MasterIsYoda
05-30-2005, 07:11 AM
June 6 issue - The format fight between Betamax and VHS is an ancient memory, right? Actually, it might be time to get ready for the sequel. Today's DVDs, which store a maximum of 8.5 gigabytes in dual-layer mode, are perfect for the regular standard-definition TVs in most American homes. But for the relatively small but steady number of people buying high-definition televisions, also known as HDTVs, a new disc format is required to store the higher-quality video. Enter Toshiba and NEC with HD-DVD. Using a blue laser instead of the red laser in current DVDs, it can store 30 gigabytes on two layers, and has the backing of Warner Bros., Paramount and Universal.
But Sony and Matsushita have countered with their own blue-laser technology called Blu-ray, which has more capacity, storing 50 gigabytes on two layers. Blu-ray has the support of Sony Pictures and Disney (which includes Miramax and Dimension). Moreover, it's backed not only by an all-star list of consumer-electronics companies like Samsung, Pioneer and Hitachi, but also PC manufacturers Dell, Apple and HP, which see a limitless demand for storage in businesses and the increasingly digital home. And studios can use the extra space for higher-quality video or increased storage; imagine all three "Lord of the Rings" special editions on one disc.
So what happens when an unstoppable force (HD-DVD's studio support) meets an immovable object (Blu-ray's hardware backing)? You get a stalemate, and it's becoming more acrimonious by the day. Unification talks between the camps broke down a couple of weeks ago, and both sides are digging in. The HD-DVD folks upped the ante by announcing a 45-gigabyte triple-layer disc, only to see the Blu-ray camp respond with an announcement of a 100-gigabyte disc on four layers. Meanwhile, both sides risk alienating consumers if these corporate titans can't make a deal soon, before both products arrive in stores early next year. "If you need two machines to play both discs, the market will be stillborn," says Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix. If we were forced to give out an Oscar today, we'd hand it to Blu-ray, but if these guys don't start acting in unison, this sequel could get a thumbs down.
-N'Gai Croal
© 2005 Newsweek, Inc.
But Sony and Matsushita have countered with their own blue-laser technology called Blu-ray, which has more capacity, storing 50 gigabytes on two layers. Blu-ray has the support of Sony Pictures and Disney (which includes Miramax and Dimension). Moreover, it's backed not only by an all-star list of consumer-electronics companies like Samsung, Pioneer and Hitachi, but also PC manufacturers Dell, Apple and HP, which see a limitless demand for storage in businesses and the increasingly digital home. And studios can use the extra space for higher-quality video or increased storage; imagine all three "Lord of the Rings" special editions on one disc.
So what happens when an unstoppable force (HD-DVD's studio support) meets an immovable object (Blu-ray's hardware backing)? You get a stalemate, and it's becoming more acrimonious by the day. Unification talks between the camps broke down a couple of weeks ago, and both sides are digging in. The HD-DVD folks upped the ante by announcing a 45-gigabyte triple-layer disc, only to see the Blu-ray camp respond with an announcement of a 100-gigabyte disc on four layers. Meanwhile, both sides risk alienating consumers if these corporate titans can't make a deal soon, before both products arrive in stores early next year. "If you need two machines to play both discs, the market will be stillborn," says Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix. If we were forced to give out an Oscar today, we'd hand it to Blu-ray, but if these guys don't start acting in unison, this sequel could get a thumbs down.
-N'Gai Croal
© 2005 Newsweek, Inc.