14 DAY TRIAL // Toshiba announced that it will delay the commercial launch of its first HD DVD player because a group of developers of the format's copy protection system has not yet finished its work. Toshiba is the first supporter of the HD DVD format, which uses blue lasers that allow the recording of up to 15 GB of data on a regular optical disk. HD DVD and its competitor format, Blu-ray, want to replace the actual DVD standard for movies and high definition content.
In the so called war between the two formats, an early launch of the HD DVD was an advantage because the Blu-Ray discs are awaited only in 2006. Toshiba's plan of delaying the launch of a HD DVD player affects the company's chances to get a grip on some consumers before Blu-ray launches.
Toshiba officials stated that the first HD DVD player is ready and that the production companies are ready to manufacture it, but they are waiting for the 1.0 version of the AACS (Advanced Access Content System) copy protection system. AACS is jointly developed by many companies from the electronics and contents production industry. Among the founders, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Matsushita (Panasonic), Sony, Toshiba, Walt Disney and Warner Bros are counted.
This delay is the second one of the HD DVD. A year ago, the backers of the format promised that the HD DVD players will be commercially available in both Japan and USA by the end of 2005. But recently Toshiba delayed the launch of these players in USA, until the first quarter of 2006.
On the other side of the barricade, TDK announced that it has begun the production of writable and rewritable Blu-ray discs for consumer use. Until now, the commercial Blu-ray medium came in a protective cartridge, but BDA (Blu-ray Disc Association) finalizes the specifications for the discs without cartridges. Anticipating this move, TDK began the production of such discs in one of its sites in Chikumagawa, Japan.