Toshiba catches up on HD DVD available space

Yesterday, Toshiba Corp. announced the finalizing of a project whose mission is the capacity increase of the HD DVD media with up to 50%. This announcement comes shortly after articles in the Japanese press talked about the imminent establishing of the Blu-Ray format as the replacement of the current DVDs, a decision taken by the warmongers: Toshiba and Sony.

Until now, the difference in storing space was one of the main advantages of the Blu-Ray format over the HD DVD one. Toshiba's new prototype might tip the balance in its favor. Blu-Ray ensures a maximum storing space of 50GB for the dual-layer discs, their main usage being the video domain. The technology proposed by the HD DVD is based on two layers of data: one using classic DVD specifications, and the other with a storing capacity of 15GB. Despite the DVD compatibility, even the supporters of this format have to admit the advantage offered by Blu-Ray regarding available space.

The new HD DVD format proposed now by Toshiba is based on three separate storing layers on a single disc, each of them having a capacity of 15GB. In the same time, the company announced a new type of dual-layer disc able to store 30GB on one side and 8.5GB in the original DVD format on the other.

Toshiba has announced that the new HD DVD disc has already been approved by the forum supervising the development of DVD formats. And so, Sony and Toshiba are back on the battlefield.