Walt Disney Home Entertainment, a major Hollywood studio and one of the strongest backers of Blu-ray disc format, voted for approval of a preliminary specification of 51GB triple-layer HD DVD media, just like all the backers of HD DVD and unlike some other backers of Blu-ray Association within the DVD Forum, who typically abstain in HD DVD-related votes.
At the Steering Committee meeting in September Walt Disney Home Entertainment voted for triple layer twin-format HD DVD as well as triple layer HD DVD 51GB revision 1.9 preliminary media standards, according to the notes from the event available at the DVD Forum. During the meeting, twelve steering members of the DVD Forum out of twenty approved the former and eleven members approved the latter.
In both cases Walt Disney voted for the new HD DVD standards, whereas Samsung Electronics, which supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD with its Blu-ray disc (BD) and unified Blu-ray/HD DVD players, decided to abstain in voting for the 51GB HD DVD, just like some other members of the Blu-ray Association, who always withdraw from HD DVD votes, namely Hitachi, JVC, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Sharp and Sony.
Just last week the DVD Forum approved revision 2.0 of triple-layer HD DVD 51GB media, but the detailed results of the vote were not available at press time.
The fact that Walt Disney Home Entertainment, which official stance has always been strong Blu-ray support, may be an indicator that even members of the Blu-ray Association are potentially interested in the forthcoming versions of the HD DVD standard, which has been competing against BD for nearly two years in a war that is unlikely to end soon and which is even called a “stalemate” by Sony’s chief executive.
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 25GB per single layer and up to 50GB on two layers, but Blu-ray discs are more expensive to produce. The HD DVD is pushed aggressively by Toshiba, NEC, Intel and Microsoft, as well as being standardized at the DVD Forum, which represents over 230 consumer electronics, information technology, and content companies worldwide. Blu-ray is backed by Sony and Panasonic, which are among the world’s largest makers of electronics. Among Hollywood studios HD DVD is supported by New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Studios, whereas New Line Cinema, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney, Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox endorse Blu-ray.
Comments currently: 16
Discussion started: 11/19/07 04:39:56 PM
Latest comment: 11/27/07 09:51:34 PM
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1.
That's certainly strange for a company that touts Blu at every opportunity. Maybe they are considering going format neutral, which would be nice, but meh, not likely. Still a strange move.
[Posted by: Fshy | Date: 11/19/07 04:39:56 PM]
2.
I think you have a typo in there, Blu-ray has 25gb per layer officially.
(But it's known that they never go beyond 47gb on the dual layer discs as the failure rates go through the roof if they attempt that)
[Posted by: Interested Watcher | Date: 11/19/07 04:57:21 PM]
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Mind providing a link sourcing this because I've read that HD-DVD has officially dual layer for 30GB and Blu Ray has it for 50GB. Please don't state rumours as facts without proof.
http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/16/sony-gets-their-50gb-du l-layer-blu-ray-discs-out-the-door/
[Posted by: RW | Date: 11/19/07 11:11:34 PM]
Unfortunately, you don't know what you're talking about as Crank used 49.9 GB and it was out in January 07. Not to mention a handful of other titles use 48+ GB. There is a list at
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=760714
[Posted by: senserd | Date: 11/20/07 12:01:19 AM]
Yup - watcher is wrong, there are several titles that go over the 48GB mark and a few that have gone over the 49GB mark.
Where do people come across such misinformation?
[Posted by: doby | Date: 11/20/07 05:32:20 PM]
3.
I don't think this means that Disney is going HD DVD. I think they are probably just hedging their bets so if Blu-ray fails or there is some sort of draw, then they can still release on a format that has plenty of space. After all, Walt Disney Home Entertainment's Bob Chapek just said that Blu-ray would still win, but Paramount and Dreamworks defection simply delayed the inevitable.
http://www.twice.com/article/CA6503907.html?industryid=230 9
[Posted by: senserd | Date: 11/20/07 12:12:02 AM]
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It's nice for HD-DVD that Disney voted for this spec, but I don't think there's any hedging of bets. What difference does it make? If they're totally against it, like Sony, until the bitter end and then HD-DVD wins (hypothetically), they could still switch to HD-DVD.
