Toshiba & Memory-Tech develop DVD / HD-DVD dual-layer disc

08 Dec 04 01:23 by Seán Byrne in category Uncategorized To news archive

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While the main PC manufactures Dell and HP are taking on the Blu-Ray format, Toshiba and Memory-Tech have developed yet another Blu-Ray killer – Dual-layer DVD/HD-DVD hybrid. This type of optical disc features a 4.7GB DVD upper layer which can be read in existing DVD playback equipment. However, its lower 15GB HD-DVD layer will be picked up in HD-DVD playback equipment to provide access to its high definition content.

The purpose of this new hybrid disc is to ease the transition from DVD to HD-DVD by allowing consumers to purchase these new discs while being able to view at least standard definition content until they get hold of a HD-DVD player such as when pricing comes down. According to Memory-Tech these discs are expected to reach the stores late 2005, around the expected launch time of HD DVD players.

Last week, several major studios including Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios announced that movies would become available on HD DVD late 2005. By adding legacy DVD support to HD-DVD, this will surely make the studios think twice of choosing Blu-Ray, unless Blu-Ray come up with some way of fighting back. ThunderJon used our news submit to let us know about the following news:

src="http://www.cdfreaks.com/contentimages/newsimages/1105616622" align=right border=0
> In an effort to ease the transition to higher-capacity disc technology, Toshiba and Memory-Tech have developed a dual-layer disc that supports DVD and HD DVD formats.

A smooth shift from the old technology should make it as convenient as possible for consumers and device manufacturers to upgrade from DVDs to the next-generation DVD format without having to toss their old discs.

The companies announced the joint development and detailed the new disc’s capabilities Tuesday in Tokyo. The disc will be single-sided, with the upper layer storing up to 4.7GB of data in the DVD format and the lower layer holding 15GB of HD DVD data.

Memory-Tech will produce the read-only discs. Manufacturing costs will be comparable to those of single-sided, dual-layer DVDs or HD DVDs. The discs are expected to reach stores in late 2005, as are HD DVD players.

From what I can see now HD-DVD will pretty much certainly make it for becoming the standard for movies. Blu-Ray on the other hand will likely be the main standard for high capacity PC optical drives and possibly set-top boxes.

While this puts movie and data disc standards in two different directions, this was the case before the DVD took off. For example, VHS was the main standard going for video before DVD was launched and DAT tapes would have been the main standard for backing up PC data before CD recorders had taken off.

The only drawback I see with hybrid DVD/HD-DVD is that their capacity is limited to the equivalent of either disc type. For example, movies on the standard DVD layer would have to be more compressed to fit into the 4.7GB layer compared with on a regular dual-layer DVD-ROM and thus the picture quality will suffer for the DVD layer on these discs.

ThunderJon added: A definate big step for HD, I give them props, but I dont suspect that Blu-Ray will be left behind. I’m still leaning toward Blu-ray myself

Feel free to discuss and find out more about HD DVD,
Blu-Ray and other high definition related topics on our href="http://forum.cdfreaks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=90" target=_new> color=#234786>Satellite, HD-TV, Blu-ray and HD-DVD Forum color=#234786>. target=_new>

Source: ZDNet News

9 Comments

SupremeCheddar: Posts: 139; Posted on: 08 Dec 04 01:49

With DVDs costing pennies to make I don't see why Hollywood couldn't just add a second Disc containing the DVD-version.

Skoorb: Posts: 60; Posted on: 08 Dec 04 05:10

A ridiculous waste of time, to be sure. Nobody is going to buy these things. As mentioned, since many movies now are seven and eight gigs, they'll have to compress these, akin to taking an entire movie and shrinking with DVD shrink. You whack 40% of data out of the video and you lose quality. So, people can buy these disks and have an unusually bad picture quality until they get an HD-DVD reader? Not likely! A release could be bundled in both DVD and HD-DVD, but then you've essentialy bought two copies, and for the general public the increased quality of HD-DVD over DVD will be entirely unuseful to them for at least several years (most people have a fairly low quality tv and walmart-esque home theater, at best). DVD beat out VHS because it was smaller, had better picture/sound quality, no rewinding necessary, and extra features. What does HD-DVD (or blu-ray) offer the average customer at the moment? Zilch. They don't have the equipment to take advantage of the increase in quality. A small minority have the tv and audio equipment necessary to realize the quality increase from DVD to either of the next gen, so in any case the adoption will be slow of HD-DVD or of blu-ray.

firemaster: Posts: 2; Posted on: 08 Dec 04 06:42

I think the hybrid format is most use to offer DVD Audio+HD DVD-Video content, for this purpose,the hybrid format is a good option!

RaMDaY: Posts: 107; Posted on: 08 Dec 04 06:49

They could fit a full movie on the DVD layer if they don't include any extras.

tanile: Posts: 4; Posted on: 08 Dec 04 07:09

format wars always affect the companies, just have a look at dvd recorders, 3 diffrerent formats and users just dont buy recorders like they buy dvdplayers! another format war begins, customers run away!:X

BitRate: Posts: 411; Posted on: 08 Dec 04 09:05

A complete waste of time IMO. Just another lame attempt to fragment the already fractured post-DVD market. Do the manufacturers seriously think anyone other than geeks will go for this format ? Heck, most people can't even afford to buy DVD+R9 media let alone worrying about HD-DVD. The point made above about HD-DVD capable equipment is a good one and seems to be overlooked. I'd say that the majority of people don't even have AV sockets on their TV's let alone a TV that can handle HD formats. All this "upgrade circus" madness is stupid - just like the PC business, and is driven more by marketing than substance. :r

SupremeCheddar: Posts: 139; Posted on: 08 Dec 04 09:27

Although I think the Backwards compatability in this is lame compared to just offering a real DVD. You people don't understand the implication of this. A format war will = price war. Sony will make it's PS3 a cheaper Video Player than Toshiba and then they respond by lowering prices...etc. This means that I will be able to buy BOTH a Blu-Ray player and a HD-DVD player for what the price of one would cost without the war!

Skoorb: Posts: 60; Posted on: 08 Dec 04 12:49

In some cases, but besides the fact that this would neuter the extra content that DVDs often have, if a movie is more than about 90-100 minutes, you need more than 4.5 gigs to house it, unless you start compressing it down.

cynicalbastard: Posts: 480; Posted on: 08 Dec 04 15:32

It's amazing how much of this talk is all about playing back Hollywood propaganda. Still waiting on a damn reliable rewritable next-gen format to hit the PC, and for the masses to buy it cheaply. If a format war is going to bring that to me faster, bring the format war on

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Toshiba & Memory-Tech develop DVD / HD-DVD dual-layer disc

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