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Intel Wants Unified Hi-Def DVD Format

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

October 4, 2005, 12:12 PM

In a press conference following a speech at the Ceatec Japan 2005 conference, Intel Digital Home vice president Donald MacDonald said Intel planned to push the industry to create a unified standard for high-definition DVDs that would join Sony's Blu-ray and Toshiba's HD DVD camps.

"If we don't, who will?" asked MacDonald. "We have to avoid the format war. We certainly need to have one format." The statement comes one week after Intel joined Microsoft in publicly backing HD DVD. Even with pressure from Intel, however, it's not clear if a compromise is possible. Talks between Blu-ray and HD DVD representatives have taken place throughout the year with no resolution in sight.

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By TheRecklessWanderer

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 11:29 AM

Go for it, Intel.

Score: 0

By JoshvanHulst

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 1:30 PM

I don't know if both formats are even inoperable. That would be so ideal if they can even can be compatible.

- Josh

Score: 0

By beta_animal

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 1:35 PM

They're not interoperable. HD-DVD uses the same kind of technology as is used in current DVDs where as Blu-Ray uses a Blue Laser.

The deal as far as I can tell is this:
HD-DVD = Cheaper to make because they can use current equipment that has been modified.
Blu-Ray = Higher capacity

Who cares!?! One format, no confusion please!

Score: 0

By beta_nut

edited Oct 5, 2005 - 9:20 AM

Ok Heres the scoop people for all those who really don't read the white papers on these products.

HD-DVD= Blue laser, disc produced in a similar fashion of DVD (backwards compatible no) will have hybrid discs. Cheaper to produce (speculative) due to similar manufacturing as DVD. Uses a highdef mpeg4 codec (microsoft)
Higher capacity achieved by 3 layers

Sony Blu-Ray= Blue laser, disc produced differently then current dvd (backwards compatible no, they will have hybrids like HD-DVD). Higher capacity at two layers. Uses highdef mpeg4 codec (microsoft)

So either way they both uses the same codec, they both use blue laser tech instead of red laser technology. The major difference is DRM management, sony blu-ray is implementing practically every single type.

The winner will be determined by cost and ease of use. But consumers are gonna have to buy a new player either way

Score: 0

By wincement

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 8:40 PM

I'm rooting for the increased capacity, but I know it'll probably lose due to the higher cost of production =(

It all comes down to the money.

Score: 0

By yohimbe9

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 1:30 PM

we absolutely need this. it was bad enough going through the DVD +/- wars. i think best buy should jump in and show how many returns/exchanges they had because of the confusion.

Score: 0

By GeneralLeoFF

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 12:28 PM

You can buy tons of porn on HD-DVD already so I would have to say the format war is already over and HD-DVD is the winner. Pople are all talking about software company X or movie studio Y but the real deciding factor in what media format wins has always been porn maker Z.

Score: 0

By Sorb

posted Oct 4, 2005 - 12:58 PM

No you can´t. Even if you could buy HD-DVDs, what player would you use to watch it?

Score: 0

By GeneralLeoFF

edited Oct 5, 2005 - 2:24 AM

Then I guess I must have built a time machine to get my HD-DVD porn right? The stuff being released right now is multi disc with a standard DVD and an HD-DVD.

This is the movie I bought and they had tons more.
http://server5.theimageh...hp?img=piratesadult.jpg

Score: 0

By Sorb

posted Oct 5, 2005 - 1:49 PM

That´s not HD-DVD. That´s WMV-HD on a regular DVD. That´s old stuff, Terminator II Extreme was out 1½ years ago on this format for example.

If it was HD-DVD you had indeed taken a time machine into 2006 and bought a 15 or 30 GB disc with HD content with MPEG-4 AVC or Microsoft VC-1 compression, instead of being stuck here with a 9 GB DVD with WMV-HD compression that you can only play on your computer.

Here is a link:
http://www.moviecitynews...retzka/2005/050927.html

It was a nice initiative though filming it in HD... :-P