Toshiba & Sony Discuss Unified Hi-Def DVD Format
May 29, 2005
Tokyo, JP - Reuters reported recent efforts between the Blu-ray and HD-DVD camps to produce a single, high-definition DVD format. While the two competing standards may be around for a while, the president of Toshiba said that eventually the next generation of optical discs will use one format.
Sony and Matsushita have backed Blu-ray, while Toshiba, Japan’s second largest electronics conglomerate, plans to release HD-DVD players by the end of this year. Sony is poised to produce the Blu-ray equipped PlayStation 3 and have the game console ready by next spring. For the past three years, the two camps have each backed their own version of a high-definition DVD format. They reportedly have engaged in talks recently about a unified format, but substantial progress has not been made, according to Reuters.
Toshiba President Tadashi Okamura recently told business leaders in Japan, “We may actually have a situation where merchandise from both sides is put on store shelves. But the market would not allow that situation to last very long,''
Sony’s Ken Kutaragi, known as the father of the PlayStation said, “The only hope is if we can reach an agreement in a week or two on a new format that is not that different from Blu-ray physically” Both sides reportedly want to avoid the confusion and inconvenience that could arise from having rival formats competing in the marketplace.
For more information go to:
www.toshiba.com
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