DVD war looms as advancements draw near

April 19, 2004 | NEW YORK (AP) -- The DVD stands out as one of the most rapidly adopted consumer technologies ever, but in the electronics industry it's akin to an aging king in Shakespearean drama -- rivals are lurking, knives drawn.

Just as consumers are beginning to get comfortable with their DVD players, electronics manufacturers are set to introduce next-generation discs that store more -- and would be harder to copy.

A dozen companies, headed by Sony Corp., are pushing a disc called the Blu-ray.

The other main contender, the High Definition DVD, is promoted only by Toshiba Corp. and NEC Corp. But it has an important endorsement from an industry group and is also expected to get Microsoft Corp.'s support as the software giant seeks a toehold for its multimedia format in the consumer electronics arena.

http://www.salon.com/tech/wire/2004/04/19/dvd_war/index.html

How much will the players be? $2000? (to go along with your $10,000 High Def TV)

Just as it backed the wrong horse in the video tape wave...with Beta instead of VHS. Oh well...we'll see...:eyes:

B-)

just what DID happen to Betas?