Next-Gen DVD War Averted?
Published by Admin on 6.11.06 at 11/06/2006 09:09:00 AM.
Machines capable of playing both Blu-ray and HD-DVD disks will emerge next year to short-circuit the format war in next-generation DVD.
Leading chip vendors such as Broadcom, STMicroelectronics and NEC Electronics told EE Times they are developing ICs that allow high-definition optical drives and players to comply with the two competing specifications. These suppliers appear to have specific knowledge that their potential customers—whose names they declined to disclose—will roll out universal players as early as 2007.
Although confused consumers might welcome a box that resolved the incompatibility between HD-DVD (HD) and Blu-ray Disc (BD), its advent could also put a crimp in immediate sales. "Many consumers will hold off buying a next-generation DVD player until the universal player hits the market," said Richard Doherty, research director at the Envisioneering Group (Seaford, N.Y.).
Broadcom Corp. has already shipped the industry's first dual HD/BD decoder chip, designed into the first-generation Toshiba HD-DVD player and into Samsung's Blu-ray Disc player. Broadcom will also make its next-generation platform--a much more highly integrated system-on-chip that is scheduled for announcement soon—comply with both formats, while adding support for BD's latest profile. Link
Leading chip vendors such as Broadcom, STMicroelectronics and NEC Electronics told EE Times they are developing ICs that allow high-definition optical drives and players to comply with the two competing specifications. These suppliers appear to have specific knowledge that their potential customers—whose names they declined to disclose—will roll out universal players as early as 2007.
Although confused consumers might welcome a box that resolved the incompatibility between HD-DVD (HD) and Blu-ray Disc (BD), its advent could also put a crimp in immediate sales. "Many consumers will hold off buying a next-generation DVD player until the universal player hits the market," said Richard Doherty, research director at the Envisioneering Group (Seaford, N.Y.).
Broadcom Corp. has already shipped the industry's first dual HD/BD decoder chip, designed into the first-generation Toshiba HD-DVD player and into Samsung's Blu-ray Disc player. Broadcom will also make its next-generation platform--a much more highly integrated system-on-chip that is scheduled for announcement soon—comply with both formats, while adding support for BD's latest profile. Link