Blu-Ray & HD DVD Disc Formats Competing

Sound & Vision Online has a thorough report on Blu-ray and HD DVD discs, and how they work. These new formats can squeeze large high-definition digital content on to a DVD-size disc.  While today's DVD discs can hold 4.7 gigabytes, a single-sided, single-layer HD DVD can hold 15 GB, and a comparable Blu-ray disc can hold 25 GB.

In related news, TDK Electronics Corp. said this week that it has successfully demonstrated a 100-Gigabyte Blu-Ray disc using Durabis coating.  This coating resists scratching and dust, which reduces errors and eliminates the need for a protective cartridge. 

Sony, a leading developer of Blu-ray technology announced that they will incorporate a Blu-ray drive into the PlayStation 3 Game console, to be released in 2006.  There was talk of unification of the two formats (Toshiba's HD DVD and Sony's Blu-Ray) into one standard, which would certainly make it a more consumer-friendly proposition. Toshiba has denied these rumors. The battle continues!

read | Sound & Vision Online