RSSWarner to Use Microsoft HD DVD Codec
By Nate Mook | Published April 19, 2005, 12:05 PM
Scoring a major show of support for its VC-1 Windows Media Video format, which is one of the main codecs of both HD-DVD and Blu-ray high-definition DVDs, Microsoft has signed a deal with Warner Bros. Studios. Warner Home Video will use VC-1 in its HD-DVD titles slated for release before the end of the year.
While industry giants are choosing sides in the battle between HD-DVD and Sony developed Blu-ray, Microsoft wins either way. The company's WMV 9 based VC-1 has been selected as a mandatory format for both next-generation DVD discs, alongside MPEG-2 and MPEG-4.
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, although Blu-ray supporters are warning consumers to wait until the format is ready.
Blu-ray boasts a 50-gigabyte disc capacity and proponents boast that it is intended primarily for video purposes. HD-DVD discs will have 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, as well as capability for data storage.
"As a technology provider, Microsoft is encouraged by the industry's efforts to deliver next-generation high-definition video experiences for consumers, and we see the Warner Bros. collaboration as a significant milestone," said Blair Westlake, corporate vice president of the Media/Entertainment and Technology Convergence Group at Microsoft.
VC-1 has been initially approved by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and is in Final Committee Draft status. Microsoft is expected to show off VC-1 this week at the NAB 2005 conference in Las Vegas.
15 gigabytes with 15 megabit data rate is not enough of a jump over DVD to worth while.
While 27/54 gigabytes and a higher data rate will result in a high definition disc that we can actually keep for awhile.
For the computer I think we all want BluRay to win. More capacity and higher read/write rates will be nice to have.
PS: BluRAY is NOT just SONY !!!!!!
Blu-ray, also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD) is the name of a next-generation optical disc format jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of leading consumer electronics and PC companies (including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson).
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I got to vote for HD-DVD on this one.
I know a few people who have thousands of dollars worth of DVDs and if BLU-RAY wins it's either buy a bunch of dvd players so that you can continue enjoying your investment for years to come or spend thousands more to rebuy your movies.
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I may be wrong here, but I believe manufacturers will build Blu-ray players that will play standard DVDs as well. The "backwards compatibility" mentioned in this artcle refers to standard DVD players being able to play HD-DVD discs without the added features, so movie studios can make on disc that contains standard DVD and HD-DVD information. Most HD-DVD and Blu-ray players should play standard DVDs so people with large collections of movies won't lose their investment.
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Judging from this article on beta news BLU-RAY isn't backwards compatable
http://www.betanews.com/...d_for_HD_DVD/1113407627
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Looks like, for right now at least, it will be up to player manufacturers to make the hardware backwards-compliant.
http://www.blu-ray.com/faq/#2.4
If the DVD Forum is smart, they will make backwards-compatibility part of the ISO standard.
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Actually Blu-ray DVD will accept regular DVD’s! Almost everywhere confirms that, here is an excerpt from http://www.blu-ray.com/
"Sony has successfully developed a single three-wavelength optical head, capable of recording and playing next-generation Blu-ray Discs, as well as conventional DVDs and CDs without requiring an extra optical head for backwards compatibility. The technology requires less parts, is cheaper to produce and provides full backwards compatibility with current DVD/CD formats."
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removed
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Actually Blu-ray DVD will accept regular DVD’s! Almost everywhere confirms that, here is an excerpt from http://www.blu-ray.com/
"Sony has successfully developed a single three-wavelength optical head, capable of recording and playing next-generation Blu-ray Discs, as well as conventional DVDs and CDs without requiring an extra optical head for backwards compatibility. The technology requires less parts, is cheaper to produce and provides full backwards compatibility with current DVD/CD formats."
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"HD-DVD discs are expected to reach the market first, although Blu-ray supporters are warning consumers to wait until the format is ready."
I think I'll wait a few *years* after the format is "ready," The decision likely won't be made until then anyway, if that...
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