Sony Says Open to Avoiding DVD Format War

Wed Apr 13,10:22 AM ET

By Lucas van Grinsven, European Technology Correspondent

BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - Sony Corp (SNE.N) said on Wednesday it was open to discussions to create a single standard for the next generation of DVD discs, a move which could head off the looming threat of a major format war among the world's biggest technology companies.

"From the point of view to provide the best service to the consumer one format is better than two. We're open to discussions," Yukinori Kawauchi, general manager in charge of the next DVD format at Sony's Video Group, said in an interview.


But he added that specific proposals had yet to be tabled.


"There's no visible progress to do that (create a single standard)," Kawauchi told Reuters at an event organized by Sony.


The electronics industry is facing a battle between the so-called Blu-ray optical discs and HD DVD discs, two different new DVD formats which offer higher capacity than current DVDs.


The first players and recorders for the new formats are expected to be on the market by the end of this year, and as the introduction dates draw closer industry specialists fear a bloody battle similar to the video tape war between the VHS and Betamax formats in the early 1980s.


Japan's TDK Corp., Sony and Philips Electronics are part of a large group promoting Blu-ray against a group led by Toshiba Corp. and its HD DVD technology.


At stake is pole position in the $10 billion-a-year DVD player and recorder market, and a similar-sized PC drive market.


The worldwide value of all published DVD products is expected to grow at an average 18 percent a year to $77 billion by 2009 from $33 billion in 2004, high-tech market research group In-Stat forecast in a report published last month.


The companies which establish the next DVD standard will reap royalties on the technology for many years to come.


At the core of both formats are blue lasers, which have a shorter wavelength than the red lasers used in current DVD equipment, allowing discs to store data at the higher densities needed for high-definition movies and televisions.


Hollywood studios are still divided on what format to support. Apple Computer joined the group of Blu-ray companies last month, with Dell and Hewlett-Packard already pushing that format.

Translation:

"You WILL capitulate to our superior format."

Maybe companies should focus on developing a player that will play both.....problem is then solved for us paying consumers

The problem is that you'd need at least two lasers, red and blue. That's expensive and difficult to implement.

True, but if understand correctly, in order to have backwards compatability with Blu-Ray you'll need a red laser anyway. I would assume the HDDVD laser is a different wavelength, right?

I thought Blu-Ray and HD-DVD were both gonna use blue lasers?

it was mentioned in a recent issue of Widescreen Review that both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD could both be included on a single disc.

That seems like a pretty awkward solution. I'd rather have hardware that can play both formats, than software that can output both formats.

Additionally, with major studios aligning themselves with one format or the other, it doesn't seem like this is a feasible solution.

why is that awkward - it would be akin to the layering structure of hybrid Super Audio CD's

It's not a technical issue. The only things preventing a converged standard are: ego, licensing fees, patents, platform control.... basically money.

The best way to force them to produce a SINGLE standard is to not buy either one. But THAT isn't going to happen.

Yep. The problem is that you are going to have those people that always have to have the latest and greatest and will go out and buy both players and run it that way. I will say that it ain't going to happen in my house. I will wait it out.

I had always thought that BluRay was NOT going to be backward capatible. That's one of the main arguments that HDDVD was advancing.

you've pointed out the obvious answer, but I was pointing out that from what I had read, that the two CAN fit onto one disc - not many people are aware of that.

and what's up with the rumoured next generation Sony Playstation console, I thought I heard a murmuring that it would also support Blu-ray technology.

I think people ARE aware of it. It doesn't take much thought to consider one format on each side, or some multiplexing of layers.

The feasibility of supporting two standards shouldn't be the issue, IMO. That's what both sides of this issue want us to focus on... it redirects focus from the real issue of why there are 2 standards in the first place.

with the varying studios/computer hardware companies supporting both the formats - I really don't see an decent outcome immenient - the shit's gonna hit the fan come this Fall.

"At the core of both formats are blue lasers, which have a shorter wavelength than the red lasers used in current DVD equipment..."

Who's right?

Because, if a studio decides NOT to use this dual format, you'll be unable to play the disc.

That is, if I buy a HD-DVD player, and Sony decides to not use the 'dual' format to release their titles, I won't be able to play any titles from Columbia or MGM.

However, if this were solved on a hardware level, I'd be able to play anything.

Both will be backwards compatible with current DVD software. TI think you are thinking about being able to retrofit current DVD production facilities to produce HDDVDs. Blu-Ray will require new "pressing" facilities.

Could Sony be worried they have another Betamax / MiniDisc on their hands ?

Ive always thought of this format war like a big game of chicken. Seems like sony have made the first swerve

MiniDisc is a big success in Japan.And they just released 10 movie including Spiderman 2 and music video titles for the PSP!Another new format!

Both use blue lasers. The shorter wavelength of the blue light allows the use of physically smaller and closer together "dimples" = more data storage. A blue laser could easily read existing DVDs. HD DVD discs can be manufactured with mostly existing equipment. Blu-Ray needs new manufacturing equipment and is technically more challenging. I'll wait for the winner to rise up before I'll buy.

Phil

Considering Sony's track record of trying to force new formats on the market, they should be worried.

The best solution would probably be a compromise between the two camps, use the HD-DVD name with Blu-Ray technology, but I doubt that's going to happen.

The feeling I get from Sony is that they want to control the formats, and it ultimately comes back to bite them in the ass. (Beta/MiniDisc)

So I don't think that Sony will want dual-format discs or players out there. It's all or nothing with them.

I think both formats are going to be a hard sell, and I hope they don't fuck up standard DVD with their pissing contest. I could see Sony pulling something incredibly stupid like pulling support for standard DVD to try to force the consumer to adopt Blu-Ray.

Well if they can't/won't produce a player that will play both, I just hope the movie selection will be good for both formats......but I doubt that and they'll make us buy both

I really don't care what they pick so long as it stays backwards compatible. If one is cheaper than the other, I'll take the cheaper one.