Lifestyle > Sports & Entertainment
PS3 vs X-Box 360 (specs)
Thirteen:
nice try to try and downplay Toshiba's side but Toshiba is backed by two movie Giants, WB and Universal, and when it comes down to what the next form of media it will be, the movie makers pretty much have the final word over electronics and video game companies
oh and add microsoft to the list of HD DVD supporters
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By Kunihiko Kichise and Nathan Layne
Tue May 17,12:14 PM ET
TOKYO (Reuters) - The presidents of Japanese electronics giants Sony (6758.T), Toshiba (6502.T) and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (6752.T) will meet to try to break a stalemate in talks over a unified format for next-generation DVD technology, a source close to the matter said on Tuesday.
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Sony and Toshiba, leading rival camps, have waged a three-year battle to have their new technology standards adopted by the industry.
The winner will have pole position in the multi-billion-dollar markets for DVD players, PC drives and optical discs.
The high-level talks offer new hope for negotiations that appeared to have reached an impasse.
A senior Toshiba official was quoted by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on Monday as saying one format based on Sony technology would be "extremely difficult."
Both sides still believe one standard is the best scenario, knowing that a prolonged format battle like the one between VHS and Betamax two decades ago would likely discourage consumers from shifting to advanced discs and stifle the industry's growth.
"We continue to believe in the merits of establishing one format but discussions up until now have not been able to produce an agreement," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "So the talks will be taken to a higher level."
The source said it had not been decided whether Toshiba would send its current president, Tadashi Okamura, or incoming president Atsutoshi Nishida.
Likewise, it is not clear whether Sony will be represented by Ryoji Chubachi, who is scheduled to become president in June, or current president Kunitake Ando.
Kunio Nakamura, president of Panasonic products maker Matsushita, will likely attend the talks, the source said.
"The exact timing and place of the meeting has not yet been decided. It will be held when a time that fits the schedules of all three company heads is found," the source said. "It could be as early as this week but we are now at the planning stage."
UNDER PRESSURE
Officials from Toshiba, which backs a new DVD technology called HD-DVD, and Sony and Matsushita, which support a rival standard known as Blu-ray, began meeting earlier this year to try and establish a format incorporating technology from both sides.
The negotiations have been leaning toward unifying the formats based on the Blu-ray disc structure.
But Toshiba continues to maintain that adopting the HD DVD structure would be more cost efficient because it is closer to the current DVD.
Toshiba has also been under pressure from parts makers and film studios in the HD DVD camp not to give in.
Just last week Toshiba announced that it had developed a triple-layer HD DVD disc with data capacity of 45 gigabytes, 50 percent more than a previously unveiled version and enough to hold 12 hours of high-definition movies.
Warner Home Video and Universal Studios Home Entertainment both issued statements endorsing Toshiba's new disc.
The announcements were seen as a move to help steer talks more in favor of the HD DVD side.
In addition to Sony and Matsushita, Blu-ray members also include computer giant Dell Inc. (Nasdaq:DELL - news), Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.KS) and Philips Electronics NV (PHG.AS).
HD DVD technology is also backed by NEC Corp. (6701.T), Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. (6764.T) and several other firms.
In Blu-ray, a layer to hold data is put on the surface of a substrate and covered by thin protective layers. In HD-DVD discs, a memory layer is sandwiched between two substrates.
At the core of both formats are blue lasers, which have a shorter wavelength than the red lasers used in current DVD equipment, allowing discs to store data at the higher densities needed for high-definition movies and television.
The outcome of the meeting between the presidents of Sony, Toshiba and Matsushita could have a significant impact on future product launches.
A move toward unification could actually lead to a delay in the introduction of next-generation devices.
Toshiba has already unveiled plans to launch HD DVD players in the last quarter of 2005 while Sony announced plans this week to introduce its new PlayStation video game console in the spring of 2006 equipped with a Blu-ray disc drive.
