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View Full Version : NEC Developers Hybrid Drive Capable of Reading CD, DVD, and HD-DVD Formats


Jason Dunn
12-17-2004, 01:00 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,118976,tk,dn121604X,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,118976,tk,dn121604X,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Engineers at NEC have developed a prototype optical disc drive that supports the new HD-DVD format and is also compatible with CD and DVD formats, they say. The drive is the latest to come out of NEC's research and development work supporting the HD-DVD format. HD-DVD discs are capable of storing several times more data than DVDs and are being positioned as the successor to DVD for storage of high-definition movies. The format's main backers are NEC, Toshiba, and disc-maker Memory-Tech. It's also supported by the DVD Forum. The companies promise the first commercial HD-DVD players and drives in 2005. The three-format drive supports playback of read-only (ROM) and rewritable versions (RW) of HD-DVD and read-only, write-once (R) and RW versions of CDs and DVDs."</i><br /><br />This is a step in the right direction, but ultimately until we see drives that will read/write both HD-DVD and Blueray, consumers will remain confused just as they were with the -R +R fiasco. Actually, now that I think about it, this will probably be even worse - sales of DVD players capable of reading HD content will never hit mass-market levels until a consumer knows they'll be able to play every bit of DVD content on the market. No one wants another Beta/VHS war, yet that seems to be where it's headed now. :roll:

butch
12-17-2004, 05:30 AM
I think HD-DVD will win over Blueray... cheaper and people don't like blue stuff... bluetooth isn't very popular yet... :D

I can't wait to buy my next 2x1x4x16x8x4x16x40x24x40x HD-DVD-R(W) DVD+/-R(W) CD-R(W) drive!!! :)

James Fee
12-17-2004, 02:35 PM
people don't like blue stuffHD-DVD is blue too ;)

butch
12-17-2004, 09:48 PM
people don't like blue stuffHD-DVD is blue too ;)
People don't like stuff named blue*... is that OK? :lol: