On Monday , we offhand declared Blu - Ray the winner over HD videodisk to be the replacement of now standard DVD . Many have pronounce that it ’s “ too early on to state , ” but givenbothcompetitorshave harbinger there will be mathematical product with their engineering available to consumers before the end of 2005 , we here at Gizmodo certainly do n’t think so . On the reverse , it ’s almost too belated .
And so , we ’re declare Blu - Ray the winner . certainly , the fact we require to call our optical media “ Blurry Discs ” for the next 10 years or so is a factor , but that ’s far from the reign one — Blu - Ray is not only technically superior to HD DVD , it has a far strong corporate backing , and has demonstrate the ability to have more subject available to labor the data format . After the leap , we reveal down the three domain — technical , financial , and commercial-grade — where Blu - Ray has go under itself apart from its only rivalry .
expert
Since “ technical ” is quite broad , I ’ll begin by telling you about the all - important capacitance . After all , for consumers like yourselves , this is one of the only technical aspect ( well , aspects that vary between the two format ) of the disc you ’ll ever deal with . The capacity of a dual layered Blu - Ray platter is , for now at least,50 GB . The capacity of a twofold layered HD videodisk disk is30 GB . Already we see that Blu - Ray has 66 % more overall entrepot capacity than HD DVD . But it does n’t stop there ; Sonyhas announce that layering a discbeyond dual layering is possible , allowing up to a 200 GB mental ability on a Blu - Ray disc with 8 layers .
One of the technical advantages of HD videodisk used to be how it was “ backward compatible with DVD , ” meaning , live DVDs could be act on HD DVD players . I say “ used to ” because I do n’t consider this an reward anymore — not only have plenty of companies already announced various technical elements ( such as read heads , lenses , etc . ) to be compatible with Blu - Ray , DVD , and CD , most Blu - Ray devices shown at this year’sCEATEC JAPANconvention are also scheduled to be compatible with DVD . Backwards compatibility with DVD was one of the principal argument HD DVD had against Blu - Ray , but asrecent developments have indicate , that does n’t really use anymore . In fact , just this past week , we cover on the “ BD / CD Dual Format Disc , ” which is a saucer containing both Blu - Ray and CD datum layers .
https://gizmodo.com/ceatec-japan-2004-day-1-22759
So what are the other technical advantages of Blu - Ray ? protagonist of HD DVD have claimed a primary intensity level of the formatting is on the production side , in that a videodisk production line can be convert to an HD DVD production line “ in 5 mo . ” Also , the production of HD videodisc discs is allege to be around the same as that of current videodisc . While there is no reply from the Blu - Ray refugee camp about how long it would take a output crease to “ make the switch,”Panasonic announcedback in March of this twelvemonth that production of Blu - Ray discs could have the same cost - per - phonograph recording price as current DVD . Perhaps gloomy , even – remember that announcement aboutBlu - Ray discs made of paperfrom earlier this year ? “ The combination of paper material and printing process technology is also expected to lead to a reduction in cost per disc and will spread out employment , ” read theSony press release . Likewise , Sony has developed a Blu - Ray mastering systemrequiring one twenty percent the spaceof current videodisc mastering organisation , that can also produce DVD masters .
https://gizmodo.com/sonys-paper-blu-ray-discs-9177
There has been jolly of a shitstorm about the cartridge versus “ scanty ” shape of each disc case . Current Blu - Ray discs and recorder , alreadyavailableto Japanese consumers , use cartridges that contain the disk themselves . I believe every modern visual media function through this stagecoach – CDs used to have them , videodisc ( DVD - RAM , that is ) used to have them , and now Blu - Rays have them . But it front like you’re able to slow down a bit if you are a cartridge hater , as all late Blu - Ray intersection unveilings ( such as those at this year ’s CEATEC ) do not feature cartridge - type parkway . HD DVD , although there are still no consumer product available , have not been shown to use a cartridge type apparatus . Whether you consider cartridges an advantage or disadvantage is up to you , but one thing is for certain – neither Blu - Ray nor HD videodisk will be using them in the future .
https://gizmodo.com/sonys-first-blu-ray-recorders-8562
fiscal
When it comes to corporate mount , that of Blu - Ray far exceeds that of HD DVD . Currently , theBlu - Ray Disc Associationhasover 70 member . pinpoint exactly how many companies are members of the “ HD DVD Promotion Group ” is difficult , because they do n’t seem to have a homepage yet . TheDVD Forum(over 220 members)has approved certain HD DVD standards , but order they are all back HD DVD is very shoddy — the DVD Forum was establish in 1997 for base standard and formats for DVD . Not HD DVD.A poster at the HD DVD boothduring CEATEC JAPAN 2004 showed about 47 company supporting HD DVD .
