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Acer Joins Blu-Ray Disc Association.

Category: Multimedia

by Anton Shilov

[ 08/31/2007 | 03:20 PM ]

Acer Inc., one of the world’s largest makers of personal computers (PCs), has joined the Blu-ray disc (BD) association, the promo group behind the Blu-ray format. As Acer is also the member of HD DVD promotion group, the intention to join the Blu-ray supporting camp emphasizes the company’s agnostic attitude towards the format war.

“We’re delighted to welcome Acer to the Blu-ray Disc Association. The addition of Acer provides one more sign of the growing momentum behind Blu-ray Disc and, more importantly, is a significant advantage for consumers, as it further expands the already broad options available to consumers in the personal computer space,” said Victor Matsuda, chairman of the BDA’s global promotions committee.

Up to now Acer has only offered HD DVD drives with its high-end notebooks, however, as the popularity of the new-generation DVD rises, the importance of Blu-ray disc rises as well, therefore, it is crucial for Acer to offer personal computers equipped with BD drives too. Acer first outlined plans to offer both Blu-ray and HD DVD-equipped laptops last year.

“With increasing demand and expectation for richer media content, Acer is adding Blu-ray disc technology into our notebooks and enabling users to experience high-definition content, playback and storage. Acer is pleased to be joining the Blu-ray Disc Association and to continue empowering our users to benefit from the freshest technologies available,” said Campbell Kan, vice president, mobile computing business unit, Acer Inc.

Blu-ray and HD DVD formats compete for replacing the DVD standard. HD DVD discs can store up to 15GB on a single layer and up to 30GB on two layers. Its competitor, Blu-ray, can store up to 27GB per single layer and up to 50GB on two layers, but Blu-ray discs are more expensive to produce. But despite of the fact that HD DVD is much more affordable compared to Blu-ray, consumers still have not fully endorsed the new format, as it is unclear which of them will ultimately win the battle.