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Toshiba Developing 45GB HD-DVD Disc

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

May 11, 2005, 12:01 PM

Despite reports in a Japanese newspaper stating that Toshiba and Sony may be close to deal that would standardize on Blu-ray for next-generation DVDs, Toshiba has announced the development of a higher capacity disc in its competing format, HD-DVD. The 45GB capacity would eliminate Blu-ray's size advantage.

Blu-ray offers a 50-gigabyte disc capacity and proponents boast that it is intended primarily for video purposes. Original HD-DVD discs had two layers of data: one in the old DVD format and a second that holds 15 gigabytes.

Supporters of HD-DVD note its backwards compatibility, but Blu-ray's immense capacity has garnered more interest in the marketplace.

The new HD-DVD format would support three separate layers of data on a disc, with each layer holding 15GB. Toshiba also announced a new dual-layer disc that holds 30GB on one side and 8.5GB in the original DVD format on the other.

The competing high-definition DVD formats has caused a rift in the movie industry. Movie studios Walt Disney and Twentieth Century Fox have pledged support for Blu-ray, while others including Warner Bros. will utilize HD-DVD. HD-DVD discs are expected to reach the market first.

Software companies such as Microsoft and Apple, meanwhile, will win no matter what DVD format comes out on top. Video codecs from both companies will be supported by both Blu-ray and HD-DVD, and Microsoft recently announced that Warner Bros. Studios will use its VC-1 codec for its HD-DVD movie titles.

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By acpgames

edited Jul 17, 2007 - 2:43 PM

People are getting jealous and angry about more spaced discs for HD DVD, get over it, everyone knows that

size wont stop its gonna get bigger and bigger, people say Toshiba wants attention because of the 45GB

discs, there are also 51gb discs coming and also 100GB no B/S, as with bluray they too will be over 100GB so

whats the difference when it happens all your complaining is a waste of time...NOTE TO IDIOTS: disc size is

not for attention or trying to win the format war, its the future of technology if they can make more space

then they will do it period!....like pc's now we have terrabytes compared to like 4gb harddrives back in the

windows 95 days, bluray people are sounding more and more like losers which is the reason why bluray is

falling, give disc size time they are still fairly new products and as mentioned they are going to get

bigger, tell you the truth which i know it wont happen i hope neither format dies and release all movie

companies on both format and just let public decide officially that would be fair to everyone, i back HD

DVD for sure but HD DVD is looking better and better at succeeding, some official news for XBO360 owners,

microsoft are currently designing a new version of the xbox360 with the HD-DVD built in, no news yet about

games being made on HD but there is talk, and as Microsoft says time and time again which PS3 are having

trouble with their so called lovely blu ray size discs, xbox360 DVD-9 size discs are more than enough for

next-gen games because of the easy programming for xbox360 and compression etc, i read somewhere that

microsoft feels safe with their DVD-9 discs being enough space for what they need, sony are having major

problems with their games because the machine cant handle the games hence the reason why some PS3 games have

been cancelled and are now XBOX360 exclusive because it can run better, for example incase PS3 owners think

they know everything and dissagree,its easy to find online with search like "conviction xbox360 exclusive"

and you will find what you need to read about it, its SPlinter Cells: Conviction, which as in last months

xbox360 magazine an interview with the developers stating it will never be released on Nintendo Wii because

it cant handle the graphics and it will never be released on PS3 because it cant handle the AI programming

and also some graphical effects which they first said was impossible but the trusty XBOX360 had no problems

handling it and the developer said PS3 couldnt handle the lighting effects, its not the first time before

any PS3 fans says well thats only one game, try around 15 games currently cancelled for the PS3, 4 moths ago

it was around 8 games and the number is growing now XBOX360 can do what the PS3 cant, not bad for a DVD-9

disc and as aladdin said "itty bitty living space" which is all xbox360 needs, PS3 owners are hanging out

for bigger Bluray size for games, waste of time if games cant work on them,,,,,, check out some game

