Sony, Toshiba to agree on new DVD format

[lifeboat]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7794775/

It looks like a done deal.

Eric Klien
http://lifeboat.com

[Blu-Wave]

Toshiba have stated in the past that the HD-DVD/AOD technology is just a stepping stone between DVD and BD, so it makes sense that the agreement establishing the new unified next generation format confirms that it will fully exploit the more advanced next generation recording capability of blu-ray, which Sony and others have worked so hard to develop.

Whatever the unified standard is called it will be blu-ray at the heart of the recording - and that's what really matters if we want the maximum potential both in the short and longer term. :P

[erdega79]

blu ray is standing from the position of higher leverage so I am confident it's a good deal for consumers. The original article is from japan http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/ however it's a subscription article ops:

[erdega79]

here is more
DVD format talks lean to Sony technology-source

TOKYO/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Talks between Japan's Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp. to unify next-generation DVD formats are leaning toward a disc structure supported by Sony, a source close to the matter said on Tuesday.

Sony and Toshiba, heading rival groups, have waged a three-year war to have their new technology standards adopted by the industry and gain pole position in the multi-billion-dollar markets for DVD players, PC drives and optical discs.

But the companies said last month they were in talks to develop a common standard, in a move to avoid VHS/Betamax-like dual formats that could discourage consumers from shifting to advanced discs and stifle the industry's growth.

Sony's Blu-ray technology is backed by a group including Dell Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Philips Electronics NV and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., maker of Panasonic products.

The source said a unified format based on Blu-ray's disc structure was being discussed in the talks, held between Sony, Toshiba and Matsushita.

He added, however, it was unclear whether and when the two sides would reach a final agreement on a common format.

The Nihon Keizai newspaper said earlier that Sony and Toshiba were in final talks eyeing a new format based on Blu-ray's disc structure and Toshiba's software for efficient data transfer and copyright protection.

In Blu-ray, a layer to hold data is put on the surface of a substrate and covered by thin protective layers, while in HD DVD discs, which are supported by Toshiba, a memory layer is sandwiched between two substrates.

The two sides agree that it would be best for consumers to have a common format, but shifting to a rival standard could mean a delay in product development and the commercial launch, making unification difficult.

Toshiba, which supports HD DVD technology along with NEC Corp. and Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., said in a statement nothing had been decided on the unified format.

At the core of both formats are blue lasers, which have a shorter wavelength than the red lasers used in current DVD equipment, allowing discs to store data at the higher densities needed for high-definition movies and television.

Member companies in the Blu-ray camp are set to meet in Tokyo next week to discuss technological and promotional matters.

Shares in Sony were down 0.74 percent at 4,000 yen in afternoon trade, while Toshiba fell 1.1 percent to 448 yen. Both underperformed the Tokyo stock market's electric machinery index, which was down 0.22 percent.

[erdega79]

Toshiba says no agreement yet in talks with Sony on next-generation DVD format

TOKYO (AFX) - Toshiba Corp said it has not made any concession yet on the disc structure of next-generation DVDs in ongoing talks with Sony Corp for a single standard.

'The indication that a unification agreement on the basis of a 0.1 mm disc system is imminent is unfounded and erroneous,' Toshiba said in a statement. But the Japanese electronics giant said it is 'actively participating in talks towards format unification.'

Without citing its sources, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported this morning that Sony and Toshiba are close to reaching an agreement on hammering out a format to develop a unified standard for next-generation DVDs.

In the proposed format under negotiations between the two sides, Toshiba's software technology would be coupled with Sony's disc structure, with Toshiba likely to make concessions on disc structure, according to the report.

The Blu-ray Disc format proposed by Sony and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co is incompatible with the high-definition DVD standard supported by Toshiba.

The three firms have been in talks to craft a common standard, and a detailed plan could be finalized within the week, the financial daily said.

Sony and Toshiba could secure the backing of participating members as early as May 16, when both are scheduled to hold meetings, it added.

[georgir]

Both sides have indicated that a new, unified format will use Sony's technology for recording information onto an optical disk while Toshiba will supply software that will handle efficient data transfer and copyright protection.

Its funny, in the end the "unified" format will not use anything from HD-DVD, it will be pure blu-ray. Blu-ray's copyright protection was indeed undecided yet, but it was highly probable that it'd use the same protection system as HD-DVD, Advanced Access Content System, seeing as it was founded and developed by both Sony and Toshiba (plus others)
And puh-lease, what is a software that "will handle efficient data transfer"? That's just a witty way to hide the fact that Toshiba is not contributing to the new format anything that blu-ray couldn't have anyway.

But this is completely understandable. The only benefit of HD-DVD over Blu-ray is the cheaper cost of retooling manufacturing lines. An important feature, no doubt, but not one that can be just "borrowed" by blu-ray if it's to keep its 0.1mm layer depth, greater capacity, etc. It's also not a feature worth causing a format war. So it seemed obvious to me, no actual unifying of the formats was possible. They'll just have to stick with blu-ray, market it as a "unified" format, maybe Blu-DVD or even HD-DVD I just hope all HD-DVD supporters see the logic in this and agree with it.[/quote]

[zombie]

Sadly the merger between Blu-ray and HD-DVD isn't happening: http://www.geekinformed.com/content/view/190/2/