Jeremy Charette
09-10-2007, 07:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070906006388&newsLang=en' target='_blank'>http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070906006388&newsLang=en</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The Optical Memory National Engineering Research Center (OMNERC), a laboratory dedicated to optical disc research in Tsinghua University, today announced CH-DVD (China High Definition DVD)(a), a new generation high definition DVD format developed in collaboration with research institutes and manufacturing enterprises at home and abroad. The physical format of CH-DVD includes Chinese-owned intellectual property, and is based on HD DVD, the next generation high definition DVD approved by the DVD Forum. The realization of CH-DVD was supported by the Chinese government, and will pave the way for the localization of blue-laser, high-definition DVD in China."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/walmart.jpg" /><br /><br />While there is obviously a huge market of potential consumers in China, I have to wonder how many of them have the financial means to buy an HDTV, and CH-DVD players and discs. Adoption rates for Blu-Ray and HD DVD are abysmal in the US, where there is a much higher average income, as well as higher disposable income. I can't imagine the situation is any better in China. So what does CH-DVD mean to the rest of the world? Nothing. Even in China it may not amount to much.