Unified HD DVD Format a No Go
By Alexander Grundner |
August 23rd, 2005
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So it looks like Toshiba and Sony can’t be friends after all. Reuters is reporting that both companies have given up efforts to develop a unified High-Definition DVD format which would ease consumer adoption to the next-gen format (via Engadget). Bottom line: Both companies will be licensing their proprietary formats (Blu-ray, HD-DVD) to consumer electronics manufactures – which means, consumers will have to choose between one or both formats to enjoy HD movies in the future. (Anyone wondering how online DVD rental services are taking the news?)
One question, though, Reuters says that the companies came to this decision because “time ran out to develop a format before the launch of new products,” so why not postpone these new HD players until an agreement has been met? Sure, it doesn’t make sense in the short-term, but it makes a WHOLE LOT of sense in the long run. Or maybe the problem will be solved by a dual-format disc reader (similar to DVD±R) that hasn’t been made public.
Is anyone planning on buying one of these HD players this holiday season if they are made available? If yes, why?
Related:
TechWeb – Next-Gen DVD: Wow? Or Same Old, Same Old?
Filed in: Industry Buzz