AfterDawn: News

Write-Once HD-DVD discs in 2006

The latest event in the next generation DVD format war has been an announcement by Hitachi Maxell and a unit of Mitsubishi Chemical stating that they will launch HD DVD based "write-once" discs in 2006. Billions of dollars are to fight for between the Blu Ray group (led by Sony) and the HD-DVD (High Definition DVD group, led by Toshiba) as both sides attempt to make their formats look more appealing to the entertainment and software industries and also consumers.

The new write-once discs will be launched next year in time for the scheduled launch of HD DVD recorders by Toshiba. In the current blank DVD media market, write-once media (DVD-R & DVD+R) accounts for 87% of demand whereas rewritable discs account for the rest. Blu-Ray DVD recorders have already been launched by the Blu Ray camp as well as rewritable Blu-Ray media but not write-once media just yet. However, Sony expects the write-once Blu-Ray discs to be available hopefully by the last quarter of 2005.



While Blu-Ray discs have higher capacity storage than HD-DVD discs, the HD-DVD camp argues that the HD-DVD format is a better choice for the industries because it would be a less costly transition due to a current DVD-like disc structure. Hitachi Maxell and Mitsubishi Kagaku have said that write-once HD-DVD discs can be produced using existing production equipment.

Source:
News.com

Written by: James Delahunty @ 9 Jun 2005 21:05

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• 11 comments

• mikey_ray

  Hitachi Maxell and Mitsubishi Kagaku have said that write-once HD-DVD discs can be produced using existing production equipment.
  
  Does that mean our current dvd burners would work with that new media?
  
  
  
  

  9.6.2005 22:11 #1

• daemonzx6

  No, they mean that the file system structure is similar, so it would be more "cost effective" if the companies cut corners and were able to simply modify their existing production equipment to allow for the blue laser technology. The new discs will not work in existing players or writers, its only better for companies, not the consumer, to have to use only slightly improved technology.

  9.6.2005 23:07 #2

• nonoitall

  As long as they both can really get a good MPEG-4 high-def movie on both types of disc, I honestly don't really care which one wins. My guess is that the HD-DVD really would be slightly less expensive though, even to the consumer.

  10.6.2005 00:49 #3

• slacker1

  daemonzx6: this would be better for everyone as more cost to produce means more cost when we go to buy the new dvds, players and burners so keeping costs down helps everyone while still getting a better product then we have now.

  10.6.2005 08:27 #4

• punx777

  
  heres what the war should be about!
  
  (taken from http://www.gizmodo.com ) Quote:Optware, the leaders in everything holographic (except my limited edition holographic Picachu), have a new type of media. This is roughly the size of a credit card and hold 30GB worth of data. It is called the Holographic Versatile Card (HVC) and is going to join the lines of Blu ray and HD DVD for the throne of the next big media. Right now the HVC seems less practical in home uses because the HVC reader costs $1800 dollars while each 30GB card is going to be under $1. For large server purposes this seems more practical.
  
  I’m wondering if these might not be a good console gaming storage device. Hmmm? Hmmm?
  
  Optware to Release 30 GB Holographic Card for Less than $1 at the End of 2006 [NikkeiBP]

  11.6.2005 09:32 #5

• ddrhazy

  I'm sure bluray media will still use most of the production factories machines to make their media and writers as well, so don't think that a bluray change has to scrap every machine in the factory.

  11.6.2005 11:03 #6

• A_Klingon

  It would be comforting to know that the new, upcoming BluRay high-capacity burners would be backwards-compatible with present-day dvd media (DVD +/-R) much as today's burners are compatible with CD-R.
  
  It might be a stretch to hope for all three though, desireable though it would be - CD-R plus DVD+R/-R plus Blu-Ray, all-in-one burner. It might be an expensive option - infrared laser (cd), plus visible red laser (dvd) plus blue laser.

  12.6.2005 15:17 #7

• westbrom

  i think its all a big rip off, if everyone as gone out and spent on dvds , then in two years need to buy the same movie again but in a diffrent format.. whos winning and whos losein
  
  
  boing boing baggies baggies

  13.6.2005 06:56 #8

• A_Klingon

  You're the winner westbron (really).
  
  IF the new format were to yield a movie in exactly the same video quality as your present dvd copy, you would be a loser.
  
  But if you have a high-definition home television (we will all have them; standard NTSC/PAL tv's are on their way out), then the remastered, re-encoded noo-&-improoved BluRay Hi-Def Hollywood blockbuster feature film will look better than it ever has before.
  
  I sort of suspect that after we've lived with hi-def discs for a while, we'll become spoiled rotten. You won't really want that stinky ol' standard dvd any more.
  
  The really good news is that since bluray/hi-def technology is so new, it'll be a good long time before something better comes along. Planned obsolescence, I don't think, is a part of the hi-def format.
  
  You should be 'OK' for a month or two! :-)

  13.6.2005 12:56 #9

• westbrom

  whos gonna pay for my new tv and films then , any offers
  
  
  boing boing baggies baggies

  13.6.2005 13:03 #10

• Joewho

  You can bet the technology will be more expensive initially, it always is. The answer,don't buy until the price drops. Isn't this a technology that the Chinese developed and were going to market cheaper than the existing one? However the big companies got into the act.
  Joewho.

  14.6.2005 18:08 #11