No Blu-Ray or HDDVD Sony/Toshiba aim to create hybrid

[Xylob the Destroyer]

instead of recreating the VHS vs. BetaMax "wars" the competing formats may be scrapped in favor of a hybrid

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/business/42500.html
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,67296,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_6
http://www.techspot.com/story17435.html

sounds good to me, but Sony has previously held that the PlayStation3 will use the Blu-Ray format for it's media.
I just hope this doesn't mean a delay on the PS3, though it's doubtful that it would.

[smearbrick1]

I imagine, even though the PS3 was slated to be released utilizing the blu-ray format, since it hasn't gone into mass production it wouldn't be too difficult to switch.

[mike909]

Not sure about the ps3, but for movie's this is big news. Only way of hoping for mass adoption in my opinion

[anubis13]

Some more info on this story
http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/21/technology/sony_dvd.reut/index.htm

[RottenFoxBreath]

i dont know,but i feel that sony's little yellow sphincters must have been quivering ever since toshiba announced there intentions on hd-dvd.sony not wanting another betamax on there hands feel "open" to discussions.
more to this than meets the eye i feel.

[ROF]

Two things need to occur for the "next gen" idea to even take hold:

1) A price drop in the recorders and blank media
2) A consumers reason for buying into this

As it stands, the average consumer does not own an HD Output Device (Television). The price of these devices have made it so only those who have tons of ca$h to spend have bought into it. The problem with those who have, as we've seen is many options, features, and formats are added after you've made your purchase and in some cases, you've bought something that might require an additional device (breakout box) in order to be compatible with the latest service provider or the equipment being discussed above.

Nobody is going to buy HD-DVDs or Blu-ray DVDs, if the output device to view them on cost $1000+ dollars. Prices have come down, but they are nowhere near the "sweet spot" where the average someone walking into a electronics shop chooses an HD Set over a CRT merely because of quality. Price point is a limiting factor to the success of this technology even moreso than competing formats.

I don't forsee rental stores carrying HD-DVDs or Blu-ray rental discs anytime soon. There just isn't a market for them. Until the equipment prices drop and CRT cancer causing devices are removed from the marketplace, the mass market for HD isn't going to become a reality.

[ebenton]

I'm old enough to remember the VHS-Betamax "struggle", which Betamax obviously lost, even though it was a superior technology. The struggle didn't really last all that long.

I also have had a DVD player since 1997. I remember back in 2000 or 2001, there was only one video store in our town that had DVDs for rent. Even then, they were vastly outnumberd by VHS tapes. Eventually, more and more shelf space went to DVDs, until today, VHS tapes are hard to find.

This has happened in the last 4 or 5 years, at most. I do not doubt that in less than 5 years, there will be some form of HD DVD and players widely available. Even though HDTV sets are not *all* affordable today, there are many direct-view sets that are relatively inexpensive. In 5 years, who knows what will be available?

The first DVD players did not also include VCRs, so I do not necessarily believe that the first HD DVD players will need to be backward-compatible with existing DVD disks, although they may be. HD DVDs may not be more desirable than regular DVDs in the same ways that made people desire regular DVDs over VHS tapes.

But the change will come. Be ready.

[lenti_75]

until the HD tv's don't become affordable, it's useless to buy a HD dvd player....you won't see a dif as you see from vhs to dvd

[Heff]

New article on MSNBC.com

Sony, Toshiba to agree on new DVD format
Plan would resolve long battle over next-generation standards

SEATTLE - Japan's Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp. are close to finalizing a plan to develop a common standard for next-generation DVDs to resolve a three-year-long battle over formats that threatened the industry's growth, a Japanese newspaper reported Monday.

A detailed plan could be unveiled ahead of a key meeting of manufacturers involved in the manufacture of next-generation DVDs scheduled for May 16, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said.

Sony, along with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., maker of Panasonic brand products, had been pushing for the standard it calls Blu-ray, while Toshiba, with NEC Corp. and Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., has been promoting a technology called HD DVD.

Both sides have indicated that a new, unified format will use Sony's technology for recording information onto an optical disk while Toshiba will supply software that will handle efficient data transfer and copyright protection.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7794775/

Looks like we'll be getting the higher capacity version.

[Darth Paris]

This is very good news.

[shelbyGT]

UPDATE: Leaning towards Blu-Ray

http://news.com.com/DVD+format+talks+lean+to+Blu-ray%2C+source+says/2100-1041_3-570144...l?tag=nefd.top

[kabanero]

Well, according to CDfreaks, Toshiba denies new rumors of a Blu-ray and HD DVD unification:

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/11778

[kabanero]

Another news about Toshiba:

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/11784

[RabidDog]

PS3 to use the same DUM format as Psp?
ebenton : they have learned ..History is repeated.first time as tragedy then as comedy.. there are many, many VHS users still , dvd recorders are only now becoming mainstream ( 1 year for the tech, 5 years for the user interface). Why did it take so long for autotune, autoset and channel naming, even channel changing on record..
In recording flexibility terms V2000 shat all over both Vhs and Betamax, initially.
V2000 were the liberal democrats of video tape systems.. flexibe undogmatic but no content.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

wow....
pass that shit over here man, it ain't cool to bogart.

[kabanero]

Toshiba just can't give it up:

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/11816