James Delahunty
11 May 2005 5:22
Reuters is reporting that talks between Toshiba Corp. and Sony over developing a unified next generation DVD format are leaning towards a disc structure supported by Sony. In case you have been living in a cave for the last few years, you should know that both companies have been promoting their technology as the best for consumer needs for a next generation DVD format standard. However, both sides would like to avoid a format war that would resemble the VHS-Beta videocassette war.
Several major companies back Sony's technology including Dell, Samsung and Philips. A source told Reuters that it was unclear whether both sides would ultimately reach an agreement on a common format but talks right now lean towards a unified format based on Blu-ray's disc structure. The Nihon Keizai newspaper reported earlier this week that both sides were in final talks over a possible format that would merge Blu-Ray's disc structure and Toshiba's software for copy protection and data transfer.
At the core of both formats are blue lasers, which have a shorter wavelength than the red lasers used in current DVD equipment, allowing discs to store data at the higher densities needed for high-definition movies and television.
Source:
Reuters