HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray - Microsoft & Intel support HD-DVD

[Giles]

However, all is not what it seems, or so Newsforge reports.

Superior capacity. HD DVD-ROM discs will offer dual-layer 30GB discs at launch, compared with BD-ROM discs, which will be limited to 25GB.

However, this is apparently simply a lie:

Capacity: Blu-ray Disc's capacity is 50GB. This will be available at launch for BD-ROM, BD-R, and BD-RE. This is 67% more than HD-DVD's 30GB ROM capacity and 150% more than its recordable storage capacity -- a critical issue for computer users.

I guess that'll be the end of any support from most of us for the HD-DVD format

Toodle-oo
Giles

[AlexK]

the original standards for blue-ray (according to IEEE Spectrum, i can't find the article) called for single layer discs which had a 25GB capacity, and dual layers which had 50 - 60GB capacity. Conversely, the HD-DVD disks had like ~15GB in single layer and 30GB dual layer as Microsoft claim.

So, even the 2nd quote is kind of off the mark there about wether the disks will be single or dual layer. What the present drawback with blueray is that it requires special cartridges around the disk so that the laser can focus and correctly read the disks, HD-DVD doesn't have this problem. Think of the blue-ray cartridge combo as putting what looks like a standard dvd into a N64 games cartridge, it is not that thick, but you get the idea.

However, the dvd forum wants a unified format of sorts, and this will become another betamax vs. vhs kind of war, except this time sony has the upper hand (blue-ray was originally designed by sony) in terms of quality and space, they however are working on getting rid of the cartridge requirement.

I can't confirm this, but i remember reading somewhere that Microsoft is pushing for HD-DVD because of its "enhanced" DRM capabilities. If I find the article/s, i'll link it back here.

[jaboua]

I think the blu-ray has more future, with it's superior capacity and such:

Each next-generation DVD format comes in single-layer and dual-layer formats. For HD DVD, that means capacities of 15GB and 30GB; for Blu-ray, it's 25GB and 50GB.

[NeoSNightmarE]

I've always supported Blu-ray over HD-DVD. It simply looks more promising imo.

[chopin1810]

No, I heard that there's growing support for the idea that they need to "bond" the two architectures (ie take the best features from both) because computer users will become confused by the two standards.

[LondoJowo]

I don't think it will matter as you'll have to invest in a compliant monitor.

http://pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,122738,00.asp

[Rishi]

I don't think it will matter as you'll have to invest in a compliant monitor.

http://pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,122738,00.asp

D*mn it, will ANYTHING more than three hours old be able to work with Vista? Every hardware manufacturer must be wetting their pants with glee...

[LondoJowo]

I don't think it will matter as you'll have to invest in a compliant monitor.

http://pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,122738,00.asp

D*mn it, will ANYTHING more than three hours old be able to work with Vista? Every hardware manufacturer must be wetting their pants with glee...

Excuse me, the article says that you have to be running Vista and newer monitor to use HD-DVD.

[jaboua]

I don't think it will matter as you'll have to invest in a compliant monitor.

http://pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,122738,00.asp

D*mn it, will ANYTHING more than three hours old be able to work with Vista? Every hardware manufacturer must be wetting their pants with glee...

Excuse me, the article says that you have to be running Vista and newer monitor to use HD-DVD.

So you can't use HD-DVD with linux/macos/winxp/*bsd/beos/whatever? Another point to bluray...

EDIT: It seems like they meant XP couldn't take hd-dvd, not all other OSs than vista.

[LondoJowo]

Right now it looks like Vista paired with a compliant monitor is the only way to have HD-DVD on a computer system.