[Posted by: lonechicken | Date: 11/21/07 06:08:04 AM]
The thing is, Disney seems to like the extra space and bandwidth that Blu-ray provides. If they were to support another format, they would want similar specs. In fact, the original Triple Layer spec was 45 GB and was created to try and lure Disney to HD DVD.
Disney is also interested in Region Coding, so I would not be surprised to see Disney vote in favor of RC for HD DVD if the vote ever comes up.
[Posted by: senserd | Date: 11/22/07 03:55:55 PM]
4.
A Few "omissions" and erroneous statements in this article.
First, Tohisba and the DVD Forum might be working on a TL-51 (unknown at this point if it'll be compatible with exisitng players - you fail to mention this), but two Media companie are working on a 100Gb formt for Blu Ray, including TDK, and tey have working prototypes (show at the Cedia show among other shows).
Next, yourexplaantionabout the costs of the medias is wrong.
It has already been proven that the cost is more closely related to data density than format. In cler, a BR25Gb is chepper than a TL 33, wwhich is cheapper than a BD50.
With the need of a tripple layer technology, I have no doub that the L-51 just might be more expensive to produce than the BD 50.
Last, in your last paragraph presentation of the two consortiums, you seem to imply that more companies back HD DVD (you mention 4) compared to Blu Ray (you mention 2).
This is just plain wrong. All major CE makers actually support Blu Ray, among which Sony and Panasonic, but also Philips, Pioneer, Sharp, JVC and several others.
You also present the studio backing as equal (4 on each side), which is also wrong.
I we are talking only about Major Studios (what we generally call "Majors"), HD DVD has Universal and Paramount.
Blu Ray has Sony Columbia, Fox and Disney.
Warner / New Line are neutral (New Line acutally had a Blu Ray preference for new releaes due to the HD DVD lack of protection and zone support, cf HairSpray).
If we include smaller studios, add MGM and Lionsgate for Blu Ray, and Dreamworks for HD DVD.
Just thought I would bring those important corrections to you, to make thi article a little bit more "factual"
[Posted by: Greg | Date: 11/20/07 07:51:56 AM]
5.
This sounds like a plan to destroy HD-DVD rather than help it, as the new format would not be backward compatible, and just create a confusing mess of versions.
[Posted by: Michael | Date: 11/20/07 09:15:55 AM]
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There will be no problem playing TL-51 discs on current HD DVD players (as confirmed by Toshiba). I do, however, find Greg's comeback regarding 100 GB Blu Ray discs unintentionally hilarious. How many movies are you planning on putting on one disc? Heck, why not 100 Terabyte discs for each movie?
Actually, I apologize as I think I might have figured this out. Sony needs 50 GB for the movie and another 50 GB to hold all of their ridiculous hype and spin!
[Posted by: Logan5 | Date: 11/20/07 01:27:15 PM]
6.
So of these comments are outrageous, one must wonder if some really believe the misinformation and nonsense they speak or just do so to boast their format of choice even though they know that their simply pushing their own personal agenda. I believe the latter is the case.
[Posted by: Joseph McNeil | Date: 11/20/07 10:03:29 AM]
7.
Whoopsie - did you guys forget that New Line not only also supports Blu-ray, but will release there day and date titles on Blu-ray months ahead of HD DVD because of HD DVD's lack or region coding?
[Posted by: doby | Date: 11/20/07 05:30:32 PM]
8.
That is all I have to say about that.
[Posted by: What a frickin mess | Date: 11/20/07 10:36:03 PM]
9.
One of them needs to just die so my next PC won't be carrying a CD Drive and another DVD Drive...
[Posted by: nuff | Date: 11/22/07 08:29:26 AM]
10.
I'm upset that I was quick to buy a blu ray simply because I listened to my friend who thinks he knows it all, he's one of those."i know everything" type of guys. personally I think blu ray is going to lose, and that is because it's not the makers of the device that counts, but the supporting studios. and from what I can tell, New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Studios are the Heavyweights of Films. how in the world can you compete with that?
[Posted by: Teddy V | Date: 11/27/07 09:51:34 PM]
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