Here's a bit of VERY interesting news. According to several sources, including Reuters, Australian IT, Interactive Investor and Engadget, a Japanese newspaper (the Nihon Keizai Shimbun) is apparently reporting that Sony and Toshiba are very close to reaching an agreement in their effort to unite Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD into a common format for next generation DVDs. The deal could be finalized as early as this week and announced shortly thereafter, ahead of meetings with manufacturers scheduled for May 16th (where industry approval for the format would presumably be solicited). The technology compromise would reportedly see the new format utilizing Sony's planned disc structure (originally designed for Blu-ray Disc) with Toshiba's software for data transfer and copyright protection (developed for HD-DVD).
This is FANTASTIC news if it all pans out. We should know more very soon. Thanks to all the many Bits readers who sent in these links. Cross your fingers!
Excellent proposal indeed. Not only could it provide the combined qualities of both refined under joint efforts, removing the squabbling and muddling of facts due to competition would really validate the need for a format change in the eyes of the consumer, who doesn't care that much about which step up is better.
I hope they close the deal quickly, since it's so obviously better for consumers to have a single format that anything less would be corporate hoarding at its worst.
The sooner they close the deal, the sooner we can expect development to be done with and the new products on the shelves.
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Hopefuly this will be one step in Sony's quest to wake up and understand that making propritary formats for its equipment just means it shooting itself in the foot every time
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that, and the possibility comes that both PS3 and NR will make use of this new, hybrid format for thier consoles....
it will make sense, seeing as the merger of the two would be done well before thier release dates.
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Nihon Keizai Shinbun = (Lit.) Japan Economy Newspaper
That's a damn reputable source. If they're reporting it as that close, I've got no reason to doubt it. Great news. I'll be interested to see how this might impact the PS3 and Revolution.
I doubt sony will ever learn that Proprietary formats are a pain in the ass to consumers. *Has an IMDR-80 MD* I'd kill for a single format for the next high capacity optical disc. The Format war is what kept me Burning Just CD's until a couple months ago.
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GameSpot wrote:Despite Japanese press reports of a unified Blu-ray-HD-DVD format, the companies behind the respective technologies say they've yet to agree.
According to the Nikkei Journal, Sony and Toshiba are finalizing plans to develop a unified disc format. The newspaper reported today that the two companies have agreed to combine Sony's 0.1mm protective layer and Toshiba's interface software. The reported agreement could be revealed as early as next week, says the paper, but both Sony and Toshiba are vehemently denying that any compromise has been reached.
Despite these denials, the Journal offered up some specifics on the alleged new format agreement. Chief among them is the supposed decision to adopt the Sony Blu-ray's 0.1mm protective layer.
Normal DVDs have a 0.6mm protective layer of plastic spread across their data-bearing surfaces, but Sony's Blu-ray disc format sacrifices durability in favor of more storage space. Use of this 0.1mm coating would require disc manufacturers to purchase new equipment, whereas Toshiba's 0.6mm coated HD-DVD discs can be laminated and polished with existing equipment.
The Nikkei Journal also alleges that Toshiba has agreed to create the software and copy-protection schemes to be used in the compromise disc format. If true, this means that Toshiba would author the code that tells disc drives how to read and write the data encoded on the discs.
But despite the Nikkei Journal article, both Sony and Toshiba have issued statements denying that any agreement has been reached. "We are still continuing our discussions for a unified disc format that will benefit our users," said a Sony spokesperson. "Although a single format would be ideal, there has been no significant progress since [the last coverage by the media on] April 21. There has been absolutely no decision made for the 0.1mm [Blu-ray] format to be adopted [for the unified next-generation disc standard]."
"At this point," said a Toshiba spokesperson, "nothing has been decided, and absolutely no decision has been made for unification on any basis. The indication that a unification agreement on the basis of a 0.1mm disc system is imminent is unfounded and erroneous. Given this, Toshiba does not intend to make any proposal on unification to the members of the HD-DVD Promotion Group."
Both Toshiba's HD-DVD and Sony's Blu-ray formats have been gearing up for battle since 2002. The formats have since divided the film, software, and game industries for what was expected to be a holy war between the two formats. In February, it was announced that Sony and Toshiba were meeting to discuss the creation of a compromise disc format that would avert such a war and prevent format war akin to the Betamax-versus-VHS video cassette conflict in the 1980s.
Sony and Toshiba have both acknowledged that a uniform standard is essential for market penetration. Media outlets, including GameSpot, had reported last month that the two companies were close to making a deal, but as yet, none has been announced.
