DVD war "off" as rivals seek hybrid solution
The industry split over next-generation DVD formats could soon be resolved, according to a number of reports in the Japanese press.
Sony, the company that is spearheading the Blu-ray Disc format, and Toshiba, which has developed the alternative high-definition (HD) DVD standard, are said to have come under pressure from the movie and video game industries to agree on a single technology.
Both of the formats use GaN-based blue lasers, but there have been fears that the industry split could confuse consumers and hamper the take-up of next-generation optical data storage technology.
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) told Compoundsemiconductor.net that it "remains open to exploring ways to avoid a "˜format war' at the consumer level", although it could not confirm whether the two camps are close to agreeing a truce.
Toshiba also re-iterated its plan to release notebook computers with HD-DVD drives in the fourth quarter of 2005.
A spokeswoman for the Japanese consumer electronics giant confirmed that it also believed a single format would be best for consumers, and that it would work towards that aim through "necessary discussions" with Sony and its supporters.
The HD DVD camp has just held its first general meeting, which took place in Tokyo. "HD DVD is making the move from specs to products," said the group.
Optical disc manufacturer Memory-Tech, which is a supporter of Toshiba's HD DVD format, says that it has developed a faster disc mastering process for the next-generation format that uses a compact 375 nm semiconductor laser in place of a bulky gas laser.
Memory-Tech says that using the semiconductor laser reduces the time required to complete a full-face mastering process from three hours to just two hours, with improved stability.
"The new semiconductor laser [mastering process] Memory-Tech developed matches with the HD DVD format concept," said Hisashi Yamada of Toshiba's Digital Media Network Company. "It will largely contribute to the HD DVD mastering quality improvement and stable HD DVD disc supplies."
