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A Triple-Standard Disk

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the blue-plus-red-makes-purple dept.

On the heels of the news of Toshiba's proposed double-standard disk comes word that Warner Brothers engineers have applied for a patent on a triple-standard disk. The new disk would offer HD-DVD and Blu-Ray on one side and standard DVD on the other. From the article: "Warner's plan is to create a disk with a Blu-ray top layer that works like a two-way mirror. This should reflect just enough blue light for a Blu-ray player to read it okay. But it should also let enough light through for HD-DVD players to ignore the Blu-ray recording and find a second HD-DVD layer beneath." See the patent application, filed last month.

7 of 210 comments (clear)

  1. let me get this straight by rpax9000 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They can phase out old DVDs even faster now... you're paying extra for the HD content anyway, so why not buy the HD player? Seems like a new approached to planned obsolescence by Warner.

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  2. Re:Or they could... by John.P.Jones · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, you see then the purchaser could seperate the discs (give one to a friend). Obviously the studios would not like this...

    You aren't thinking nearly evil enough to be a film studio. :)

  3. Re:Or they could... by tomstdenis · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Or they could stop acting like children, sit it down, discuss the technical and logistical merits of both and DECIDE ON ONE STANDARD FOR NOW. ...

    Just saying.

    Tom

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    Someday, I'll have a real sig.
  4. Should? by CaymanIslandCarpedie · · Score: 4, Insightful

    definition: "Should" - a work that should never be allowed in describing a patent.

    So they really haven't figured out how to do it? So what they file the patent hope they can figure it out and if not hope someone else does so they can sue them?

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    "reality has a well-known liberal bias" - Steven Colbert
  5. These discs may open some doors by slapys · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Now studios can release one disc that is pretty much universally playable. This should go a long way to encourage the adoption of HD-DVD AND Blu-ray. If these discs become prevalent, and people realize that they could upgrade their DVD player to a Blu-ray player, and still play their last 10 movies, but in higher quality on their HDTV, they might actually consider the upgrade. As opposed to now, where people might not upgrade because they must buy NEW movies and start a NEW collection in order to enjoy what they see as "slightly" better picture quality over DVD (as well as massive DRM!).

    If I was a movie studio executive, I would support these triple-layer discs at any cost.

  6. Re:Or they could... by AusIV · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Or they could stop acting like children, sit it down, discuss the technical and logistical merits of both
    In my experience, children are better at compromise than adults who have money invested in something.
  7. I can't help but wonder by hurfy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Just what the shelf life of these would be. Assuming it works and they figure out how to press the disk it sounds VERY touchy.

    How much of a scratch would it take to mangle the BluRay data that is being read off this semi-transparent layer. I thought those were pretty sensitive to start with.

    How about the stability? Will any of the optical properties change over time of any of the several compononts involved? Will your new Disney disc last til your kid is out of elementary school?

    All sounds like trouble waiting to happen to me.
    Especially as the patent included a lot of SHOULDs to start with :(

    oh well, pretty much a mental exercise as i am not going for either one for quite some time.