Blu-ray Winning Content War, Rumored to Hit Hardware Snags

TOKYO — While most consumers remain blissfully unaware that the high-definition DVD war rages on between major electronics manufacturers and Hollywood studios, Sony’s Blu-ray system took two steps forward and one step back this week.

Around 20 studios and hardware makers gathered in Tokyo, with Disney, Warner Bros., Fox and Sony announcing plans to release at least 75 titles on the Blu-ray format by year’s end, including recent blockbusters such as “The Da Vinci Code,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Chicken Little.”

If the studios stick to the promise, about 80 percent of the hi-def movies available will be Blu-ray, with only around 20 titles scheduled for release on Toshiba’s HD-DVD format in 2006.

However, according to a report in DigiTimes, Sony is having hardware production problems. First, Toshiba beat Sony to the punch by releasing HD-DVD players sooner than Sony’s Blu-ray players.

Now unnamed sources say Sony doesn’t have enough blue lasers to roll out substantial numbers of the players and still meet demand for its PlayStation 3, the latest installment of its bread-and-butter game system. So the company has reportedly halted production of the Blu-ray players.

There also have been unfavorable reviews of Blu-ray systems based on the fact that some models will not play dual-layer discs.

Sony has hyped the dual-layer Blu-ray discs based on their 50GB storage capacity. But the move has backfired as consumers and reviewers have complained that the discs are useless because products such as Samsung’s BD-P1000 Blu-ray player won’t play them.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

FSC Publishes Analysis of Federal Trade Commission Event Promoting AV

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published an analysis of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) event held this week that promoted age verification among other forms of speech regulation.

GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking

Michael Pratt, former owner of the rogue website GirlsDoPorn, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Thursday to sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking charges, according to a report by City News Service.

Master Nico Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Master Nico has relaunched his official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Federal Judge Grants Partial Halt of Florida AV Law

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division, has granted a preliminary injunction against HB 3, the state's age verification law, as a lawsuit filed by two online trade associations challenging the law makes its way through the courts.

Aylo Releases Statement on Suspending Access to Pornhub in France

Technology and media company Aylo, which operates adult sites including Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube, has released a public statement regarding its decision to block access to its sites in France.

Pineapple Support to Host Wellness Sessions at Bucharest Summit

Pineapple Support is hosting free group and one-on-one therapy sessions at Bucharest Summit, June 3-5.

Pornhub Blocks Access in France in Response to SREN Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo has opted to block access to its sites in France rather than comply with age verification requirements under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

ASACP Highlights Study on Parental Controls

The Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) is highlighting the results of a study on the underutilization of parental controls.

Sydney Screams Launches New Site Through Grooby's Blue.xxx

Sydney Screams has launched her new membership site, SydneyScreams.xxx, through Grooby's website management company Blue.xxx.

Mistress Mystii Is LoyalFans' 'Featured Creator' for June

LoyalFans has named Mistress Mystii as its Featured Creator for June.

Show More