Warner shows Total Hi Def HD DVD Blu-ray combi disc

[The News Bot]

Warner has announced a dual format high definition flipper disc that combines both Blu-ray and HD DVD. The so-called Total Hi Def disc is designed to simplify the buying decision for high definition users and will go on sale at the back end of 2007. “The THD disc is about giving consumers complete choice, providing creators [...]
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[rEVILospud]

"The THD disc is about giving consumers complete choice"
What choice? Buy it or not buy it?
Surely you make your choice when you buy your HD player.

[sbowler]

They are trying to eliminate the choices between the two formats, in the hope that people who are considering buyint into HD video will buy now and then whichever format wins they wont lose out.

[sinizterguy]

It seems a backhanded idea to me. Not logical. If one format wins out, then surely it makes more financial sense to switch completely over to that format rather than pay extra each and every time to get a castrated dual-format flipper disk ?

[Rasczak]

Not sure about these new discs TBH - on the one hand they are a 'good thing' - if one format does fail then you still have the high def version of the other. Likewise if you a (e.g.) a HD DVD player and a PC BD-ROM drive then you can use the disc in both devices.

However - I can't feel it's just a little tacky. In the real world neither format is going anywhere - dual format players are the future especially for high end kit. So why do we need both formats on one disc?

[Siamese Cat]

Originally Posted by Rasczak

dual format players are the future especially for high end kit. So why do we need both formats on one disc?

Can't say I agree with this... surely they are the future for low end kit too. Or come to that kit in the middle.

Perhaps the only argument for dual format discs are that they are cheaper for the manufacturer and/or more practical for distribution than two different format discs. I imagine that BR and HD DVD probably sell about 0.0001% of the volume of an ordinary dvd so making retailers stock two different formats might be very difficult.