Both Sony's and Toshiba's next-generation discs use blue lasers to read and write the data. Until now, most reflective disc technology has relied on red lasers, but that color has a relatively large wavelength (605 nanometers) when compared to colors further down the spectrum. Blue lasers offer a wavelength of only 405 nanometers, allowing the bumps that make up the ones and zeros on a disc's surface to be smaller than those on a red laser-read disc.
Sony's Blu-ray discs are said to offer 25GB of storage space in their single-layer form and are supported by MGM, Sony Pictures, and Disney, although Disney's agreement with Sony is nonexclusive. Blu-ray discs are also designed to work with the PlayStation 3.
Toshiba's HD-DVD format can hold 15GB of information in a single layer. The format is supported by Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and New Line Cinema. While some rumors say the Xbox 360 will use HD-DVDs, no announcement has been made about the console's media format
What the hell is taking them so long, anyway? If they know that they have to compromise, and they understand the strengths and weaknesses of both formats, then why don't they just agree on something and get it over with? How does trying to wait the other one out accomplish anything, since a compromise can't happen without both companies in on the deal?
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Master of Ossus wrote:What the hell is taking them so long, anyway? If they know that they have to compromise, and they understand the strengths and weaknesses of both formats, then why don't they just agree on something and get it over with? How does trying to wait the other one out accomplish anything, since a compromise can't happen without both companies in on the deal?
Something tells me that this is a matter of pride, not logic.
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The sad thing I note is that Toshiba's tri-layer 45 GB HD-DVD disk has less space than a dual layer Blu-ray disk (50 GB).
Balanced out by the apparent fact that Blu-ray discs are more pricey and more fragile.
Sony tried their own better-on-paper proprietary format before. Several times. Memory stick? Minidisc? Let's not even travel back in time to the late '70s. I'm betting the consumer - the people without the advanced marketing degrees - will ultimately prefer the version that costs less, looks fine, and won't become useless if you drop it once.
Mayhaps Sony'll get the kinks out. I'm just saying it's not so cut-and-dry.
The sad thing I note is that Toshiba's tri-layer 45 GB HD-DVD disk has less space than a dual layer Blu-ray disk (50 GB).
Balanced out by the apparent fact that Blu-ray discs are more pricey and more fragile.
Sony tried their own better-on-paper proprietary format before. Several times. Memory stick? Minidisc? Let's not even travel back in time to the late '70s. I'm betting the consumer - the people without the advanced marketing degrees - will ultimately prefer the version that costs less, looks fine, and won't become useless if you drop it once.
Mayhaps Sony'll get the kinks out. I'm just saying it's not so cut-and-dry.
Like I said, I still prefer the HD-DVD format. More durable + lower cost + sooner release date.
Praxis wrote:Like I said, I still prefer the HD-DVD format. More durable + lower cost + sooner release date.
And it used MS codecs which are cheaper & better than mpeg2
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I'll say one thing, if they don't drop the bullshit idea about collecting all the personal info of buyers and snapping their pictures, I'll never buy a single HD-DVD.
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Hmmm...wonder how long it'll be before they get a disc that can store high quality music at say, 32 bits with a sampling rate of 192kHz or better. I want my hi-res audio disc that sounds as good as the master tape.
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Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:I'll say one thing, if they don't drop the bullshit idea about collecting all the personal info of buyers and snapping their pictures, I'll never buy a single HD-DVD.
aerius wrote:Hmmm...wonder how long it'll be before they get a disc that can store high quality music at say, 32 bits with a sampling rate of 192kHz or better. I want my hi-res audio disc that sounds as good as the master tape.
How much space does that take, generally? I wouldn't be surprised if thats possible with 30 GB of space
Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:I'll say one thing, if they don't drop the bullshit idea about collecting all the personal info of buyers and snapping their pictures, I'll never buy a single HD-DVD.
Ha ha ha, looks like someone believed an article dated April 1st.
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Oh, that was an April Fool's? I read the article later, so I didn't notice the date. You have to admit, it was a pretty believable April Fool's. I wouldn't put something like it past them.
Praxis wrote:...how can a HD-DVD disk snap pictures of buyers?
The article was about how stores would have to collect and turn over buyer information to the MPAA and snap customers' pictures with their security cameras.
"I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark." - Muhammad Ali
"Dating is not supposed to be easy. It's supposed to be a heart-pounding, stomach-wrenching, gut-churning exercise in pitting your fear of rejection and public humiliation against your desire to find a mate. Enjoy." - Darth Wong
I didn't think it would ever be implemented, but I could imagine some overpaid CEO dreaming it up and telling the media about it.
"I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark." - Muhammad Ali
"Dating is not supposed to be easy. It's supposed to be a heart-pounding, stomach-wrenching, gut-churning exercise in pitting your fear of rejection and public humiliation against your desire to find a mate. Enjoy." - Darth Wong
