Although Toshiba has recently admitted that it may delay its HD DVD launch until 2006, Mark Knox, an HD DVD advisor for Toshiba, was quoted as saying that reports of the format's delay are greatly exaggerated and that a 2005 launch is still a possibility, according to Ultimate AV.
A delay was seen as a setback for HD DVD in getting a leg up in the market on rival Blu-ray disc, whose launch is not expected until next year, with Sony, the key member of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), reportedly planning to offer PC-use Blu-ray drives in the first quarter of next year.
For the competing platforms, Blu-ray has an edge in capacity, with single-sided Blu-ray discs set to have a capacity of 25GB, as opposed to 15GB for HD DVD discs. However, the HD DVD format has an edge in start up costs, as DVD production equipment can be modified to produce HD DVD discs.
Leading manufacturers of optical discs in Taiwan are leaning ever so slightly toward support of HD DVD, while optical disc drive (ODD) maker BenQ is wagering on Blu-ray.
At the recently ended Internationale Funkaustellung (IFA) 2005 show in Berlin, Toshiba stated that up to three 15GB data layers can be incorporated into each HD DVD disc. Toshiba stated it will offer HD DVD versions in 15GB, 30GB and 45GB storage capacities. In the future it will be possible to store up to 90GB of data on an HD DVD, using three data layers, the company added.
Toshiba also plans to release combination discs that can be played in current DVD players and by HD DVD hardware. The combination disc will be double-sided with two layers per side. A traditional red laser reads the DVD side while a blue-violet laser needs to be used to scan the HD side. The combination disc ensures that HD DVDs are at least backwards compatible for a transitional period and so can still be used in current DVD players, Toshiba explained.
Story source:
digitimes.com.
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