Question: What About True High Definition DVD?
Answer: For the past several years, high definition DVD player and recorder prototypes have been displayed at consumer electronics trade shows. Finally, HD-DVD and Blu-ray players are now available in the U.S., with units including recording capability expected to become available at a later date.
However, there is a catch with regards to the introduction of high definition DVD recording and playback. You guessed it; there are two competing formats that are incompatible with each other.
The competing formats are Blu-ray and HD-DVD:
Blu-ray Support
Blu-ray is supported on the hardware side by Hitachi, LG, Matsushita (Panasonic), Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, HP, Dell, Apple, TDK, and Thomson (Note: Thomson also supports HD-DVD). On the software side, Blu-ray is supported by Twentieth Century Fox and Walt Disney Studios.
HD-DVD Support
HD-DVD is supported on the hardware side by Toshiba, NEC, Sanyo, Thomson (Note: Thomson also supports Blu-ray). On the software side, HD-DVD is supported by Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Pictures.
For more specifics on the Blu-ray and HD-DVD high definition disc formats, check out the following articles:
Before You Buy a Blu-ray or HD-DVD Player
Blu-ray and HD-DVD - What You Need To Know
Return To DVD Player Basics FAQ Intro Page
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