OTHER TECH

HIGH-DEF DISCS by James K. Willcox

After a year of public posturing, internecine squabbling, and more momentum shifts than an NBA basketball game, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc (BD), the two incompatible high-definition disc formats, are back where they started - both vying to be the successor to DVD. But that doesn't mean things haven't changed. As the factions gather at January's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to finally reveal their launch plans, Blu-ray has six of the seven major movie studios behind it: Disney, Fox, MGM, Sony, Warner Bros., and Paramount. Meanwhile, HD DVD has lost some of its luster. Longtime ally Warner Bros. - the studio that worked hardest to make the DVD a success - now supports both formats, leaving Universal the only studio completely in the HD DVD camp. And it didn't help that Toshiba failed to launch its players by Christmas as originally announced.

That we'll be forced to choose between two formats is a major disappointment for anyone who cares about high-def video. Hopes that the camps would compromise on a single standard before they launched any product were dashed when Sony insisted that any high-def format adopt Blu-ray's 0.1-mm recording layer, which allows for greater capacity - 25 gigabytes (GB) and 50 GB for single and dual-layer discs vs. 15 and 30 GB for HD DVD. Meanwhile, Toshiba has argued that it will be easier and cheaper to manufacture HD DVDs than BDs since HD DVDs are physically similar to DVDs.

THE TREND Nobody's surprised that videodiscs are going high-def. With the steady proliferation of HDTVs, it was inevitable that a format would come along that can match their higher resolution. What was a surprise was that the major companies couldn't agree on a single format, as they did with DVD. Regardless, it looks like we'll soon be able to buy discs and players that push home theaters one step closer to matching the picture detail of a first-rate movie theater - a cause for celebration by videophiles and film buffs alike.

WHY IT MATTERS Higher-rez images are, of course, the main reason to check out HD DVD or Blu-ray. But both formats will also feature unprecedented interactivity, letting you access documentaries, directors' commentaries, and even games while you continue to watch a movie, with the extra content synced to specific scenes. And expect to see more sophisticated disc-based Web links.

THE GEAR The first high-def player will likely come from Toshiba, which planned to begin selling hardware in the U.S. this spring. Blu-ray's backers say they're also aiming for a spring launch.

The first Blu-ray player might be the PlayStation 3, which some reports say will debut in May. Described by one studio executive as a Trojan horse that would rapidly get millions of BD players into homes, Sony's next-generation game console will include a Blu-ray drive. Sony needs to keep the cost of PS3 competitive with Xbox 360, so it's expected to be priced in the $399 to $499 range. Dedicated Blu-ray and HD DVD players are likely to go for twice that much. Why would anyone buy a $1,000 BD player if you can get a PS3 for half that? Dedicated players from companies like Sony, Panasonic, and Pioneer will likely use higher-quality electronics, resulting in more flexible operation and better images.

The first movie discs for both formats are expected to cost $10 to $15 more than the DVD releases of the same titles, with prices likely to drop to DVD levels within a couple of years. As for recorders, Blu-ray decks could be out soon after the first players launch (they're already available in Japan), while HD DVD recorders aren't likely to be available for a while. We expect a more definite timetable to be announced at CES, so check for HD DVD and Blu-ray updates from the show.

THE FUTURE Movie fans want a high-def disc, not a format war, but a showdown is all but inevitable. It's possible that people will react to having to choose between two formats by sitting on the sidelines, forcing the dueling camps to get behind one format. Or Blu-ray and HD DVD could slug it out in the marketplace until there's a clear winner. Still, given the pace of technology, the backers of both formats are probably feeling some heat to make their mark before an even better system comes along. (see "Emerging Tech" for the lowdown on a 1-terabyte holographic disc that's in the works.)