| Long gone are the times when all we had were | | | | dual-sided one can store 50 GB. |
| compact discs, first for music, then for data storage | | | | As a counterpart of the HD-DVD's iHD Interactive |
| and movies. The DVDs came next, boasting of what | | | | Format, Blu-ray will use the HDMV, as well as Java |
| seemed then as tons of data storage. | | | | software support to implement interactive menus. |
| But as they say, times quickly change, and so does | | | | A Comparison |
| the technology. Personal and commercial demands for | | | | Factors going for the HD-DVD: The DVD Forum is its |
| data storage -- be they for music, movies, games, or | | | | big daddy. The movie industry, which counts among |
| software -- are outstripping the present capacities of | | | | its ranks Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, New |
| optical discs. | | | | Line Cinema, and Paramount Pictures, supports the |
| Fortunately, two new players in the optical storage | | | | format. The giants of the IT industry -- Toshiba, |
| scene have arrived -- HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. Both | | | | NEC, Sanyo, the DVD Forum, Microsoft, and Intel -- |
| share similarities, and at the same time compete | | | | also support the format. All HD-DVDs and HD-DVD |
| against each other to become the new standard | | | | players are backward compatible, meaning they will |
| technology for the future. This match-up will | | | | still support old DVDs. It is cheaper and faster to |
| eventually determine the successor to the DVD. | | | | manufacture than Blu-Ray discs. |
| While it might seem a boon to consumers to have | | | | Factors going for Blu-Ray: Blu-Ray has the support of |
| two disc types to choose from, the battle between | | | | the world's largest electronic companies -- Sony, HP, |
| the two discs might be disastrous to the industry. | | | | Dell, Pioneer, Philips, Panasonic, Samsung, Apple, |
| HD-DVD | | | | LG-Electronics, and Mitsubishi Electric. There are also |
| HD-DVD stands for either High Density Digital | | | | companies from the entertainment industry that |
| Versatile Disc or High Definition Digital Video Disc. The | | | | support the format -- Electronic Arts, MGM, Walt |
| HD-DVD's look is a familiar one -- it is 120 mm in | | | | Disney, and 20th Century Fox. The PlayStation 3 will |
| diameter, the same size as a CD and DVD. A | | | | be supporting Blu-Ray discs. Blu-Ray discs have faster |
| single-sided HD-DVD can hold 15 GB of storage, while | | | | data transfer rates than their counterparts. Blu-Ray |
| a dual-sided one can store 30 GB. A triple-sided | | | | discs have larger storage capacities than their |
| HD-DVD, a huge possibility courtesy of Toshiba, can | | | | counterparts. |
| hold 45 GB. | | | | As you can see, each side has its advantages and |
| HD-DVDs use the iHD Interactive Format, which will | | | | disadvantages. It's really too tough to call at this point |
| allow interactive content to be written for the discs. | | | | as to who will emerge the winner. But one thing is |
| Blu-Ray | | | | certain -- the commercial industry disdains this battle |
| Blu-Ray takes its name from the laser that it uses -- | | | | of attrition, as any format war has the potential to |
| a 405 nm wavelength blue laser, which is also | | | | split the market into two incompatible sub-markets; |
| employed by the HD-DVD. A single-sided Blu-ray disc, | | | | these smaller markets means that the format war |
| which shares the same diameter with the HD-DVD, | | | | kills off revenues. |
| CD, and DVD, can hold 25 GB of storage, while a | | | | |