Could somebody give me more information about this article? (new DVD formats)

[Larry_OHF]

New DVD format proposed Unlike past plans, new type compatible with existing discs August 29, 2002 Posted: 9:26 AM EDT (1326 GMT) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- Japanese electronics giants Toshiba Corp. and NEC Corp. said on Thursday they have proposed a cheaper type of high-capacity DVD incompatible with a format advanced by Sony Corp and others. NEC and Toshiba said they submitted their format to the DVD Forum, an industry group of more than 230 companies that defines DVD format specifications and aims to promote DVD use. The format would be incompatible with the Blu-ray standard for blue-laser DVDs unveiled in February by Sony, Panasonic maker Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and seven other electronics giants from Japan, South Korea and Europe. Toshiba and NEC said their format for blue-laser DVDs, set to hit the market next year and able to store huge amounts of data due to blue light's short wavelength, was more compatible with existing red-laser DVDs and would smooth the transition from red to blue. "Toshiba and NEC support this trend, with a format that provides a cost-effective upgrade path for media vendors, and a backward-compatible solution for the many customers who have built DVD libraries," the two companies said in a news release. DVD equipment makers have already been hurt by a fragmentation of formats for red-laser DVD recorders, blamed for hindering the take-off of that market. Toshiba, Japan's biggest chipmaker and a major player in DVD equipment, was one of the few Japanese electronics giants not to join the Blu-ray consortium. The other members of the Blu-ray consortium are Japan's Hitachi Ltd., Pioneer Corp. and Sharp Corp., South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc., Philips Electronics NV of the Netherlands and France's Thomson Multimedia.

[ 09-02-2002, 12:56 PM: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]

[Larry_OHF]

Bumping to the first page for the smart people at night to read. I am afraid I do not understand this article very well. What are they saying about this blue light stuff? Will it be the DVDs or the players? What does this mean to my existing library and the one I aim to continue to build?

[Leonis]

Larry, it's my understanding that the players will use a new type of laser and the disks will use a new storage format. Basically DVD as we know it is now 'old' tech and must be replaced...(theiving b*st*rds!)
NEC and Toshiba, in their benevolence want to introduce it with capacity to read your old disks. For a while there will be old disks available to buy before they disappear. Sony et al couldn't give a crap about retro-readability and want you to buy a new everything - preferably with a big fat SONY stamp on it.
Whichever type gets introduced, it's a given that the current format will go.

Blue laser can read 'smaller' data than red laser due to its wavelength therefore 'Blue' DVDs will have even greater capacity than 'Red'.

[Dodo]

I'm at a tie between sighing and a big great "Whoohoo!" I like DVDs, I have a pretty big collection, they're not particularly cheap where I live, and I have 2 DVD players. Grrr...

Oh the other hand, I like blue [img]smile.gif[/img]