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First 3 Generation-Compatible HD DVD Drive

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the also-makes-julian-fries dept.

fenimor writes "NEC has developed world's first half height size optical drive capable of playing back HD DVDs, DVDs, and CDs with a single optical head. Although the lasers required to read each type of disk vary, NEC said it had successfully created a miniature drive with a single lens that could read all three. The drive was designed for laptop computers and will be released commercially later next year."

8 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Manufacturers may not dump CDs. by suso · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's reassuring to see that manufacturers are not trying to ditch CD formats in any way with the newer formats that come out. I always figured that if any medium uses a simular technique for reading/writing as another medium, then the two mediums should support each other. I was afraid that as time goes on, manufacturers would try to ditch CD mediums to try to get people to upgrade. Maybe that will still happen. Hopefully it won't.

    1. Re:Manufacturers may not dump CDs. by Laurentiu · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If you want to have a prayer of success on the "home user" market, you must be able to read CDs. Even for the simple fact that most of the music on the planet is (still) sold on a CD support. So I don't think you need to worry. Yet ;)

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      Just /. IT
    2. Re:Manufacturers may not dump CDs. by suso · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes, but the record player was still in heavy use when they decided to heavily push CDs. I'm sure there were a lot of people back in the 80s who were thinking the same way that you are (ie. if a record company wants to make money, they need to release everything on LP).

  2. Blu-ray by Jugalator · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I wonder if Blu-ray will be killed before the battle can even begin? I suspect that might be the case at least for HD movies since the bandwagon will start as HD DVD players are out for consumers, which will probably be a while before Blu-ray enters the market.

    Maybe the cost for Blu-ray drives due to higher complexity, combined with the later availability will make it so we don't even see much of a trace of commercial Blu-ray drives at all.

    --
    Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
    1. Re:Blu-ray by MoonBuggy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The PS3 is going to use Blu-ray for its games, so I'd strongly assume that it'll also play Blu-ray movies but not HD-DVDs. Bear in mind the fact that ~70%* of households with 13-25 year olds have a PS2 and will probably upgrade to a PS3 within a year of release (hell, if it's anything like the PSP it'll bring in more sales than that with 'wow' factor alone - I hate to say it about a DRM encrusted and hideously expensive console, but the PSP is a damn good piece of kit).

      You're going to have a huge number of people with a Blu-ray device in their house almost by default wheras HD-DVD, even with the best marketing in the world, requires the person to actually go out and buy a HD-DVD device on its own merits. I honestly don't know which way this will swing - it seems to me that HD-DVD has better marketing potential and more powerful backing, but Blu-ray might just worm its way in unnoticed on the back of the PS3.

      *Statistic from the consortium for inventing plausible statistics

  3. Half-height? by adolf · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Half-height? Bah. I think that's more properly dubbed a "laptop drive."

    Half-height drives, rather, are of course about half the height of a full-height drive. See here.

    HTH.

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    Kid-proof tablet..
    1. Re:Half-height? by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The submitter got it wrong and needs to actually RTFA.

      It is a half-height drive, ie. the same size as most current CD or DVD drives.

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      Eat the rich.
  4. See-n-say by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    (pulling string sound)
    The article says "This drive, though called half-height, is for desktop machines."

    (pulling string sound)
    The article says "I'm not saying whether or not it is for laptops, or explain what half-height means. That would be too helpful."

    (pulling string sound)
    The article says "I am saying that HD, which it supports. is one of the blue laser optical-disc technologies."

    (pulling string sound)
    The article says "A B C D E F G. CD DVD HD DVD. LSI, ETM. PRML system. Ah, I'm too bored to finish the parody."

    (pulling string sound)
    The article says "This drive has three lasers: blue, red, and infrared. Don't tell any supervillains!"

    (pulling string sound)
    The article says "The HD DVD format has been only proposed, but the HD DVD-ROM and Rewritable formats have been approved."

    (pulling string sound)
    SNAP!