Anyone who is interested in the newest high definition television technology is probably also looking at high definition DVDs. Two competing and incompatible technologies have once again emerged. It’s deja vu all over again as we are re-subjected to today’s equivalent of the Sony’s Betamax versus JVC’s VHS video format war of the early 1980s. You would think that Sony would have learned a lesson, but it looks like they are at it again. This time with rival Toshiba.

Clearly, two technology camps have been formed. In the HD DVD corner, we have Toshiba with support provided by Microsoft, Intel, NEC, Sanyo, Hewlett Packard, Universal Studios, HBO and a few others. In the Blu-ray corner we have Sony, with backup provided by Samsung, Pioneer, Disney and several movie studios. Each group is supporting a different technology path to the same goal–providing high definition movies. While competing technologies is not necessarily a bad thing, the fact is that like the Betamax-VHS battle, only one technology may eventually emerge as the winner, while the other could fall by the wayside. The real loser therefore becomes the consumers who are once again left holding the bag with an expensive and obsolete technology.

The First Faux Pas for Blu-ray
The first HD DVD disks and players hit the market in April of 2006. The comparable Blu-ray offerings were not introduced until July of 2006. While the HD DVD introduction went fairly smooth, two problems plagued the initial release of Blu-ray. The first wave of Blu-ray disks used an older MPEG-2 codec (a compression scheme used to store video and data), which produced movies with video quality that was not much better than standard enhanced DVD quality. Also, the first Blu-ray player to hit the market was made by Samsung and was plagued with firmware problems. Both of these issues have since been resolved with newer generation Blu-ray disks and players.

The Second Faux Pas for Blu-ray
Blu-ray players current cost $300 to $400 more than a comparable HD DVD player, which gives HD DVDs a distinct advantage. Also, the cost to manufacture Blu-ray disks is currently higher than that of an HD DVD disk.

Differences in Technology
There are distinct differences that make the two formats incompatible. At this time, you will need two separate players if you wish to play both types of disks. There is, however, some hope in a recent announcement by Ricoh where they claim they have a way to bridge the gap, which would allow both HD DVD and Blu-ray disks to be played on the same drive. That is, of course, only if Sony and Toshiba can get together and partner with Ricoh. I’m not holding my breath on that. There was also a recent announcement about a company called VidaBox, which will release a dual drive player that accommodates both Blu-ray and HD DVD disks. Given the already high costs for HD DVD and Blu-ray players, this will likely be an even more expensive option for the next few years.

Blu-ray technology uses a blue-violet laser diode, which is a new technology that uses a short wavelength (405 nanometers) laser that allows high density compaction of data. The Blu-ray format has a capacity advantage with the amount of video and sound data that can be recorded on a disk. Blue-ray disks can hold 25 gigabytes of data in a single layer disk and 50 gigabytes of data in a dual layer disk. HD DVD uses a similar blue-violet diode technology, but the disk capacity is currently limited to 15 gigabytes for a single layer disk and 30 gigabytes for a dual layer disk. Either disk does contain enough room for a high definition movie, so the Blu-ray technology does not currently offer a critical advantage.

Current Blu-ray disks use the MPEG-4 codec, while HD-DVD players use VC-1. Both the video and sound quality are considered to be comparable by most viewers, so neither has a clear advantage over the other.

Movies Available for Blu-ray and HD DVD
At the time of this writing, there are a few more HD DVD movies available to consumers that Blu-ray movies, but given that Blu-ray is supported by a larger number of movie studios, that could change. At the time of this writing, Amazon offers about 80 Blu-ray titles and about 100 HD DVD titles. Several movie studios support both formats, so if neither video format emerges as a clear winner in a very short time, almost all moves will likely be available in both formats.

If I had to predict a winner today, I would have to choose the HD DVD technology. Sony was second to the market with an initially inferior product. Sure, they may have a chance to recover and eventually dominate, but it will be harder for them to do so. Blu-ray disks are also more expensive to manufacture. I’m looking for Sony’s advantage in this marketing war, but I don’t really see one.

Additional Resources:
Wikipedia - Blu-ray
Wikipedia - HD DVD