[list_indonesia] [ppiindia] Debate on DVD formats heats up

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http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A95B3777-26FF-4F12-B15B-2E598D36EDF5.htm

Debate on DVD formats heats up


Monday 11 April 2005, 14:29 Makka Time, 11:29 GMT    

           
            Formats for writable DVDs is currently debated
           
     
           
             Related:
                 Hollywood split on new DVD standard 
                 Hollywood loses DVD piracy case 

           
           
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In the entertainment industry, disagreements have risen to the level of 
tradition when the talk is about which format is best for recording video.


The 1970s saw a bitter fight over the ideal recording and reproduction system 
for VCRs. Japan's JVC in 1980 finally gained the upper hand against the 
technologically superior Betamax (Sony) and Video 2000 (Philips) formats. The 
current search for a successor to the antiquated VHS cassette has proved just 
as complex for consumers.

Two industry associations dominate the debate about formats for writable DVDs. 
Each association is trumpeting its own preferred format. About 230 firms have 
come together to form the DVD forum, including branch giants such as Philips, 
Sony, Hitachi, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, Pioneer and Toshiba Corporation.

Their competition is the DVD+RW Alliance, made up primarily of
hardware and media manufacturers such as HP, Yamaha, Ricoh and Verbatim, but 
also DVD-Forum members such as Sony and Philips. It is a battle of "minus" 
against "plus".

Cheaper alternatives

While the DVD-Format is championing the "DVD-R" and "DVD-RW" formats for 
rewritable media, the Alliance is backing the "DVD+R" and "DVD+RW" formats as 
cheaper alternatives.

     
      Now, a complete DVD can be 
      recorded in six minutes
     
Format is no longer a major issue for DVD burners mounted in PCs. Almost all 
current DVD burners can handle both the "plus" and "minus" variants of writable 
DVDs. The problem comes for stand-alone players intended to replace the VCR in 
a consumer's living room.

Buyers do indeed need to commit to one format or another when purchasing such a 
device. "For one-time writable media, DVD-R and DVD+R are in a neck-on-neck 
race, with 42 and 41 per cent market share respectively," says Philips' Frank 
Simonis, a member of the DVD+RW Alliance. 

For blanks that can be recorded and then re-recorded afterwards, DVD+RW leads 
its competitor 58 to 33%. Another format, Panasonic's DVD-RAM, is also a factor 
in this segment, with a market share of 22%.

Recording speed

Representatives of the various industry associations are now
attempting to get the public excited about quicker drives for their particular 
format. Verbatim used the recent CeBIT technology fair to show off DVD+R media 
with 16x burning speed. 

      "For one-time writable media, DVD-R and DVD+R are in a neck-on-neck race, 
with 42 and 41 per cent market share respectively" 

      Frank Simonis,
      A member of the DVD+RW Alliance
     
That means that a complete DVD can be recorded in six minutes. When DVD blanks 
first came on the market, an entire hour was required to burn a DVD. In 
addition to the  "plus/minus" format dispute, the entertainment industry is 
also currently wrangling over the future format for the recording of high 
definition video. The DVD-Forum, together with several Hollywood studies, is 
singing the praises of the "HD-DVD" high definition process.

This format is facing off against "Blu-ray Disc", advanced by
makers like Matsushita, Pioneer, Philips, Sony, LG Electronics,
Sharp, Samsung, HP, and Dell. Blu-ray offers a higher capacity (50 GB) than 
HD-DVD (30 GB).

HD-DVD's proponents emphasise the better backward compatibility of drives using 
that format and the low prices for the media. A number of HD-DVDs will also 
soon be coming on the market with Hollywood films, whereas Blu-ray is still 
waiting for the support of the film industry.

Apple used the CeBIT fair to take sides: it joined the Blu-ray
Disc Association. Yet, Apple is also supporting HD-DVD, perhaps because Apple 
CEO Steve Jobs cannot afford to end up backing a losing horse when it comes to 
the video format of the future.


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