Movies, the consumer electronics giant forecast, would go on sales as BD-ROMs in Japan in Christmas 2005.
Then, in August 2004, Sony made its key strategic move of the war: it said the upcoming PlayStation 3 would incorporate Blu-ray technology. Perhaps not coincidentally, within days of that announcement, the BDA unveiled an initial draft of the Blu-ray movie disc specification, as BD-ROM 1.0. Sony became the first content producer - via its Sony Pictures Entertainment subsidiary - to say it would release films on BD.
Sony's PS3: killer app?
In January 2005, Electronic Arts said it would back Blu-ray, as did Vivendi Universal - even though it's Universal Studios wing had aligned itself to HD DVD. That same month, Universal, Warner and Paramount announced HD DVD movie line-ups, due to go on sale at the end of the year. In October, Warner would reveal it would support Blu-ray too.
That month, TDK announced a special coating that would - at long last - provide the Blu-ray format with sufficient resilience not to need caddies. The problem had been the decision to place BD's first data storage layer far closer to the disc surface than was the case with DVD. That made the discs prone to data-destroying scratches - hence the caddies. TDK's Durabis coating allowed the BDA to claim its format was as scratch-proof as HD DVD.
Apple joined the BDA in March that year, but there was dissent in the Blu-ray camp the following November when long-time Blu-ray backer HP said it would promote HD DVD instead if the BDA didn't bring Microsoft's iHD interactivity technology into the spec. iHD had by then been selected as the basis for HD DVD's interactivity features, while the BDA had decided to adopt Java. HP was keen on iHD, because the technology would go on to form part of Windows Vista.
In December, the BDA said 'no' to iHD, and HP said 'no' to the BDA and joined the HD DVD camp. We bet it's feeling very silly now...
Behind the scenes, Toshiba and Sony entered into negotiations to see if there was sufficient ground for the two to merge their respective formats before launch. Toshiba initially denied claims it was talking to Sony, but both parties soon admitted they were talking. The talks proved fruitless, and it seemed there was no option now but war to the death.
COMMENTS
About time...
About time too...
I'm one of the, many?, people who had decided to wait until the war was over before buying a new player...
So, now to find a decent Blu-Ray player...
The point to all of this?
Can I ask whats the point in half of these spats?
Does it really matter if someone else doesnt agree that blueray/bd/hd-dvd/cd/tape/porn is as awesome as you think it is?
Do you really think that by constructing your point of view in various ways that all of a sudden people are going to stop and go "ahh he is right what a smart little geek this one is"
pointless flame fuelled by an emptiness elsewhere in life Id imagine.
In 5 years time we will have another media format and another 5 years after that, its called evolution.
@Anne van der Bom
How old are you ??? ... I thought I was pathetic coz I'm bolding and working Saturday nites (should have quoted the work part ... getting bored and reading el Reg rather) but I can go reassured seeing that some speak of a wonderful shopping experience, where do you go Harrods (still)? or like most of us HMV & Virgin ... or online, even eBay maybe. And you always go to concerts because listening to music at home is not that a thrilling experience.
I thought the unpacking of a DVD was as the latex wrapping of the bishop e.g. an interesting but lame moment compared with what is supposed to follow.
And yes iTunes Store does not sell because the tune does not come all blistery and stickerish. Oh you bet that iTunes will fail on the movie renting front for the same reason.
Here is an other silly idea: Virgin is launching a new "HDD wrapping" scheme so it can be nervously unwrapped when home, for the really nostalgic ones they may even offer a "burn as you buy",(I've always been amazed by people looking at the recorded face of a CD/DVD as if they'd be able to see/listen to what's on it) and btw I'm proud to announce el Reg is now shipping its daily blistered print copy (for a fee) will you buy it?
But don't worry the HDD wotsit comes with the ability to burn the film 7 times ... so plenty of plastic to waste.
Re: @Michael Compton
I'm not sure what you mean that layers are easier to add to HD-DVD than BD. I still have to see any HD-DVD DL in the market.
BD-RE are pretty cheap nowadays, the price has dropped a lot, single layer discs are going for just over 10 Dollars each here in the States and double layers (50GB) are still expensive but price will drop and quickly (just a year ago one BD-RE SL was 24 dollars).
Also, in the works is a 4L disc with 200GB capacity.
I'm a professional photographer and disc capacity is the thing I'm most interested in and that's why I backed BD since the start. HD-DVD simply was never an option to me.
BD DL = 50GB, HD-DVD DL=30GB, that's 20GB difference: HUGE!
Luca