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Warner Bros. Studios and Microsoft Collaborate to Release HD DVD Titles Using Windows Media Video 9 (VC-1)
HD DVD titles will be available in the fourth quarter of 2005
LAS VEGAS -- April 17, 2005 -- Today at the National Association of Broadcasters convention, NAB2005, Warner Bros. Studios and Microsoft Corp. announced their plans to collaborate on the release of a broad range of next-generation HD DVD discs using Windows Media® Video 9, Microsoft's implementation of VC-1, the proposed Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standard approved by the DVD Forum for HD DVD. Warner Home Video currently plans to release titles in the fourth quarter of 2005. HD DVD represents the first major push to deliver high-definition content to consumers on optical media in the U.S.
The collaboration signifies Warner Bros.' continued commitment to providing new digital entertainment experiences for consumers using the best digital media solutions available. Microsoft will collaborate with Warner Bros. to ensure that the video quality of HD DVD titles is unmatched, enabling true home theater experiences.
"Warner Bros. has evaluated the video quality of VC-1 and found it to be outstanding, making it an ideal format for the delivery of high-definition content," said Chris Cookson, chief technology officer at Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. "By releasing a wide range of titles in VC-1, we are creating great new opportunities to bring high-definition video to consumers."
"Warner Bros.' plan to use VC-1 for the release of HD DVDs presents consumers with exciting new options for watching high-definition content," said Blair Westlake, corporate vice president of the Media/Entertainment & Technology Convergence Group at Microsoft. "As a technology provider, Microsoft is encouraged by the industry's efforts to deliver next-generation high-definition video experiences for consumers, and we see the Warner Bros. collaboration as a significant milestone."
Warner Bros. has one of the largest libraries of any motion picture studio with over 6,500 feature films, 40,000 TV episodes and 14,000 animated titles (including more than 1,500 classic animated shorts). The library includes such world-renowned franchises as "Superman," "Batman," "Friends," "E.R." and "The West Wing," as well as such contemporary theatrical hits as "Ocean's Eleven," "Mystic River" and "The Last Samurai." The studio is expected to announce the release of an increasing amount of its content on HD DVD as its involvement with the format continues.
About Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Studios, a fully integrated, broad-based entertainment company, is the global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of entertainment and their related businesses. Warner Bros. Studios, a Time Warner Company, stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry, from feature films to television, home video/DVD, animation, comic books, interactive entertainment and games, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft® Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.asp .
Don Seer:
--- Quote from: Trauma on May 19, 2005, 08:33:07 PM ---
Also, no 'highest power' system has ever won any console war and you can take that to the bank. Every generation, and there have been about 5 by now, the mid power system wins out (except for the handheld race, where the weakest system, the gameboy, has always won).
--- End quote ---
its true.. i did think aboutr consoles like 3d0, jaguar and dreamcast.. all powerful failures.
Thirteen:
--- Quote from: Overseer on May 19, 2005, 11:54:25 PM ---
--- Quote from: Trauma on May 19, 2005, 08:33:07 PM ---
Also, no 'highest power' system has ever won any console war and you can take that to the bank. Every generation, and there have been about 5 by now, the mid power system wins out (except for the handheld race, where the weakest system, the gameboy, has always won).
--- End quote ---
its true.. i did think aboutr consoles like 3d0, jaguar and dreamcast.. all powerful failures.
--- End quote ---
dreamcast was a weak 128...it just launched the first...it's main competition wasn't the 64 or ps1
Jome:
--- Quote from: Needles Kane on May 19, 2005, 08:52:37 PM ---oh and add microsoft to the list of HD DVD supporters
--- End quote ---
NO, Microsoft supports BOTH, to be on the safe side..
Toshiba's biggest supporters are WB and Universal, but don't forget Sony's position in the movie apartment.
And EA Games is looking to become the next Microsoft in game terms, their support means a lot.
The BluRay standard is set in stone, but the HD/BluRay combo might be a reality, but best believe they will add backwards compability.
shamihundal:
the only reason to get X-Box is Halo. Playstation is and always has been the overall best in my mind.
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