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54 Comments
- masterofshadows, on 10/12/2007, -2/+34his joke was that the media corprate types would never let this live because they hate the consumers, as is evidenced by the sony rootkit and other forms of invasive DRM
- unknownsoldier, on 10/12/2007, -1/+26"A company called Ricoh"? You phrase that as if Ricoh is some small obscure company! "A company called Toshiba has developed a new disc technology called HDVD" Sound weird, doesn't it.
- rideaurocks, on 10/12/2007, -6/+31That's brilliant, but:
"This diffraction device is the first one that is ready for four formats, including BD and HD-DVD," claimed a Ricoh spokesman. "It will make it possible to build players and recorders ready for all formats, which will benefit consumers," he added.
Benefit consumers? Doomed to fail - chrismcelligott, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15No, because we can do what we want with the Content we are paying for, why won't the album I bought work in my on XYZ CD player or why can't I watch this DVD on my computer without install crap software to play it.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15It's doomed to fail because Sony has specific text in their license for Blue Ray saying you can't make a BR/HDDVD player.
- isewise, on 10/12/2007, -5/+15I don't understand your comment about it being doomed to fail.
Wouldn't a player that played all the formats benefit to the consumers, because the consumer wouldnt have to take a chance on either format? - jellyroll713, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9No, it's invasive and doesn't allow us to use the music we have purchased the way we want to. (Please note that this does NOT include reselling or bootlegging.) I refuse to buy music that is so encumbered that it ceases to be worth my time or money.
- rocke86, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11DRM completely ruined my itunes experience. Thank goodness I only downloaded 1 tv show and not a collection of music/videos. It completely sucked, it was limited to itunes and it was so dark I could barely see it but couldn't fix that because it is stuck in itunes. This is my video I payed good money for I should be able to convert it to a format I like or burn it to a dvd and watch it on tv. DRM Rots!
- pabster, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8LOL that was my first thought too. As if Ricoh is a new company.
The technology looks promising, but, somebody has to put it in a player. I don't see it happening in the forseeable future as the big guys are all locked in to their respective partners and contracts. Maybe some Apex-like upstart in China will produce something but Hollywood will do whatever it takes to kill it. - Jugalator, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Yeah, I laughed at this too... ;-)
Hmm, well, at least it's a small hope for this new format war to unfold in a similar way as the DVD... - balognytts, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I think one device to read both type will make the br hd war moot. Who cares what type it is as long as I can read it. Can anybody tell me the difference between dvd+ or dvd-?
- Mejogid, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Besides what's already been said, these films will still appear on torrent sites in HD. Wether its through screen capture or even the analogue hole, someone will find a way. All it does is make things more difficult for those of us who buy the film legally and want to make backups and play it on portable devices.
- Ryuuzaki, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5@VTmruhlin: Can you cite the source for that statement of yours?
- MjrParanoid, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Ok, whay are poeple bringing up DRM? Yes, it sucks.
The article is about a hardware based standard and solutions.... right?
Am I missing something? - ibeetle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"A Company Called Ricoh"
LOL. I laughed too.
Ricoh is the around number 3 or 4 electronics company. One of the top camera manufactures and in some markets the number one photocopier maker.
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I agree with you pabster.
Another question is who is going to license this? Sony? Toshiba? They hold the licencing on Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. There is no way These companies are going to allow anybody to build a dual player. - cquinnd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Ricoh also makes DVD (-R and +R) media, and will likely be a large souce for both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD media.
- Ireland, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Mirror if needed: http://www.duggmirror.com/hardware/Optical_lens_that_reads_and_writes_both_Blu-Ray_and_HD_DVDs/
- goggleBOX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Pray tell what you mean? I never brought a DVD writer until I could get one that supported both standards. This is exactly what the industry needs.
- mendosaprime, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It's interesting in a industry where convergence is the biggest buzz word how the companies who are involved in BD and HD-DVD will refuse to have one product for both formats. At the end of the day its we who lose out.
- sophiaperennis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Dual-format (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD) capable is the only way to go.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This will end any format war and be bad for us, the consumer. Even though the thing can play both, it would be nice to have a set and standard media format.
- 022A, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Ditto.
It gives me the impression a younger person wrote this. If I recall correctly, I don't see nearly as many Ricoh cameras or printers these days as I did maybe a decade ago. Also, I think Ricoh has always been more of a professional or office brand than a Best Buy living room brand.
I wonder if the company shifted it's focus or had it forcibly shifted somehow to account for the impression? - goggleBOX, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Simply refuse to buy media covered with a DRM you don't agree with. iTunes will change their DRM if people stopped buying their crap.
I know lots of people that don't use iTunes because of this,you can still get CDs you know. - Ythan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It kind of blows my mind that these days it's easier to go with a technological solution than it is to just use one format.
- modernpixel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I agree that one standard will always be a better solution. But, assuming a third format doesn't come out and trump the first two with a market takeover, this solution could benefit consumers.
Think of it this way: one player that plays both discs will lead to brand blurring for Sony and Toshiba. Consumers will no longer be choosing based on Blu-ray or HD-DVD, they'll be going to the high-definition disc section of their Best Buy and picking the movie they want in whichever format is cheaper. This will lead to a price war between the two formats (or a content war - whichever disc offers the most) and drive prices down, down, down. Studios will start producing primarily in whichever format will allow the bigger profit.
