Memory-Tech, Toshiba Develop DVD/HD-DVD Discs

Kralizec writes "PC World reports that Memory-Tech has developed a dual DVD, HD-DVD disc, which stores DVD content on the upper layer and HD-DVD content on the lower. The DVD data can be read by standard DVD players, giving customers the incentive to buy now, and reap future benefits by buying an HD-DVD player at a later time. Blu-ray suffered a heavy blow when HD-DVD gained the support of four major movie studios; could this be the knockout punch?" (The format was developed jointly with Toshiba.)

Comments

This to popularize HD-DVD?

[fembots]

The article says "The discs will help popularize the HD-DVD format for consumers and encourage them to purchase HD-DVD players..."

I hope this is referring to the read-only HD-DVDs, not these dual DVD, HD-DVD disc.

If consumers are given choice to buy new movies in HD-/DVD format, it'll only delay the need to purchase HD-DVD players, since it's obvious even to grandmas that all hardware price will drop so much in the first 6-12 months that if you can wait you will.

I start buying DDR memory because my new mainboard only accepts 200pin, and my old one is using 168pin. Same thing goes to my Socket A and Socket 939 CPUs.

I...

[greywire]

I for one welcome our new dual DVD, HD-DVD overlords...

But seriously, this is a great move. Not because it technologicaly better, but simply because people will buy these disks, perhaps not even knowing they are HD-DVD compatible. Some time later, when shopping for a new DVD player, when the salesman says "and if you have any DVD-HD-DVD disks, you will get better quality from your existing disks!" thus sealing the deal for lots of people...

Simple

[Namarrgon]

It depends entirely on the price, just like the CD/SACD discs.

If the DVD/HD-DVD hybrid disc is the same or very close to the DVD-only disc price, people will buy the HD version on the off-chance it will be useful to them in the future. But if it costs significantly more, it'll get completely ignored.

This could be a chance for Toshiba & partners to lock in a good chunk of the market before the market even exists - but they'll never give up their precious new-product premiums. No way will they let their fancy new HD content go for the same price as existing SD content (especially as the hybrid disc will no doubt cost a little more to manufacture).