comparisons ie Fight Night Round 3 the graphics are more realistic on XBOX360, some of the crowd has been

removed on the PS3 version even the crowd are blocky unlike realistic on xbox360, and again for PS3 know it

alls its not the only game, try any yes any racing game now look at the side mirrors in racing games for

example, NFS-Carbon it doesnt show buildings or many other things other than the road and fance on PS3

version, yeah i know its a small thing but its every racing game that are on both formats now how can PS3 be

the next-Gen console when many games have been cancelled and cant even display full incy wincy objects in

little tiny mirrors, i rest my case, 6 people i know sold the PS3 when they saw many comparisons, most

people i know had XBOX360s anyways, funny thing i remember when a friend came over once and i was playing

Fight Night on xbox360 and my friend said what tv do you have its so clear and awesome and he didnt know i

owned a XBOX360 at the time when he is used to his PS3, a week later he sold it.......PS3 have alot of slow

down issues than XBOx360, i will admit it PS3 has a slightly more processor but doesnt have the sufficient

surrounding memory/hardware to support it properly....XBOX360 has the option for extra downloadable content

for games for example GTA4 bonus content will be XBOX360 exclusive giving you alot more missions to go

through than the PS3 and even more again in time so enjoy your 30gb bluray's, xbox360 harddrives are getting

bigger, i ahve the 120GB and there are now talks or 300gb, maybe eventually 1 terrabyte who knows the 20gb

and 120gb add-on is pretty much the same in size so a terrabyte isnt going to be overly big to stick out on

your XBO360......

Some links for you too see:

PS3 Hardware problems with programming and major slowdown, (XBOX360 wins again)
http://www.msxbox-world....ng-troubles-or-a-deeper-

problem?.html

OLD XBOX360 RIDGE RACER 6 / NEW PS3 RIDGE RACER 7 COMPARISON:
http://www.destructoid.c...comparisons-27828.phtml

XBOX 360 Built in HD DVD PLAYER:
http://www.digitimes.com...ems/a20060913A6035.html

TOSHIBA 51GB HD DVD DISCS (3 layers today, 10 layers tomorrow):
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5656

P.s. i been and seen so think twice about what you may say about PS3 i have many many....many supporting

links about how PS3 is failing....

BIGGEST XBOX360 / HD DVD FAN

XBOX GAMES 104
XBOX360 GAMES: 47
HD-DVD MOVIES: 110

PS3 - NONE (never), unless i need i foot rest....

Score: 0

By Mark Gillespie

posted May 12, 2005 - 11:01 AM

Toshiba really don't get it. They are simply pouring more fuel on the format war.

Consumers will hold off buying anything until a standard has emerged.

This is bad news for everyone. The sooner 1 format is decided on, the soon companies can start manufacturing, safe in the knowledge that consumer will buy it..

Score: 0

By LRN

posted May 12, 2005 - 10:45 AM

Are we talking about video formats, OR we talking about portable data-disk!?!? You're here => you have a PC (maybe MAC). Why you're talking about "DVD-players"?
They just use low-complexity codecs to compress video, because thease "players" can't decode highly compressed video (like MPEG AVC). That's why they do HD-DVD and Blu-Ray: to have more space to store badly-compressed video. That's bad.
They must make a more powerful player - then they (and you) will have better video on same medium. That's good.
It's a LOT MORE interesting, what i'll have to do with my DVD-drive to WRITE HD-DVD's (as i understand, "backward compatibility" means, what any DVD-reader can read HD-DVD, but writing was'nt mentioned)...
I don't think, Blu-Ray is good idea, because EVERYONE must buy new DVD-drive to read/write Blu-Ray DVDs. And in first year Blue ones will cost a lot of money i think ;)

Score: 0

By Kompressor

posted May 11, 2005 - 1:04 PM

Why would you want backwards compatibility built in to the disc and not the player? Doing so only uses up half the capacity of the disc. If you're going to have backwards compatibility, you're supposed to have it integrated into the player, not the disc. Just like you can play CDs in a DVD player.

