Bill Gates Takes Sides

[therealskywolf]

http://www.pro-g.co.uk/news/nid/989/

Toshiba and Microsoft will work together to develop HD-DVD players.

After recent news that a next generation disc merger between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD was on, then off and then possibly on again, it looks like Toshiba has taken a step to strengthen its HD-DVD format.

Toshiba will be working with Microsoft to develop HD-DVD players. The news came at a joint press conference where Bill Gates and Toshiba President, Atsutoshi Nishida, announced the partnership. The backing from Microsoft is great news for the HD-DVD format, which is battling it out with Sony's Blu-Ray format. Blu-Ray has a greater storage capacity than HD-DVD, but Toshiba are hoping the reduced manufacturing costs associated with HD-DVD will help make its format the winner.

Microsoft is keen to expand its presence in the consumer electronics market and will be using their financial clout to ensure HD-DVD is a success. There is no news on whether Microsoft's partnership with Toshiba will mean the Xbox 360 will feature a HD-DVD drive, as opposed to the standard DVD drive the next-gen console currently houses.

Its on.

 

[Carl B]

Well, can't deny this is huge news.

Every other week though it seems there's something blu-ray, HD-DVD related that completely changes the landscape - again.

I've got serious motion sickness...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Looks like Sony and MS are to become the biggest rival companies this century! Everything one does, the other tries to counter. Looks like CE and computing compnaies will be on one side or the other eventually

 

[Farid]

TOKYO (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. and Toshiba Corp. said on Monday they will strengthen their joint development of PCs and consumer electronics goods and consider working together on next-generation DVD technology.

Toshiba, the world's third-largest notebook PC maker, and Microsoft, the biggest software company, have been working together on developing computers and other mobile devices for several years.

In May, the two companies announced a cross-licensing agreement they said would allow them to use each other's patents on computer and digital electronics technologies, paving the way for a strengthening of their business ties.

The two firms said on Monday they would consider working together on the development of HD DVD players using Microsoft Windows software, a move that Toshiba hopes will help lower its development costs for the next-generation DVD player.

"We think the agreement will have practical benefits such as lower costs and shorter development times," Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida told a news conference in Tokyo also attended by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.

Toshiba, Japan's second-largest electronics conglomerate, plans to launch HD DVD players, which are based on one of two competing standards for next-generation optical discs, in the last quarter of 2005 in Japan and the United States.

Toshiba is the leader of the HD DVD camp. Sony Corp heads a group favoring a rival technology called Blu-ray. The two sides have waged a three-year battle to have their standards adopted for new DVDs that promise much greater capacity than current discs.

Gates said Microsoft retained its neutral stance on the format battle, not explicitly supporting either side.

Ahead of the announcement, shares of Toshiba closed down 2.95 percent at 427 yen, underperforming a 1.06 percent fall in the Nikkei average

 

[Carl B]

Well, the Reuters article certainly paints a less sensationalist picture than the original article, that's for sure.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Particularly

Gates said Microsoft retained its neutral stance on the format battle, not explicitly supporting either side.

No HDDVD in XB360

 

[therealskywolf]

Dont blame me. Well i guess that MS just doesnt have the balls, even if i dont believe that a next gen Format will offer much of a benefict in games in comparison to current formats, i would like to see MS taking a risk in this whole format thing, adding a little bit of spice.

 

[typoEDR]

At this rate, I'm going to knock myself out, hoping to wake up when the dominant next-gen media format wins.

 

[pegisys]

I don't think it would be a risk at this point, just a cost, if they ended up putting it in last minute I can see it as a plus since it would be the first affordable HD movie player on the market

 

[c0_re]

IMO it would be silly for M$ to jam in HDDVD last minute, I don't want another crappy optical drive in the 360 when it comes out. Gimme a good ol 16 speed DVD rom and I"ll be happy we all know first gen optical drives are junk, I dopn't care who makes them.

 

[Brimstone]

I don't think it would be a risk at this point, just a cost, if they ended up putting it in last minute I can see it as a plus since it would be the first affordable HD movie player on the market

I'd think Toshiba would be willing to sell HD-DVD drives at a loss just to get into a console to counter PS3 Blu-Ray. Five years down the road if HD-DVD becomes the next standard format, the losses in providing HD-DVD drives to Microsoft would look like a good investment.

Of course neither Blu-Ray or HD-DVD will make games any better.

 

[two]

This means HD-DVD in X360?

Edit:

Gates said Microsoft retained its neutral stance on the format battle, not explicitly supporting either side.

Sorry

 

[London Geezer]

This means HD-DVD in X360?

Nope. MS would be bragging about it till we get a brain tumor if that was the case.
I personally think they should at least think about it.

 

[Frank]

Without HD-DVD in the xbox360, I think it is mostly marketing to tell people, that the BR drive in PS3 is no reason to wait for that, but to buy an xbox360 instead.

 

[sonycowboy]

Well, can't deny this is huge news.

Every other week though it seems there's something blu-ray, HD-DVD related that completely changes the landscape - again.

I've got serious motion sickness...

To be honest, it's been known FOREVER that HD-DVD would use Microsoft's software, just not played up. Just like Microsoft's software running many digital cable boxes this is an extension of that software / MSN-TV.

The alternative on the Blu-Ray side is Java / Linux based software, whose specifications include internet connectivity and 3 different levels of interactive content (DVD like, Super DVD like, and full blown Java applications)

 

[Sean*O]

MS isn't taking sides?

Just having MS name attached is giving HD-DVD a boost, as can be seen by all the media attention HD-DVD is enjoying today.

I was alerted to this news by a crawling text on CNN.

 

[Edge]

No HD-DVD for the Xbox 360 = ZERO support. It's meaningless this announcement, especially considering Microsoft will be providing full support in the OS for Blu-ray also, considering Dell Inc., and Hewlett Packard Company, the two biggest computer companies are supporting Blu-ray.

Unless MS includes a HD-DVD player in the X360, they have ZERO influence in the consumer space, where this battle counts.

 

[Npl]

Aint HD-DVD having WMV as supported standard and Blu-Ray not? How can M$ be unbiased if one gives them revenue for one of their mediocre formats, the other not?

 

[Edge]

Blu-ray also supports the WMV codec. It was adopted quite awhile back, along with MPEG 4.

 

[Npl]

Ok, missed that one. Thought Blu-Ray was Mpeg4/AVC and Mpeg2 only