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Blu-Ray Attacks Microsoft, Microsoft Bites Back

Posted by Zonk on from the mind-the-teeth dept.

QT writes "Ars Technica has been following this week's next-gen DVD dramas closely. First, there's extensive coverage of the reasons why Microsoft backed HD-DVD, which was primarily inspired by mandatory support for copying discs to computers. The BDA, however, countered with an attack on Microsoft's reasons, and Microsoft returned fire. Richard E. Doherty, Microsoft's head of the media entertainment technology convergence group, said that 50GB Blu-ray disc are in fact many years away. Is MS playing games, or is Sony misrepresenting just how far along BD-ROM really is?" From the article: "HD DVD is proven to deliver 30GB capacity today, with the potential to deliver even greater capacity. The 50GB claim for BD-ROM discs is unproven and will not be available for many years to come, based on discussions with major Japanese and US replicators. Replicators not only do not have test lines running, they cannot even pre-order the equipment to begin evaluating this disc. They cannot judge the cost of these discs, or even whether they can be manufactured at all. Major replicators can mass manufacture 30GB HD DVD discs today and it's well understood that these discs will cost significantly less to manufacture than the lower-capacity 25GB BD discs." We previously discussed this topic when the announcement came out.

1 of 300 comments (clear)

  1. Re:It's painfully obvious... by hattig · · Score: 5, Informative

    Microsoft went with HD-DVD because Bluray uses BD-J (i.e., Java) for interactive, programmable, etc, content.

    BluRay drives have been around for a long time. They exist now.

    What isn't finalised is the DRM and various things relating to that. It won't take too long to get these things finalised.

    The 2 years to 50GB stuff is pure FUD as far as we, the consumers, are concerned. Have either of us held a HD-DVD or a BD-ROM in out hands? No. They're both up in the air. We should just sit back and wait for one or the other to release something. It isn't as if BluRay single-layer (23, 25 or 27GB) is that much lower than HD-DVD dual layer (30GB) anyway.

    I know one BluRay manufacturer said they'd be making 50GB stuff this December.

    Let's just wait and see what happens!