Three Hollywood studios have chosen to embrace next-generation DVD
technology backed by Toshiba, snubbing a rival product promoted by
Sony.
Paramount, Universal and Warner Brothers are to use a high definition
DVD format backed by Toshiba and NEC.
Their decision is a setback for Sony which famously lost the battle
to set a standard for video cassette recorders when its Betamax lost
out to JVC's VHS.
Toshiba expects sales of HD-DVDs to hit 300bn yen ($2.9bn; £1.5bn) by
2010.
Clearer pictures
Next-generation DVDs can record an entire film in high definition
format, ensuring sharper pictures.
The technology is expected to become widely available from 2006
onwards.
The studios' decision to back the Toshiba backed product is hugely
significant because along with New Line Cinema - a Warner sister
company which is also supporting the HD format - they account for
about 45% of packaged DVD content.
Sony has been banking on its Blu-ray Disc technology which has, to
date, won support from Sony Pictures Entertainment and MGM Studios.
Universal is to release titles on Toshiba's HD-DVD format next year
while Paramount said it would follow suit in 2006.
"We have done extensive research on Blu-ray and HD-DVD and we
concluded finally that HD-DVD had several major advantages including
in durability, reliability and manufacturing," Marsha King, general
manager of Warner Home Video, told the Reuters news agency.
Competing formats
Sony also lost the most recent format war, when its DVD technology
was snubbed by other Japanese equipment manufacturers.
This allowed Toshiba technology to become the current industry
standard.
"We think this carries a great impact," said Yoshihide Fujii, a
corporate senior vice president at Toshiba.
"There is strong desire in Hollywood for a single format."
Universal, Paramount and Warners said they would continue to work
with the Blu-ray group, whose members also include Dell, Samsung and
Matsushita.
Twentieth Century Fox said recently that it was evaluating both major
formats.
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* Origin: [adminz] tech, security, support (192:168/0.2)
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