http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_5189776.htm


This is good news indeed.

As brought up every time this tyoe of equipment is rumored, it probably won't pass approval by the BD forum and Sony. I'm sure the DVD forum would be loathe to license this either at this point.

And, as brought up right away after that each time, who cares what Sony wants? Somebody will make it anyway.

Doesn't seem like much of a big deal, though. Not like the laser assembly from Ricoh. I mean, it's just a controller chip that can handle both kinds of software. Anybody with half an ounce of computer knowledge knew this could be made.

Unfortunately, all the companies that Sony wooed to the dark side care...mostly because of the contracts that they signed with BD.

Well, depends on who you ask. There are many here who think that this is horrible news as this will prolong the format war.

What I mean by "good news" is that if you buy a player with this chip, and eventually 1 format wins, you're still in the clear. 0 chance of having a collector's item.

Bummer for them, not me.

Well, if these DO come out, there's no format war any more. Who the hell would buy a player that only plays one of the formats? And if that's the case, why bother producing 2 different types of discs? The studios would just go for the cheaper manufacturing solution which is HD DVD.

So, as i said, bring it on.

Well, it depends on how expensive they are when they come out. If they cost the same as or more than BD standalones, many people may still opt for the cheaper HD DVD player for at least the short-run, only upgrading later if BD support seems necessary or desirable, and is cheaper.

I agree that if dual-format players become predominent, then studios will most likely produce only one type of HD disc per title. However, that may not necessarily be HD DVD. Sony would stick with BD out of corporate interests, and Fox may stick with it due to DRM concerns. I could even see a company like Warner releasing the occasional BD when a title needs 50 GB of space.

That isn't what happened with high-rez audio. The studios still stuck to one or the other. And then both formats died out for other reasons.

Methinks this is a bit different.

There are a helluva lot more people interested in HD material than high rez audio.

Again, Ipod anyone?

That is my thought as well.

If they go to dual-format players then no one will buy the others. If no one buys the others then everyone will start to make dual-format players. If there's dual-format players, there's no reason to release 2 different discs (for WB/Paramount) and they'll probably go for the cheaper/easier to manufacture type which would be HD DVD.

Regardless, that would be the same as having 1 format which they couldn't agree to do in the first place. I see it as a domino effect that is "all too easy" for my taste. If it WERE this easy, they would have done it in the first place and saved themselves the trouble. I just seriously doubt it will happen.

I find it difficult to refute this logic. HD DVD wouldn't want to license this tech because it gives BD a foothold, and BD wouldn't want it for the same reason, plus the reason DFNYC cited above. Also, it DOES matter what Sony thinks. Even if the chip is designed, it cannot be sold without first obtaining a license from Sony/BD and the DVD Forum to do so.

Would a multi-format player really solve any problems once the game systems & add-ons come out? Wouldn't the studios still have to publish in both formats to appease everyone?

Hmm. You make a good point, although I find it hard to believe NEC would publish shipment estimates of 300,000 by April unless they had already sorted out the legalities.

That's a good question. First off, a combo player wouldn't "solve" any large issues at first, since it'd just be one player. At most, it'd appease some people who want a single player without worrying about choosing between the formats.

If combo players became prevelent, then there's the concern towards the consumers that bought single-format before that occurred. With the video-game systems, so far each only supports one format. The PS3 uses BD for games, so BD will continue on even if it's just supplying games. Microsoft could theoretically produce a combo add-on for the 360. It's possible PS3 could go combo as well to make the system more appealing for movie viewing, although that's probably unlikely.

The real question would come down to the studios as to whether they want to produce for both formats. Right now we have a few studios that so far okay with only producing for one format. So some may be fine with ignoring a subsection of the market in exchange for dealing with one less format. Many of the single-format owners may end up uprgading to a combo-player later on. I could also see some studios releasing select major new releases on both while releasing lower-profile catalog titles on only one format.

I agree that initially, it would make little difference to the studios' approach to releases. The largest unknowns would seem to be a) what criteria the studios would use to determine when to change their model, and b) when that threshold would be reached. And all of that would obviously depend on consumer acceptance of combo player(s).

A "best case" scenario would probably be that two or more manufacturers produce affordable combo players sometime next year, and they sell well enough that they become the de facto standard in the standalone player market by the end of 2007 or early 2008. In that case, it would be likely that most single-format owners (especially people who use a PS3 or XBox 360 as their movie player) would upgrade to a combo player within a couple of years. Then the studios would be free to choose one format or the other, without fear of losing sales.

A "worst case" scenario would be that Toshiba and/or Sony successfully shut down development of any combo machine, and it never sees the light of day. However, I don't see that happening. I'm not a legal expert, but I think that might constitute an anti-trust violation, if a CE is denied the ability to produce a BD or HD DVD compatible player, simply based on the fact that the player could also play a video format that one party or the other doesn't like.

The reality is probably somewhere in the middle, where the opposing camps fight against the combos, but eventually lose, and by 2009-2010 they begin to dominate the standalone market. In the meantime, since it is clear that neither format is going away anytime soon, most studios (except Sony and Universal, probably) will begin releasing titles in both formats, and may continue to do so for a while after combo players are commonplace.

I honestly don't think Sony OR Universal will ever release movies on the other format unless their format is dead. I just don't see it happening.

Agreed 100%. But that is a different topic. If combo players became relevant to the world, they would definitely continue to use their preferred format.

I see combos as either a great boost to both formats or a danger to defeat both. (not just one)

It's quite possible that by the time a dual-format player comes out, they'd be doomed already. They have to strike before people just "accept" that it'll never catch on.

That's why I think that the next (first) year is the one that will decide this whole thing. Hollywood and the industry are moving far faster than they ever have before.

I agree that everything will be far more clear next year. If both formats achieve a sort of parity in the marketplace, the pressure to move to dual format players will be tremendous.

My question to all the hd dvd supporters: given that many chose hd dvd for its lower price, how much of a premium would you be willing to pay to get a dual format player?

The BDA license apparently DOES allow them to make Hybrid players - but they cannot make HD DVD-only players.

Good points - on this bit too.

Samsung and LG were reportedly on the verge of filing a restraint of trade lawsuit against Sony and BDA, but it's rumoured that a back-room compromise was reached to allow them to make Hybrid player after a certain date.

Toshiba has announced that they won't make a hybrid, but will leave that to others.

There is no evidence that Toshiba has ever tried to block hybrid players.

As far as what I've heard, those two manufacturers aren't making hybrids right now. It's something else...