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No unified standard for next generation DVDs

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 10:34 am
by cfitz
Apparently the Blu-ray and HD-DVD camps have given up on trying to agree on a unified standard:

Japanese electronics firms abandon unifying standards for next-generation DVDs

Two groups of Japanese major electronics companies have abandoned unifying their standards for next-generation DVDs, industry sources said Tuesday.

A group led by Toshiba Corp. and the other comprising of Sony Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., among other firms, have failed to reach agreement on the standards for their larger-capacity, next-generation DVDs.

As a result, DVD systems with two incompatible standards will coexist, like VHS and Beta systems for videotape recorders, which will inconvenience consumers.

In late February, Toshiba, which prefers the HD-DVD standard, and Sony and Matsushita, which are in favor of the Blue-Ray Disc standard, began negotiations on a single standard for their next-generation DVDs.

At one point, they agreed in principle to work out a third DVD standard by combining the advantages of both systems. However, the talks came to a standstill in mid-May after they failed to narrow their differences over expenses and the gap between Hollywood film production companies over the standards.

The group backing the HD-DVD standard that includes Sanyo Electric Co. and NEC Corp. is set to hand over devices used to transform movie films into DVDs to film producers in Hollywood in September.

Companies backing the Blue-Ray Disc standard, including Sharp Corp., have stepped up production of next-generation DVDs such as trial operations of their production lines.

Film production firms in Hollywood are also split over standards for next-generation DVDs. Warner, Paramount and Universal back the HD-DVD standard while Disney, MGM, Sony Pictures and 20th Century Fox have sided with the Blue-Ray Disc system. (Mainichi)

August 23, 2005

Link

cfitz

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 11:19 am
by Ian
I thought they gave up months ago. :-?

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 12:07 pm
by cfitz
Really? I guess that shows how much I am paying attention... :wink: I thought they were still holding out hope that they could reach an agreement. Oh well, just call me "behind the times".

cfitz

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 12:23 pm
by Ian
I really dunno. I don't know if today's new stories are just a rehash or if the two companies are finally giving up.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 1:53 pm
by dolphinius_rex
I was under the impression they were still trying...

Anyways, if I bother with either format at ALL, it'll be Blu-Ray. As it stands, I don't think either will be very important to me for quite some time though.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 2:19 pm
by jberry
shootin themselves in the foot....be a long time now

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 4:51 pm
by dodecahedron
Matsushita is on the Blue-Ray camp?
i thought they were DVD Forum (DVD-) the previous time. strange that they're on the other side now, no?

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:41 pm
by dolphinius_rex
dodecahedron wrote:Matsushita is on the Blue-Ray camp?
i thought they were DVD Forum (DVD-) the previous time. strange that they're on the other side now, no?


They like being on the winning side I'd say :wink:

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:55 pm
by dodecahedron
the Plus is winning? i haven't heard that!

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 6:50 pm
by dolphinius_rex
dodecahedron wrote:the Plus is winning? i haven't heard that!


No, Pioneer/Matsushita are in the DVD-Forum for DVD-R media, but they are with the BluRay Group for HighDefinition DVD, so they like being on the winning side of these sorts of things. I would NOT say that DVD+R is winning... especially in North America! :wink:

PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 5:40 am
by RJW
dolphinius_rex wrote: I would NOT say that DVD+R is winning... especially in North America! :wink:



According to the lastest numbers I've seen +R won slightly in North America. :o Now befor raveing that +R is going to overtake the market. Closer examination shows that the difference is caused by Dual Layer disc's and rewritables.
For single layer recordable disc's DVD-R is still the leading format in North america and still will be for a long time if DVD+R ever comes close.

So I wonder what will happen in the next months will dual layer -R retake some part again.

So in other words nothing has really changed.

PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 7:31 am
by code65536
Pioneer is in the Blu-Ray camp despite being in the opposite camp as Sony in the Dash-Plus Wars. And NEC is in the HD-DVD camp despite being in the same camp as Sony in the Dash-Plus Wars. This is a double-plus-amusing industry. ;)

PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 12:28 pm
by dolphinius_rex
code65536 wrote:This is a double-plus-amusing industry. ;)


and 2 dash's make a plus :lol:

- & | equal '+'