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In 2006, the release of two next-generation optical disc formats attempted to improve upon and eventually replace the DVD standard. The two formats, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc, are currently in a format war. This article compares their respective technologies, business alliances, hardware support, and sales.

There are two other high-definition optical disc formats: the multi-layered red-laser Versatile Multilayer Disc and a Chinese variant of HD DVD known as CH-DVD.

Technical details

a All HD DVD players are required to decode the two primary channels (left and right) of any Dolby TrueHD track, however every HD DVD player released thus far decodes 5.1 channels of TrueHD.
b On November 1 2007 Secondary video and audio decoder became mandatory for new Blu-ray Disc players when the Bonus View requirement came into effect. However players introduced to the market before this date can continue to be sold without Bonus View.
c There are some differences in the implementation of Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) on the two formats. On Blu-ray Disc, DD+ can only be used to extend a primary Dolby Digital (DD) 5.1 audiotrack. In this method 640 Kbit/s is allocated to the primary DD 5.1 audiotrack (which is independently playable on players that do not support DD+), and up to 1 Mbit/s is allocated for the DD+ extension. The DD+ extension is used to replace the rear channels of the DD track with higher fidelity versions, along with adding additional channels for 6.1/7.1 audiotracks. On HD DVD, DD+ is used to encode all channels (up to 7.1), and no legacy DD track is required since all HD DVD players are required to decode DD+.
d On NTSC DVDs, 24 frame per second content is stored as 60 interlaced fields per second using a process called 3:2 pulldown, which if done properly can be reversed to retrieve the original 24 frame per second content.

Capacity/codecs

Blu-ray has a higher maximum disc capacity than HD DVD (50 GB vs. 30 GB for a single sided disc). In September 2007 the DVD Forum approved preliminary specification the triple-layer 51GB HD DVD (ROM only) disc. It is still unknown if the upcoming triple layer HD DVD is compatible with current players. Toshiba has confirmed that testing still needs to be done. In September 2006 TDK announced a prototype Blu-ray Disc with a capacity of 200GB. TDK was also the first to develop a Blu-Ray prototype with a capacity of 100GB in May 2005. In October 2007 Hitachi developed a Blu-Ray prototype with a capacity of 100GB. Hitachi has stated that current Blu-ray drives would only require a few firmware updates in order to play the disc.

The first 50 GB dual-layer Blu-ray Disc release was the movie Click, which was released on October 10 2006. As of September 2007, 40% of Blu-ray titles use the 50 GB disc and 60% use the 25 GB disc while most HD DVD movies are in the 30 GB dual layer format.

The choice of video compression technology (codec) complicates any comparison of the formats. Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD both support the same three video compression standards: MPEG-2, VC-1 and AVC, each of which exhibits different bitrate/noise-ratio curves, visual impairments/artifacts, and encoder maturity. Initial Blu-ray Disc titles often used MPEG-2 video, which requires the highest average bitrate. and thus the most space, to match the picture quality of the other two video codecs. As of 2007, more and more titles have been authored with the newer compression standards: AVC and VC-1. HD DVD titles have used VC-1 and AVC almost exclusively since the format's introduction. Warner, which used to release movies in both formats prior to June 1st, 2008, often uses the same encode (with VC-1 codec) for both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD, with identical results. In contrast, Paramount, before they went HD DVD exclusively, created separate encodings, VC-1 for HD DVD and either AVC or MPEG-2 for Blu-ray.

Whilst the two formats support similar audio codecs, their usage varies. Most titles released on the Blu-ray format include Dolby Digital tracks for each language in the region, and many also include a Linear PCM track for the primary language. On the other hand, most titles released on the HD DVD format include Dolby Digital Plus tracks for each language in the region, and some also include a Dolby TrueHD track for the primary language.

Interactivity

Both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD have two main options for interactivity (on-screen menus, bonus features, etc.), one of which is relatively basic whilst the other is more advanced.

Blu-ray's basic mode is known as HDMV or BDMV ("High Definition Movie Mode" or "Blu-ray Disc Movie Mode"), whilst HD DVD's is known as "Standard Content". Both offer modest upgrades from standard DVD, such as the use of more buttons on-screen, a larger colour palette, and expanded (but still very limited) programming environment. BDMV is more powerful than Standard Content, and has been used on many Blu-ray disc titles, whereas Standard Content has been used sparingly on high-profile HD DVDs. Like the disc formats themselves, HD DVD's Standard Content is a small delta on standard DVD's subpicture technology, whilst Blu-ray's BDMV is completely new. This makes transitioning from standard DVD to Standard Content HD DVD relatively simple -- for example, Apple's DVD Studio Pro has supported authoring Standard Content since version 4.0.3.

For more advanced interactivity, Blu-ray disc supports BD-J, whilst HD DVD supports Advanced Content. Virtually all HD DVD discs have been released with Advanced Content interactivity, whereas fewer titles support BD-J..

Disc construction

Blu-ray Discs contain their data relatively close to the surface (less than 0.1 mm) which combined with the smaller spot size presents a problem when the surface is scratched as data would be destroyed. To overcome this, TDK, Sony, and Panasonic each have developed a proprietary scratch resistant surface coating. TDK trademarked theirs as Durabis, which has withstood direct abrasion by steel wool and marring with markers in tests. At this point only TDK recordable 25GB Blu-ray discs and DVD-R discs use the Durabis coating.

HD DVD uses traditional material and has the same scratch and surface characteristics of a regular DVD. The data is at the same depth (0.6 mm) as DVD as to minimize damage from scratching. As with DVD the construction of the HD DVD disc allows for a second side of either HD DVD or DVD.