But it ’s not just about how many companies are listed on some silly “ assistant list , ” because as with most thing these days , quality is more of import than quantity . So who ’s behind Blu - Ray ? In no peculiar order of magnitude : Sony , Sharp , LG Electronics , Dell , HP , Kenwood , FujiFilm , JVC , Panasonic , Philips , Hitachi , Samsung , 20th Century Fox , and about 50 + other company . peradventure a couple of those ring a bell ? For HD DVD , familiar names let in NEC , Toshiba , and Sanyo . Interestingly enough , most of the member companies on the HD videodisk radio detection and ranging are culture medium manufacturing business , and are members of both Blu - Ray and HD videodisc groups . One of the allege elementary backers of HD DVD ( and member of HD DVD Promotion Group ) , Sanyo , even showed intersection at this year ’s CEATECcompatible with Blu - Ray .
As you could see , the financial power of Blu - Ray Disc Association members only dwarfs that of those behind HD DVD . I know what you ’re think powerful here , though : “ Well did n’t Microsoft denote the next version of Windows ( Longhorn ) would endure HD DVD ? Does n’t that mean they support HD videodisc instead of Blu - Ray ? ” And you ’d be right , about the announcementpart at least . Microsoft may be amember of the DVD Forum(which as was explain originally does n’t really matter ) , but their announcement of Windows financial support for HD DVD is just that – the oxygen will support the format . As you ’d imagine , the financial financial support of Microsoft to either data format would give it an enormous advantage over its competitor . As I just said , though , Microsoft did not announce they would be game HD DVD ; they just state Windows will support it . There ’s no rationality they could n’t come out tomorrow and say they ’ll also be sustain Blu - Ray .
commercial message
None of what I just allege matters if consumers ca n’t buy movies or other content on the formatting . As history has proven time and sentence again , novel formats are driven by content – videodisc ( as a picture show format ) did not get pop by just “ being there . ” Each manufacturer had to make the decision to make the switch from VHS to DVD . Blockbuster had to make the switch from VHS to DVD , though they certainly took their sweet-scented fucking time . All this is to say , without content , neither format is going anywhere .
Blu - Ray is once again miles forrader of HD DVD in terms of scheduled depicted object offerings .
Data germ : videodisc EXCLUSIVE Survey
This graph show USA DVD market parcel snap off down by subject provider .
And the same graphical record colorized to show message supplier , where Blu - Ray is point by down ( ideate that ) , and red indicates nothing . It would come along at first glance that Blu - Ray has n’t bewilder diddlyshit on HD DVD in this department , but take a 2nd looking – not only have Blu - Ray Disc Association penis secure 30.2 % of the USA ’s DVD market share , HD videodisc has n’t got any yet . In fact , there have n’t been any announcements from any capacity provider about offering HD DVD capacity . There have been no prescribed announcements of the same regard for Blu - Ray , but it ’s obvious at least Sony Pictures Entertainment and MGM will be allow for content , givenSony ’s recent purchase of MGM . I cerebrate it ’s also dependable to assume that there ’s a skillful reasonFox announcedthey would be joining the Blu - Ray Disc Association . While these three companies may accommodate “ only ” a 30.2 % market share , a Panasonic representative at this twelvemonth ’s CEATECstatedthat these same three fellowship hold 46.1 % of the current claim base .
As you’re able to see from the graph , though , there are still a couple key musician for offer picture content . Namely , Warner Brothers and Disney .
Of course , there is plenty more to ocular discs than just pic . It ’s not like DVDs are used for only movies , after all . Once again Sony has demonstrated their influence of the industry in this area , byconfirming the Playstation 3 would indeed be using Blu - Rayas its selection format . If that is n’t enough for you , allow ’s remember about some of the computer hardware that has been presented .
https://gizmodo.com/playstation-3-to-support-blu-ray-18979
Consumer level Blu - Ray products have been out in Japan since as too soon as April 2003 , from Sony . Around the same time this yr , Panasonic debuted their Blu - Ray registrar . I call up the best representative of how far Blu - Ray has fall physically , however , was shown at this year ’s CEATEC JAPAN 2004 . Sony , Panasonic , Sharp , Pioneer , TDK , Mitsubishi , JVC , and Mitsumi all show up to symbolise the format — HD videodisc was represented only by Toshiba , NEC , and Sanyo . JVC evenannouncedthis retiring hebdomad that they have created a new Blu - Ray compatible lens of the eye with one tenth the volume of current lenses , allegedly cook “ portable Blu - Ray products ” possible .
So there you have it . Technically , financially , and commercially , Blu - Ray already has HD DVD beaten . Unless NEC and Toshiba pull out some trump bill for HD videodisk within the next year — and intelligibly , we do n’t see it happening — expect Blu - Ray to replace DVD .
prescribed Blu - Ray Homepage[Blu - Ray Disc Association ]
Related :
Blu - Ray Archives[Gizmodo ]
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