This will most likely end the format war more quickly, or make both formats extinct (hurray) and make room for a better innovation down the road. - spiritfiend, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Actually, by buying a RIAA CD you are equally supporting the artist and lawsuits against 9 year-old girls who happened to download Ashlee Simpson's latest single, also.
- isewise, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Ill admit I have never heard of the company called "Ricoh". Or at least it isn't a company I'm familiar with.
- Gills, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@gxcdesign
Are you a shill for the film industry? - cquinnd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Each format is a technological solution in its own right. So it is not that surprising that someone else would think of a way to bridge the two solutions together.
- Stwo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Who wouldn't buy this?
- *jooloop*, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"VTmruhlin, this may be excludable from that restriction, since the agreement may not limit the player from being able to recognize other formats."
True, it could have BR and every other format in the world, except for HD-DVD. It is a part of BR's License agreement. And yes, a player that could read almost everything would be good, but it would not save consumers from having to choose a format. - balognytts, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3The problem with DRM is that when I buy a cd, I want to be able to play it at home, in my computer, etc. without installing software, etc.
The fact that I am buying a cd means that I pay for my music and support the artists, BUT, once they put all types of DRM on my music, it becomes easier to download it from the internet, not because it is free, but because it is in a format I can use. - cardinale, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I thought maybe it was was another company. Maybe a guy with an odd spelling of his name.
- MacSuxWindozSux, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's only more expensive because
1. The Sony Tax.
2. Replacing manufacturing equipment, as opposed to retro fitting it for HD-DVD
I think I favour Blu-Ray since it holds more data, and has higher bit rate, but I don't like how sony had gotten all fascist about it. I know they are going to be milking everyone for as mush as they can if things go their way.
But just think... it's either Sony or Microsoft... so bite the bullet. - modernpixel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Other than Sony and Toshiba, I don't see why hardware developers would hesitate to embrace this solution wholeheartedly (unless licensing fees are outrageous). It doesn't benefit them to have to chose sides or develop two different machines any more than it benefits the consumer. Both manufacturers and consumers are being asked to invest money in a format that may or may not be obsolete.
I think everyone but Sony and Toshiba wins in this situation, and I think we can all agree that they both deserve to lose as much money as is possible for being too arrogant to solve this situation the correct way. - rockforever, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1They are about to get so many cease and desist letters...
- Gills, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1And who is this "Sony" ppl keep talking about?
- Itaintrite, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3LMAO, "a company called Ricoh". Sorry, but that just sounds as amateurish as possible. It's like saying a company called Sony has developed a new gaming console, the PS3. Seriously, you've never heard of Ricoh when it comes to media storage? XD
- goggleBOX, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1claimed a Ricoh spokesman. "It will make it possible to build players and recorders ready for all formats, which will benefit consumers,"
Ricoh will initially offer the device for disk players only.
Are we reading the same article? - scoho, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0022A, correct on all counts. The only way to resolution in this "war" is for one of the formats to come out on top. Having a player that will play both formats is great...but what about the fact that certain movie studios will produce their movies in Blu-Ray, and others will use HD DVD. This is a half-ass solution.
- 022A, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I would imagine the poster is thinking about the fact that a device implementing this lens will still need cooperation from both factions and licensing from Ricoh. Just because it's possible and/or a good thing for consumers doesn't mean it will be allowed to happen.
The various companies who partnered on either side of this format war obviously felt they had something to gain through exclusivity with their own faction. Ideally, each faction wants the whole pie to divy up along it's member lines.
Until it has been proved to them *all* that this middleman workaround is best for their business it won't go anywhere. There's more invested here than there was in DVD R and -R and I expect it will take a quite a while to see anything significant happen. Hell, the base formats aren't even fully launched yet.
Also, once this does happen, I'd expect the cost to be significant due to triple technology licensing fees. - RedYoshi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Wow, if this comes through at a cheap-ish price, i'm definately going to buy one.
I can see it now, the ultimate media burner. - cal01, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0There's one important thing that everyone's missing here: by essentially making a lens capable of writing Blu-Ray and HDDVD, the cost of both writers will drop dramatically because they don't have to make one lens for each specific technology!
- kkl3218, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Stupid format wars... just wait until it's either blu-ray or hddvd. If you're into blu-ray just hope Sony doesn't mess it up like they did the mini-disc.
- ldma, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'm certainly not investing in either format unless either one comes out on top into mainstrem acceptance or some technology is developed like this that plays all formats. Until then I'll stick with DVDs.
Even if Ricoh doesn't get it licensed there are lots of dodgy consumer electronics firms in Asia who will manufactire such devices if it's possible regardless of licensing. - *jooloop*, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I believe the phisical size is the same (correct me if I'm wrong), but, BR can hold more data per layer than HD-DVD, but it is also more expensive.
- 10scott10, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1this will win the formt wars.
- tychop, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Come on guys !
It's just the lens.
Any speculation on devices being able to read both formats are just that. Speculation. - scoho, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1This doesn't solve anything.
- cquinnd, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1the media corprate types don't hate the consumers, they just want all the consumers money coming to thier company, and not being shared with any of the others.
VTmruhlin, this may be excludable from that restriction, since the agreement may not limit the player from
being able to recognize other formats. -
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