What are High-definition DVDs?
High-definition DVDs will make watching movies at home even better. With far sharper images, better sound and more features, high-definition will greatly improve home entertainment. There are two formats of high-definition DVD: Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD.
What is the difference between HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc?
HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc are two formats of high-definition DVDs, which will greatly enhance home entertainment. Both formats offer far sharper images, better sound and more features than standard DVDs.
About the decision
Sony’s Blu-Ray has finally won the battle of the high-definition DVD formats with Toshiba announcing it is to axe its rival HD DVD technology. Toshiba announced that after a thorough review of it’s strategy, the company has decided a swift end to the format war.
The two formats have been battling for the growing high-definition share of the £12.3bn a year global home DVD market. Sony has had the upper hand for some time because its PlayStation 3 games console has a built-in Blu-Ray player. Sony has sold more than 10m Blu-Ray units while only about 1m HD DVD players have been sold, mostly in Japan.
Last month Warner Bros, the world’s largest DVD producer, announced it would only release on Blu-Ray, while Disney, MGM, Sony Pictures and Fox have also dumped HD DVD. In addition, Wal-Mart has committed to selling only Blu-ray discs.
What this means to you.
It is my opinion that this will open the gates for producers to produce High Def content and release with the confidence that they are in the accepted format which should promote sales.
Consumers win because they can now purchase a player, (Blu-Ray), with the confiedence that this format will be around for a long time. (At least until the next big technology is accepted and released…).
In a world and industry where formats are multiplying like wildfire, this is a big deal.
HOWEVER…
The current state of Blu-ray for independent producers deal with the hefty licensing fees if we want need to replicate our titles. For the latest information on this, go here: http://www.blu-raydisc.info/faq.php
