China announces CH-DVD, a new high definition DVD standard
[Thanks, cullen and JL]
[Thanks, cullen and JL]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
marco @ Sep 9th 2007 3:37PM
*shocking*
Andrew @ Sep 9th 2007 4:34PM
http://www.betanews.com/article/New_Chinese_Involvement_Could_Trigger_HD_DVD_Price_Plunge/1189196071
Now, the DVD Forum's involvement has evidently made it possible for Chinese manufacturers to produce components that play blue-laser, high-def discs using the Chinese national standard, though which are fundamentally compatible with HD DVD with only minor adjustments.
The upshot here is this: The same country that has literally upset the LCD TV industry on its ear in just the last year alone, now has the specifications it needs to do the same with high-def video discs. While it makes so-called CH-DVD players for the home market (the name is subject to change, the new consortium says), China can also produce HD DVD players for the rest of the world, at prices that can best be described as Chinese.
All of a sudden, the incentive for studios such as Warner Bros. to call a halt to exploiting new disc technologies its own engineers had patented, and for Paramount to jump ship and abort its Blu-ray support, may be becoming clear.
SimbaDogg @ Sep 9th 2007 7:21PM
Ok, so this is more news to me. I heard that ch dvd is fully compatible w/ hd dvd, meaning that it will play any hd dvd disk. whether that means china will be buying a lot of non hong kong based movies....i doubt it.
the only way i think this might effect people in the states, EU, or anywhere else around the world is if they're going to start production of plain jane hd dvd players on the cheap, which i dont think would be any different than an independent chinese firm choosing to do it themselves. but in the long term run, i can't see a chinese firm not making blu ray players as well. there's money to be made, and china likes their trade surplus w/ many countries.
DocEvil @ Sep 9th 2007 7:33PM
I have also read that HD-DVD players would also play CH-DVDs with a firmware update. (treat this info as a rumour since I haven't been able to confirm it anywhere else)
Smee @ Sep 9th 2007 8:44PM
@SimbaDogg
Wow, I'm impressed, you managed to put a positive BR spin into your post regarding this article! Did you read the entire article?
In brief, what it is saying is that the Chinese industry has basically rubber stamped HD DVD as the format of choice with some minor modifications to call it CH DVD, and it has the support of most of the worlds leading manufacturers including Phillips, Panasonic etc and most amazingly Sony!.....nothing like an each way bet.
The thing is though, the worlds disc producers, manufacturers etc and studios must follow, this market is just to big to ignore and it "could" potentially spell the end for BR as a mainstream player, (be a lovely little boutique market though. Who knows, we might even see a PS3 with a CH DVD drive :)(which is HD DVD by another name!)
SimbaDogg @ Sep 10th 2007 12:03AM
u betcha i read the article, and i've read three other news articles about this and have picked up somewhat conflicting things. and i dont really think i put spin on it, if you think so...great...but i dont buy a lot of fanboyism in stuff i post, people have told me that before. i just like to argue facts.
the only thing i said was
1) i seriously doubt that this is going to effect firms here in the us (movie firms that is) because i didn't see them buying a lot of hd dvd discs or blu ray discs from the states for that matter. there is a film industry in hong kong which is the hollywood of the eat, i think this is def going to be more geared to that
2) the oen thing i thought this was going to do for hd dvd was in all likeliness speed the development of china mftr'd hd dvd players heading stateside (is that pro blu ray?). i immediately followed that with a "but in the long term run, i can't see a chinese firm not making blu ray players as well. there's money to be made, and china likes their trade surplus w/ many countries." I would say thats just discussing both perspectives/sides of the fence, but...i guess u didn't think so.
Kevin Murphy @ Sep 9th 2007 11:10PM
China improves HD-DVD to thwart pirates? This is from The Onion, right?
Smee @ Sep 10th 2007 12:53AM
@SimbaDogg
I hear your point, i just think the potential for product volume is so big, and the speed with which it can be achieved so fast, that it has the potential to render blu ray redundant.
I just cant see China wanting to fragment their market as we have with 2 formats, and with BR being so small a market in comparison to their own needs, why would they want too go blu, particularly when it is more expensive.
Time will tell I guess.
Xyzzy @ Sep 10th 2007 10:43AM
How long before China stops producing regular DVD players and only makes HD DVD players? If you have no choice but to spend your $50 on an HD DVD player, then I think you'll get market penetration pretty quickly.
Vince @ Sep 10th 2007 1:06PM
See you later BLU-RAY. This is the end of the formate war.
Brian @ Sep 10th 2007 7:57PM
Does anyone else think its funny that they are ADDING more DRM to the CH-DVD? I mean this is China, you think they'd be removing it!!
Smee @ Sep 10th 2007 9:34PM
Chinese adding more DRM, yes, certainly that's a bit rich, hahaha
Smee @ Sep 10th 2007 9:35PM
Chinese adding more DRM, yes, certainly that's a bit rich, hahaha
MilkBreath @ Sep 13th 2007 2:21PM
Sounds familiar...oh yeah, remember SVCD? Expect it to fare just as well.
"Super Video CD was originally developed by the government-backed China Recording Standards Committee, under direction from the Chinese Ministry of Information Industry, as an enhancement to the Video CD format. One of the motivating factors in its development was the need for an alternative to the DVD format that would not be restricted by technology royalties. The Chinese government was concerned that the DVD format was too tightly controlled by foreign companies, and that a significant opportunity existed for the development of a domestic format that could deliver comparable quality without the restrictions of DVD. It was also hoped that SVCD's development would help to drive down the cost of consumer DVD players and DVD licensing fees in China."