Kurt Shintaku's Blog

So from the gods on high, I got a comment directly from the folks without our company working with each of the DVD consortiums:  BluRay and HD-DVD.

The net net is that the 50GB dual-layer BD-ROM disc is completely & total vaporware.  The major US replicators not only do not have any pilot lines or even a single TEST line running.  They can’t even pre-order the equipment to do so. 

If you think that’s bad, check this out:  The replicators don’t even have access to any replication data or specifications to even begin to guess at prices or manufacturability.  As a matter of fact, far as we can tell, it will be SEVERAL YEARS before BD-ROM 50GB is ready for mass production.

Conversely, the HD-DVD 30GB dual-layer disc is ready for mass production today. Given that BD-Rom will enter the market with only the single-layer 25GB disc ready for production, HD-DVD will launch with more more capacity than BD. 

This is apparently what’s so laughable:  All the people in the peanut gallery rallying behind BluRay because of the well-marketed 50GB capacity are in for a very big disappointment over at least the next 3 years as they see all the other folks puchasing HD-DVD’s with not only 5GB more capacity that their BD-ROM disc, but more importantly, HD-DVD will have managed copy allowing people to store their videos on their PC or their Home Video Servers for random access without needing a DVD jukebox.