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The War between DVD and HD DVD

DVD is a high-density optical disc. It is the acronym of Digital Video Disk also known as Digital Versatile Disk. It is designed for data and video storage. In the 1990s, the HDVT began to enter the market of removable storage devices. In 1993, two corporation groups were trying to make high-density optical storage standards. On one side, there was Sony and Philips, and the other group was headed by Toshiba, Time Warner, Hitachi and others. Sony started the two programmes for the application of UDO (Ultra Density Optical) and DVR Blue.

The War between DVD and HD DVD is on. The Digital Video Disk forum had a disagreement over whether to go with the more expensive Blue Rays or not. The proposed Blue Ray disc was expensive and physically different from the Digital Video Disks. As it was in the initial stage, so it was very much problematic also. To avoid a costly format war the Blue Ray Disc Association and DVD forum started to negotiate a compromise.

DVD and HD DVD differs in storage space. Later has a single layer capacity of 15 GB, dual layer capacity of 30 GB and 51 GB of triple layer disc. Former supports so many file systems such as UDF, ISO and others. The HD DVD player is required to play Dolby digital audio format AC3, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Digital EX and others. HighDef format supports a wide variety of resolution for the video to play.

Comparing DVD with HD Disc in terms of resolution will give better idea. Usually, a standard 4.7 GB Disk supports maximum resolution of 720x576. However, HighDefTV support starts from the 720p resolution.

The publisher wants to protect the HighDef content they may use the Advanced Access Content System (AACS). There is no Region Coding in the HighDef specification, which indicates that the titles from any country can be played in players of any other country. In Europe and other places, the consumers have used multi region players to play DVDs purchased in or from the US. HighDefs uses the HDI format for the interactive content. HDI is based on web technologies such as HTML, CSS and others.

The hybrid HD Disc format is the one to contain both DVD and HD Disc of the same movie in the single disc and give smoother transition for the studios. The Digital Video Disc replication companies are using the current production equipment with some minor alterations to change over to the format of HD Disc.

Microsoft supported both Digital Video Disc and HD disc. Xbox was shelved with a DVD drive. Xbox 360 contained HD Disc drive. The Microsoft HD Disc drive for Xbox 360 game console gives the Xbox 360 the ability to play the HD Disc movies. The Xbox 360 has an add-on HD Disc drive. It is used with a desktop or laptop PC running windows XP or windows Vista. The third party player software can play HD Disc movies using the add-on drive. So many buy the HD Disc add-on drives for the PCs due to its cheap price.

The major studios in North America along with Universal Studios have backed the HD DVDs strongly. The music groups back the HD DVD format in the music industry. Both conventional DVD and HD DVD have the same manufacturing process and protection. There are two types of hybrid formats, which contain standard DVD format video for playback in regular DVD players.

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for used DVDs, used movies, and used car stereos. You can find the best marketplace for used DVDs, used movies, and used car stereos at these sites for DVD, HD DVD, Xbox 360, used movies, and used car stereos.

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