High definition television and bigger PC storage requirements have bought forward the need for a new format to be released.



The current contenders proposing these new formats have some heavyweight electronic giants in their corners. Companies like Sony, Panasonic and Dell support Blu-Ray Disc Format whilst Toshiba, NEC, Microsoft and Intel support the newly named HD DVD. (Previously called AOD – Advanced Optical Disc)

Both camps put forward their systems in the same year -2002. Since the existence of the two formats has become a race a DVD forum has been formed to try to sort out the best format to take to the market place.

Despite the request for both parties to submit their technology to the forum, Blu- Ray Disc was not put forward for consideration telling the chair it was a new technology and nothing to do with the existing DVD format.

Obviously with sales expected to exceed 5 billion discs worldwide in 2006 and not wanting a repeat of the Beta and VHS format war of the eighties, there is much at stake.

So what’s the difference between the two? In a nutshell – very little, to get understanding let’s see how the system works.

Fortunately both formats operate in the same way as CD – meaning that a laser scans the reflective surface of the disc, reading or writing data which is stored in the form of microscopic pits that are moulded into the substrate layer of the disc.

Both formats use a blue violet laser to scan, operating at 450nm.

The old red laser operating a 650nm is put at a disadvantage. It is out of date because the new laser technology can focus the laser spot with much greater precision. This allows more microscopic pits and therefore more data on the disc, giving greater capacity.

It’s from here on in that the two formats differ.

HD DVD physical format is close to the existing DVD format but with a blue/violet laser and new data processing techniques the capacity is increased.

Blu-Ray use an aperture lens on its laser which produces a cone like beam which will allow for even smaller microscopic pits and more data to be squeezed onto a disc.

When it comes to capacity there is a vast difference with HD DVD. Their -R disc (Rom) will hold 60GB on a double-sided dual layer disc and an RW disc holding 45GB.

Blu-Ray can have multiple layers in all formats. It is said that TDK have already produced a 4 layer 100GB disc.

Therein lies the fundamental difference between the two camps with Sony and the Blu-Ray system believing it’s all about capacity.

In terms of Video quality there is little difference as both support MPEG 4 and MPEG 2 and Microsoft’s VC1.

The issue that has driven the bigger players like Microsoft into the HD DVD camp is the software. It allows you to use the interactive content on the disc and the mandatory manage copy feature. It’s this feature that some in Hollywood are keen to have closed after losing out to the pirate DVD market that cost them millions.

Microsoft and Disney joined forces to have the IHT software written so that it dovetails with the new Windows Vista program that will replace the current XP series.

Blu-Ray have their own alternative software called BD-J which is similar, but comes with a catch, manufacturers producing Blu-Ray product will need to pay Java licensing fees. It does seem also at this time that Blu-Ray will make the software optional, something bound to cause confusion amongst consumers.

The HD DVD camp believes also that the Blu-Ray conical cone innovation could be prone to manufacturing difficulties, thus leaving the HD DVD product a far more reliable technology.

Unspoken at this point, is the pricing which may raise many issues. No doubt the Chinese manufacturing influence needs to be factored in as we all remember the influx of cheap Chinese DVD players certainly made the product reach saturation point very quickly.

HD DVD have already on board the Chinese manufacturers and companies like Toshiba have suggested a $499 starting price which is roughly half that of its Blu-Ray counterpart.

Finally I guess the last word comes from Bill Gates who believes that this will be the last physical format ever as once everything is streamlined direct to hard disc via the much trumped digital distribution where there will be no further need for either of the formats.

Once digital distribution goes mainstream then everything you watch or listen to will be streamed to hard disc.