CyberLink Previews Blu-ray Support

Software developer CyberLink, maker of the popular PowerDVD suite, has begun adding Blu-ray reading and disc burning to its applications.

The company previewed playback with navigation of video content at the Blu-ray Association's member seminar. "Attendees were shown navigation via thumbnails on a browser menu, access to playlists, and fast forward and fast rewind controls," CyberLink said in the announcement.

CyberLink also plans to add full Blu-ray authoring to PowerProducer and Power2Go.

Blu-ray, one of the competing next-generation DVD formats, touts 25GB of single-layer storage. HD-DVD, meanwhile, offers less space, but has backward compatibility with most current DVD players using a dual-layer disc. CyberLink, link Sony and Apple, has backed Blu-ray.

Last week, Sony officials reportedly met with representatives of Toshiba to discuss putting their differences aside and selecting a single standard for high-definition DVD. But time is running short for a decision; both sides have publicly stated that they would like to have players on the market by the 2005 holiday season.