HD DVD

HD DVD or High-Definitio n Digital Versatile Disc is a high-density optica l disc format designed for the storage of d ata and high-definition video.^[1] HD DVD was designed principally by Toshiba, and was envisaged to be the successor to the standar d DVD

format. However, in Februar y, 2008, Toshiba abandoned the format, announcing it would no longer develop or manufacture HD DVD players^[1]. This manufacturing cessation of the HD DVD format and its associated discs and players leaves Blu-Ray Discs as the dominant format for the new generation of high-capacity versatile/video disc s.

HD DVD is derived from the same underlying technologies as DVD. Since a ll variants except the 3x DVD employe d a blue laser with a shorter wavelength, it can store about 3¼ times as much data per layer as its predecessor (maximum capacity: 15 G B per layer instead of 4.7 GB per layer).

Much like the VHS vs. Beta max format war during the late 1970s and early 1980s, HD DVD was in a "format war" with rival format Blu-ray Disc to determine which of the two formats would become the leading carrier for high-definition content to consumers. In 2008, major content manufac turers and key retailers began withdrawing their support for the format. Toshiba's withdra wal from the format ended the high definition o ptical disc format war, effectively maki ng rival Blu-ray the dominant format for high d efinition video discs.^[2] The HD DVD Promotion Group dissolved on March 28.^[3]

Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc (also known as Blu-ray or BD) is an optical disc storage media format. Its main uses are high-definition video and data storage. The disc has the same dimensions as a standard DVD or CD.

The name Blu-ray Disc is derived from the blue-violet laser used to read and write this type of disc. Because of its shorter wavelength (405 nm), substantially more data can be stored on a Blu-ray Disc than on the DVD format, which uses a red (650 nm) laser. A dual layer Blu-ray Disc can store 50 GB, almost six times the capacity of a dual layer DVD.

Blu-ray Disc was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association, a group of companies representing consumer electronics, computer hardware, and motion picture production. The standard is covered by several patents belonging to different companies. As of March 2007, a joint licensing agreement for all the relevant patents had not yet been finalized.^[2]

As of April 5, 2008, more than 530^[3] Blu-ray Disc titles have been released in the United States, and more than 250 in Japan.

During the high definition optical disc format war, Blu-ray Disc competed with the HD DVD format. On February 19, 2008, Toshiba — the main company supporting HD DVD — announced it would no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders,^[4] leading almost all other HD DVD supporters to follow suit, effectively naming Blu-ray the victor of the format war.