Triple-Standard DVD
Some promising news from the DVD standards front...
However, two top Warner engineers, Alan Bell and Lewis Ostrover, have been working on a cheaper and more elegant solution.
Blu-ray uses a 405-nanometre wavelength laser to read data from tracks 0.1-millimetres-deep on the top surface of a disc. HD-DVD, on the other hand, uses the same wavelength to read recordings at a depth of 0.6 mm.
Warner’s plan is to create a disc 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.
An ordinary DVD recording could be put on the other side, so that conventional DVD players can read the disc as well.
[Source: New Scientist]
Personally, I think this is a great solution which should be backed and followed. Just throw everything onto one disc and let people watch it wherever they want, on whatever they want.
I don't understand this industry's madness in creating all these different standards and formats; and not wanting to work together.
After the video tape wars (VHS vs. Betamax), here they go again with the dvd wars, and what do you know, Sony is in there again.
Obviously one of the standards is going to go bust just like the betamax, and the other will take over the market.
Who gets screwed in the end? The consumer!
As if the whole dvd zone thingie was not enough!
I mean what the hell is that all about?!
Why can't you just buy a frickin' dvd from the US, Australia or Europe and play it anywhere? You paid for it, and it is your rightful property, so why should you be limited to where you get to watch it?
[Via: engadget]
The regional thingy is the exact same reason why when you buy an X-box in the US, it won't work in Tunisia unless you "crack" it (and that might not work)... It is in order to restrict some products to some regions/countries. It's totally stupid of course because as you've said, you paid for it, and heck, you should be able to use it anywhere you please... It's just more market segmentation and another way to screw the customer..
Posted by: Sleeplessjojo at September 19, 2006 08:26 PM