UG! Since when did H.D.-D.V.D. start using BLUE lasers?

[JadedRaverLA]

Here's a little history lesson for those who care. There's a lot of mis-information out there about both formats and how this format war came about. This is the real story... as best as I can tell. If there are errors, hopefully an insider can correct me.

Back in 2003, Sony and Matsushita (Panasonic) released BD-RE 1.0 recorders and discs in Japan. Those discs stored a little over 23 GB per layer and used discs that were encased in cartridges. They (primarily Sony) had been working on Blue-violet laser technology for quite awhile, initially using the technology for the UDO (Ultra Density Optical) magneto-optical discs first announced back in 2000.

Toshiba was, at the same time, working with Warner Brothers and some other partners on an HD version of existing DVDs. The idea was to use existing DVD discs, but storing 720p video using a more advanced codec (AVC or VC-1). This would have a few advantages over any competing solution. For one, drive mechanisms and disc pressing would not need to be changed for the new system. For Toshiba this also meant that all of the royalties they were making on the DVD spec would continue rolling in.

Sony and Matsushita submitted their new format to the DVD Forum, but Toshiba and a few other partners blocked the proposal, mainly because Toshiba wanted the discs to be able to be produced on existing lines... which the Sony/Matsushita discs certainly could not.

Toshiba and their partners then went and took the Blue-violet laser technology and merged it with existing DVD structure. This new spec, called AOD (advanced optical disc) is the disc structure that is now used in HD DVDs. The discs weren't as advanced as the competing BD-RE discs but they could be produced on some existing DVD lines... albeit, only after modifications. The discs place the data in approximately the center layer of the disc (the same location as existing DVDs), which made the discs easier to produce, but kept the capacity considerably lower than the BD-RE discs, which placed the data very near the bottom of the disc.

TDK developed a special coating that they found could be applied to the BD-RE media, protecting the discs without the need for the cartridges that had been used. The existing BD-RE spec was redubbed PDD (professional data disc) and continues to be used in various professional applications such as Sony's XDCAM camcorders. The PDDs cost more than the newer cartrdge-less BD-RE media, but they are designed for faster reading and writing... which is important when you are recording a master.

So, now there were two competing formats... both using blue-violet lasers, and both designed to play at 1080p. Toshiba continued to insist that the new discs be able to be manufactured on existing lines, and Sony and Matsushita refused, as they considered their new disc structure superior, both in terms of data storage and in terms of recordability. Toshiba had trouble convincing other CE companies to back their format, but they gained a huge ally in Microsoft, when the BDA decided to use Java for interactivity instead of Microsoft's competing HDi system.

Toshiba, with their new ally, proposed their format as the official next generation version of the DVD format. At first, it too failed to gain acceptance within the DVD Forum. But Toshiba and their allies got the rules of the forum changed and got a few new pro-HD DVD companies on board as voting members. With the new stacked deck, they were able to get their format approved.

Some work was done behind the scenes to attempt to prevent a format war, but on the issue of disc structure no one was willing to budge. As the initial version of BD-RE came out way back in 2003, it seemed likely that Blu-ray would launch first, and thus gain a foothold in the marketplace. But Microsoft's assistance allowed Toshiba to get HD DVD players developed in record time, though the first models were essentially full-fledged PCs with HD DVD drives.

Problems getting disc lines up and running, as well as delays and shortages on blue laser diodes kept Blu-ray from launching on time. When it eventually did launch, firmware problems on the first player released, as well as less than stellar transfers of early BD titles allowed HD DVD to gain a following and essentially offered it a 9 month head start.

That all changed in November, 2006, however, when the long-delayed PS3 finally hit shelves. Over night, hundreds of thousands of Blu-ray players were suddenly in people's homes. Within a few weeks of that release, many more Blu-ray players hit stores, and the format started to decimate HD DVD in the movie sales numbers.

All that was a year ago... and honestly not much has changed since then. A few companies have changed allegiances, but overall Blu-ray movies still outsell HD DVD movies every week by approximately 2:1. Hopefully, something big will happen soon to end this war, but for now, that's where we are and how we got here.