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Duel Format DVD Players on the Horizon

The days of the DVD format are numbered, that is known by all. However, the official replacement isn`t. Two formats are battling over the high definition market, and will be available side by side. The HD DVD players will use the same technology as today`s DVD players and will only feature a more compressed video file, while the other format, Blue-ray is going to feature a whole new technology with a different reading laser. The question is ? what sort of video player should us, the consumers, get?

Until the format wars are over, and a standard format is accepted by the public, Broadcom Corp is offering users a different solution. The company unveiled a system-on-chip solution last Thursday that enables the same player to read both formats. Users can use the player and enjoy both worlds, until the market stables and one format will dominate. Doug Grearson, the company`s senior marketing manager said that a universal player is on the way and will "absolutely" be available.

The video compression that the two formats use is very similar, and the issue was to find a way to read both of them. Once the system knows how to read discs that support both formats it is only an issue of displaying the right bit rate, and that is not something that will stop Broadcom from releasing their universal chip. However, physically speaking it will be a challenge building a player that will work with both formats and companies seeking such a solution will have to work on it for a while.