reporting firms including EA, Sun Microsoystems, Texas Instruments and Vivendi Universal Games have given it their backing at the Consume Electronics Show show in Las Vegas.

Blu-ray is reported to be able to cram up to 50GB of data onto a single disc - far ahead of the rival HD DVD standard, which can hit just 30GB. However, the report suggests HD would be less expensive and is closer to getting its products into the marketplace. Earlier in the show, the HD group claimed it had won backing from a number of electronics firms and Hollywood studios - among them Toshiba, NEC, Sanyo, Paramount Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures and Warner Home Video. It looks likely the first HD DVD titles may well be released later this year.

Andy Parson is a representative of the Blu-ray Disc Association, and warned there was only room for one format in the long-term: "There is no middle ground," he said, with echoes of the 1980s VHS/Betamax conflict - or indeed problems with rival, and incompatible, home DVD-Writer formats. However, Kinichi Sugimoto, who is a principal researcher with NEC and spokesman for the HD DVD body, believes both could co-exist. HD DVD, he believes, is perfect for consumers, while Blu-ray would be more appropriate for the enterprise market.

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