CNN: DVD Format War Looms

[tdan]

This article:

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/ptech/09/02/dvd.format.war.reut/index.html

implies that DVD-HD would play back on existing DVD players. Does this mean that you could have many hours of video play back on an existing DVD player (assuming that the bitrates and resolutions were current DVD spec, of course), or is the article in error?

Dan

[dvdguy4]

Why is everything blamed on piracy. If piracy is such a big problem then why is the dvd format doing so well.

[lumis]

has there really been a format war since vhs vs betamax? and was that really a war? i wasnt really around during that time..

remember the great dvd-r versus dvd+r war? what a lame war.. now we've got dual format burners, and they're both still around.. hell i use both of them.

aside from being cheaper, the one thing HD-DVD has going for it is buzz.. buzz around the word "HD" and buzz around the word "DVD".. you combine those things, and get a good marketing machine behind it and blu-ray is dead in the water.

as for piracy.. piracy killed my father, and raped my mother!

[tdan]

The HD DVD camp, on the other hand, claims it has a cheaper technology compatible with current DVD and CD players.

As per my original post, I am interested if anyone can comment on this statement. If it's true, then it would be huge for DVD-HD being chosen by many consumers over Blue-Ray.

[Cornucopia]

Piracy also stole my horse and defaced my Bible. (Remember beginning of Romancing the Stone?)

re: HD-DVD...

HD-DVD players are backward compatible with standard, red laser-based DVD media. HD-DVD discs could conceivably be created that are HD on Side1 and SD on Side2. Therefore Side2 would play in a standard DVD player (but not Side1!!).

Then again, Blu-Ray could/can be made that way also. And Blu-Ray players will invariably be also backward compatible, too. I'm sure they've learned that lesson--they'll include an additional red laser pickup.

More FUD from the non-technically-minded press...

Scott

[waheed]

tdan, no current dvd players will play the upcoming HD-DVD or Blu Ray.

Its because of the different frequencies of laser used to read the discs. HD-DVD and Blu Ray will use blue lasers, while current dvd players are using red lasers.