SONY MAY COMPROMISE IN BLU-RAY VS HD WAR
Will PS3 opt for HD DVD over Blu-Ray?
15:29 Sony has indicated its willingness to compromise in the upcoming battle to decide on which next generation DVD format to use.
Two competing formats are currently in the mix, with HD DVD competing against Blu-ray as the storage medium of choice for future generations.
In gaming, this has boiled down to Microsoft's preference for HD DVD which is widely expected to be the DVD medium for its next generation Xbox, while Sony has previously backed the Blu-ray format which we presumed would be in the PS3 when it is released sometime in 2006.
However, perhaps we shouldn't have been so certain. Yukinori Kawauchi, general manager of Sony's video-planning division, said in a recent interview: "To provide the best service to the consumer one format is better than two. We're open to discussions."
It is the second time that Sony has indicated recently it does not want to become embroiled in a storage medium war.
"Listening to the voice of the consumers, having two rival formats is disappointing and we haven't totally given up on the possibility of integration or compromise," said Sony's president-elect Ryoji Chubachi at a recent news conference.
While Blu-ray may seem to many the better medium (much like Betamax technically outclassed VHS, but sold like a dog) Sony may concede that HD is here to stay, particularly since it's widely expected to steal a march in the vital North American market by launching towards the end of this year.
Perhaps by the time Blu-ray comes around many consumers will have made their de facto next- gen DVD choice, much in the same way that the PS2 originally sold so well because of its DVD playing capabilities.
Microsoft VP J Allard said that the next generation would usher in a new HD era at the recent Games Developers Conference and these recent comments would seem to indicate Sony is now reconsidering its HD options.
To put it in context, the HD DVD standard is backed by some 230 consumer and electronics companies, can store up to 30 Gig data and allows watchers to enjoy hi-definition quality movies. Blu-ray is a next gen disc backed by major electronic giants including Sony, Panasonic, Phillips and Samsung and can store over 50 Gig in its double layer incarnation.
More on this ongoing saga as it arrives...
John Houlihan
http://www.computerandvideogames.com
Aber werde gerne die Diskussion um War Bereich weiter führen
die sollen sich lieber auf blu ray einigen.
