AfterDawn: News

China to begin work on DVD format

A government-affiliate research body in China has announced that it will begin developing China's own DVD format to help break the monopoly of foreign companies in DVD manufacturing. A massive portion, about 70% - 80%, of all DVD players made in the world come from China, but Chinese manufacturers have to pay license fees to foreign patent holders in the DVD industry. It will be based on the prevailing format of HD-DVD.

While based on HD-DVD, it will actually be incompatible with HD-DVD but according to Lu Da, deputy director of the National Disc Engineering Center, it will provide higher definition, better audio qualities and better copy protection mechanisms to attract content holders. "With such format and related standards," Lu said, "We could have our own voice in the DVD industry."



The new format is not expected to actually reach the market until 2008. Manufacturers in China have to pay up to 40% of the rough cost of each DVD player in license fees, according to Lu.

Source:
Xinhaunet

Written by: James Delahunty @ 4 Oct 2005 22:56

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• 9 comments

• Auslander

  sounds like the old communist vs. capitalist struggle, to me. "anything you can do, i can do better." lord a mighty; if they're making all these dvd players, why shouldn't they get paid instead of paying for it. i mean, because of china, everyone could get a player, resulting in higher dvd sales. if they didn't get paid, they should have at least been able to produce these players without licensing fees.
  
  well, now we'll have more competition! it's vhs vs. beta max vs....umm...vheta sax! let's divide everything even more! yay, specialty equipment! oh, the wonders of greed-caused stupidity.

  5.10.2005 09:40 #1

• jpc1958

  Sorry, don't agree with you on that one. This is a simple fact that China, one of the world's worst copyright infringers, is attempting to not have to pay royalties to the people who originally developed DVD in the first place. Movie makers should not allow any content get distributed in this format. They steal our content, now they don't even want the burden of paying for the rights to the technology that allows them to make some of the very items that makes them prosperous. I say screw them! Make them play by the same rules everyone else has to play by!

  8.10.2005 08:03 #2

• Auslander

  it's not the companies producing the players that are doing the pirating, it's the citizens that have no money because the chinese government is corrupt and narrow-minded. you're punishing the son for the sins of the father.

  8.10.2005 10:01 #3

• f00dl3

  I find it humerous that China, of all countries, claims to be inventing a DVD format with "better copy protection". I would like to wait and see to see how many "content holders" would want to give China the ability to handle their IP.

  8.10.2005 19:03 #4

• gettojoe

  Christ! talk about holier than thou, 'course It could only be the Chinese government that is corrupt and narrow-minded?
  Quite unlike our pure untainted Western Governments, who can't account for the billions of dollars supposedly pumped into Iraq
  Sums vaster than the amounts allegedly purloined by Saddam, which prompted our leaders to impose their unasked for brand of 'democracy' (sic) via the barrel of a gun on the poor sods. A stroke of genius that discounted any resistance. Broad-minded indeed!
  
  As for rights to technologies Can't recall the West ever paying royalties to China for its development of gunpowder, silk, porcelain or tea However history is clear on length and effort the West went to spy and steal such information and technology from China

  9.10.2005 09:26 #5

• Auslander

  never did i say the western governments were better or that there was a perfect government. but compare the standard of living from say, the US or Canada to China, and you'll see what i mean. i was arguing the point that china shouldn't be require to pay those royalties and supporting it; nothing else was intended.
  
  china and its people have nearly always gotten the short end of the stick, and i don't think that's right.

  9.10.2005 09:31 #6

• gettojoe

  My apologies Auslander! Re-reading your first comment I accept that I 'ave rolled jpc1958's post into your second Producing an unfair balance and assumption of comment. In such light, an attack on you is unwarranted
  Sorry!

  9.10.2005 09:57 #7

• Auslander

  thanks for coming back to clarify and apologize! no hard feelings, joe :D

  9.10.2005 10:15 #8

• wardieb

  I have been working with the Chinese on this new format which will not be DVD compatable. They are looking at copyright protection in this new format and are building copy protection in from the start, rather than an later add-on as we see in CDs.
  

  12.10.2005 07:11 #9