“Blue Laser Camps Still Dithering”
Dear Gary:
I read with much interest in Paul Sweeting’s article (Issue 99, August 2005) on HD DVD and Blu-Ray and the current status quo with each format.
One of the resounding issues I hear from these camps is one to do with storage capacity, and we seem to be seeing a trend where one camp states they can now store “x” amount of data and the other saying we can match it.
With Holographic storage technology on our door step and with Windows Media Video/HD (WMV/HD), I as a consumer am wishing both HD DVD and Blu-ray be shown the door, and we go with the Microsoft product and Holographic technology. I want my HD and I want it yesterday.
I have only seen but a few of these WMV/HD discs and am very enthusiastic for its support. Not to mention that the consumer could have this technology NOW and at much greater reduction in cost due to existing compatibilities with the red-laser format. Am I missing something here?
Microsoft needs to step up to the table a little more and push this format as a pre-recorded solution for HD; even start a partnership with InPhase Technologies to further this format’s global acceptance. Perhaps Microsoft should whack one of these holographic drives with WMV/HD and DVD compatibility in their upcoming Xbox360 machines––now there’s market penetration. Microsoft, are you listening?
As another disappointment regarding HD equipment, Toshiba announced their intentions to release an HD DVD player, but too bad for those of us stuck in component input/output land; we would have to settle for something not much better than the current slather of DVD resolution, as HD is only output from the HDMI interface.
Well, that’s my two bits. Keep up the excellent work.
John Barsby, Sydney Australia
Editor-In-Chief and Publisher Gary Reber Comments:
You raise important issues in which there are no easy or straight forward answers. I have addressed some of these issues in my “From The Editor’s Couch” and we will continue the discussion in future issues of Widescreen Review.
You can E-mail Widescreen Review @ mailto:editorgary@widescreenreview.com