China one step closer to own HD DVD format

[dolphinius_rex]

Making good on a promise, here is some potentially good news for HD DVD supporters:

Chinese consumer electronics companies are one step closer to producing inexpensive HD DVD players. Format backers hope the move will ultimately lead to victory in their uphill fight with rival next-generation format Blu-ray Disc, but Blu-ray supporters decry the announcement as insignificant.

The steering committee of the DVD Forum has approved the final draft of a memorandum of understanding with the leading Chinese developer of optical discs, paving the way for the creation of a Chinese HD DVD format.

The deal, with China’s Optical Memory National Engineering Research Center, marks the first time China is participating in a standardization process for content within a global entity, the DVD Forum, which also gives its stamp of approval to standard DVD.

While a Chinese HD DVD format would have some differences from the global HD DVD format, backers maintain similarities in manufacturing would make it easy for Chinese consumer electronics companies to then also produce HD DVD players for a worldwide market, including the United States.

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http://www.homemediamagazine.com/index. ... wsid=10816

[Ian]

I thought the DVD Forum approved the format back in February.

http://www.dvdforum.com/37scmtg-resolution.htm

Either way, I don't think this will have much of an effect on the format wars. This format is for the Chinese market only. Who knows if the cheap players would even be able to be modified to work with normal HD DVD discs.

[Wesociety]

approved the final draft of a memorandum of understanding

So... they have approved an understanding? big whoop!