Even if the HD-DVD format worked out on a HD capacity point of view (with 3 layers on a double sided disc) what's the point of even having a single-layer of the old standard definition or SD-DVD? Most DVDs are dual-layer and allot come with 2 dual-layer discs. Having the same movie on HD-DVD would require 2 to 4 HD-DVD discs, not to mention the SD movie would possibly span two discs. So the single-layer SD-DVD on the HD-DVD disc is like taking a step backwards when we should be making a leap forwards.

I feel the HD-DVD's backwards compatibility feature is useless.
And don't get me started on double-sided discs.

Score: 0

By Dark-Reign

posted May 11, 2005 - 8:50 PM

HELLO?! A HD-DVD only holds half as much as a regular DVD. So in most cases you’re not going to be able to fit a SD-DVD movie onto a HD-DVD disc! So HD-DVD is only hurting, not helping.

And if you don’t want to “rush out” and get a HD-DVD player, then don’t. Continue buying SD-DVD discs.

Furthermore, HD-DVD holds so little data, movies and special features are going to necessitate two discs like they do now with SD-DVD, making movies more expensive, now and in the long run.

You were probably complaining about DVD’s coming out when there were still perfectly good VHS tapes doing the job.

Score: 0

By jshrk

posted May 18, 2005 - 4:12 AM

Blu-Ray all the way, love sony too, toshiba just want the attention

Score: 0

By Cael

posted May 11, 2005 - 4:36 PM

If HD-DVD actually does come out with 45 gigs of space there is really no reason to use Blue-Ray at all.
I wonder how much Blue-Ray players will cost: $1,000? $2,000?
probably more if sony has anything to do with it.

Score: 0

By Dark-Reign

posted May 11, 2005 - 8:51 PM

No, a Blu-Ray player is going to cost about $100,000 dollars where a regular Red-Ray DVD player costs about $20.00 today.

Score: 0

By jbaltz69

edited May 11, 2005 - 4:27 PM

So does that mean that everyone in the world has to go buy a new DVD player if Blu-ray wins? The answers is yes. Toshiba is taking the smart route with making it backwards compatiable for those people who won't have enough money to go out and buy a new 400 dollar (estimate) blu-ray or HD-DVD player. But clearly, Blu-ray is better since you will have to go buy a new DVD player (sarcasm). Hell it will probably only work on Sony DVD players when it first comes out just so they can sell more units.

Score: 0

By NULLedge

posted May 11, 2005 - 1:13 PM

ditto... even though sony is over hyped... they're like the lexus of computers and home electronics. in this case they just happen to have a good point. blu-ray is clearly the smarter choice

Score: 0

By mtl000

posted May 11, 2005 - 1:44 PM

If backward compatability was only built into the players, then what do people do with their current dvd players? Guess everybody could go buy a new dvd player right? Hardly likely, and thats the reason for having backward compatability built right into the disks, so current dvd player owners could still enjoy the movie, yet enjoy the benefits of HD-DVD if
they were to buy one of the newer HD-DVD players.

Score: 0

By Practice

posted May 11, 2005 - 2:41 PM

DVD was an intermediate technology and was always in limbo because it was higher resolution than Analog TV but lower resolution than Digital TV. Now with Blu-ray or HD-DVD, it adheres to HDTV standards and should be around for a long time without issues.

Not only will you need to upgrade your DVD player, but you’ll need to do the same to your TV as well, if you already haven’t done so.

Score: 0

By flamingman

posted May 11, 2005 - 9:53 PM

i dont care what it is...its going to be outdated in a few years anyway just live the vcr and dvd...

Score: 0

By PhoenixPath

posted May 12, 2005 - 9:08 AM

Why upgrade from the 8-track and phonograph?

Score: 0

By blackcherry

posted May 12, 2005 - 11:31 PM

lets not forget that the name "blu ray" just sounds plain silly.

Score: 0

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