[bluebuoy]

The New York Times reports today that Microsoft and Intel are throwing their full weight behind the new HD-DVD format being developed by Toshiba.

Readers of this board probably know that Apple has been a long-time supporter of the competing Blue-Ray standard, developed by Sony. HD-DVD is simpler technology, but Blue-Ray disks hold a lot more data.

I guess this one of our first tastes of the limitations of the Intel partnership. It means that Apple will have to look elsewhere for the chipsets to support Blue-Ray drives in its Intel-based machines. It's really disappointing. At the least Intel could have come out neutral.

[Eugene]

Originally Posted by bluebuoy I guess this one of our first tastes of the limitations of the Intel partnership. It means that Apple will have to look elsewhere for the chipsets to support Blue-Ray drives in its Intel-based machines. It's really disappointing. At the least Intel could have come out neutral.

You're assuming Blu-ray hardware needs chipset-level support to function, which is preposterous.

[Brad]

Urk. I'd thought Blu-ray was winning this race. I suppose this throws a big spanner into the works.

There's an interesting write-up at ArsTechnica of The economics of the next-generation DVD formats, but be sure to read the opening "nota bene." Ars has covered the various Blu-ray/HD DVD battles extensively over the past year or so. Here's a sampling in chronological order:

• One DVD format to rule them all
• Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD: Round XLVI
• Next-gen DVD format war looking inevitable
• Blu-ray and HD-DVD call off talks. Or have they?
• HD DVD offensive starting to crack, Blu-ray gets ammo
• Blu-ray wins two more backers, while HD DVD looks doomed
• Next-gen DVD unification talks stall
• Toshiba pushes back launch of HD DVD
• Microsoft, Intel support HD DVD, citing managed copy and better backwards compatibility

[bluebuoy]

Originally Posted by Eugene You're assuming Blu-ray hardware needs chipset-level support to function, which is preposterous.

Read the article. Of course chip-level support isn't needed. But if you have chip-level support it makes everything cheaper, smaller, and cooler. In other words, all the reasons that Apple decided to go with Intel.