A study performed by Home Media Magazine (August 5 2007) concluded that HD DVD discs and Blu-ray discs are essentially equal in production cost. Quotes from several disc manufacturers for 25,000 units of HD DVDs and Blu-rays revealed a price differential of only 5-10 cents. (Lowest price: 90 cents versus 100 cents. Highest price: $1.45 versus $1.50.) Another study performed by Wesley Tech (February 9, 2007) arrived at a similar conclusion. Quotes for 10,000 discs show that a 15 gigabyte HD DVD costs $11,500 total, and 25 gigabyte Blu-ray or a 30 gigabyte HD DVD costs $13,000 total. For larger quantities of 100,000 units, the 25 gigabyte Blu-ray was less expensive than the 30 gigabyte HD DVD ($1.49 versus $1.55).

Hybrid discs

At the January 8 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, Warner Bros. introduced a hybrid technology, Total HD, that would reportedly support both formats on a single disc.The new discs would overlay the Blu-ray and HD DVD layers, placing them respectively 0.1mm and 0.5mm beneath the surface. The Blu-ray top layer would act as a two-way mirror, reflecting just enough light for a Blu-ray reader to read and an HD DVD player to ignore. But the following September, Warner President Ron Sanders said that the company was putting the technology on hold due to lack of industry interest.

As of January 4, 2008, Warner Bros. announced that they will be supporting the Blu-Ray format exclusively after June 1, 2008. This news suggests that the hybrid discs once announced by Warner Bros will not be put into production.

Security features

The primary means of copy prevention on both formats is the Advanced Access Content System (AACS). Use of AACS is optional for HD DVD, but mandatory for Blu-ray, which can add thousands of dollars to production costs. Other copy-prevention strategies include:

Region coding

The Blu-ray specification and all currently available players support region coding. As of November 2007, about 68% of Blu-ray discs are region-free and 32% use region codes.

The HD DVD specification has no region coding, so an HD DVD disc from anywhere in the world will work in any player. The DVD Forum's steering committee has discussed a request from Disney to add it, but many of the 20 companies on the committee actively oppose it..

Many film titles that are exclusive to Blu-ray in the United States such as Sony's xXx, Fox's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Disney's The Prestige, are available on HD DVD in other countries due to different distribution agreements. Because of this, film titles that are exclusive to Blu-ray in the U.S. can be bought on HD DVDs by U.S. consumers purchasing them online from Europe or Asia. Since there is no region coding in HD DVDs, there are no restrictions playing these foreign-bought HD DVDs in an HD DVD player. Similarly, European customers can obtain HD DVD discs from American online retailers for titles that are Blu-ray exclusive in Europe.

Studio support

North America: major studios

In North America, three of the Big Six film studios release their movies on Blu-ray, and two on HD DVD. Warner Bros. currently releases on both formats but will become Blu-ray exclusive on 2008-06-01. Warner's move is expected to give Blu-ray about 70 percent of the high definition market.

Prior to October 2005 and before the release of either format, each had the exclusive support of three of the Big Six. Then HD DVD supporters Warner Bros. and Paramount added support for Blu-ray. But in August 2007, after supporting Blu-ray for over a year, Paramount announced it would release high-definition content exclusively on HD DVD. (The agreement excluded titles directed by Steven Spielberg.) At the same time, DreamWorks Animation SKG, which had not released any high-definition discs, announced it would release exclusively on HD DVD. Explaining their decisions, the companies cited perceived advantages to HD DVD's technology and lower manufacturing costs. The companies together received about $150 million in cash and promotional guarantees, including a Toshiba HD DVD marketing campaign with a tie-in to Shrek the Third. Paramount, however, reserves the right to switch its backing to Blu-ray Disc.

On January 4, 2008, Warner Brothers announced plans to drop HD DVD support completely as of the beginning of June 2008. In the interim, Warner Home Video will release its titles first in the DVD and Blu-ray formats, then, after about three weeks, in the HD DVD format. Following the announcement, some analysts said the move would prove the tipping point in the format war in favor of Blu-ray. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, some HD DVD-related events and private meetings with analysts and retailers were cancelled, including an event scheduled for the eve of the show sponsored by the the North American HD DVD Promotional Group. Toshiba management expressed disappointment over Warner's decision but said that Toshiba would continue its effort to promote the competing format.

Among the second-tier studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., which is owned by a consortium of companies that includes Sony, has postponed its planned Blu-ray releases. The Weinstein Company has not released any new HD DVD titles since June 12 2007.

At the end of 2007, 388 titles have been released on Blu-ray in the United States, and 376 titles have been released on HD DVD. This count excludes 33 Blu-ray titles released by Paramount but discontinued in August 2007.

European independents

Talking during an IFA 2007 press conference held with Toshiba, Ken Graffeo - vice president for marketing at Universal Studios Home Entertainment and co-chairman of the HD DVD Promotion Group - said that the HD DVD format now has the support of 75% of European independent film studios. These include 2 Entertain Video, Ascot Elite, Concorde Video, DeA Planeta, DVD International, EMS, Filmax, Galileo, Highlight, Imagion, Monolith Films, Moviemax, Nixbu, Optimum, Pathé, Pinnacle Vision, SHV, SPI and Studio Canal.

European independent films account for a 30% share of the market in the UK, 35-40% in Spain, 40% in Germany and 50% in France.

Japan

As of 2008-01-11 in Japan, 240 Blu-ray titles have been released while HD DVD has 192.

Adult studio support

As of October 2007, adult film studios had not yet played an influential role in the format war, collectively releasing fewer than 20 titles in either format. Digital Playground, originally a Blu-ray supporter, had released at least five titles on HD DVD. Sony dismissed the claims saying there is no prohibition against adult content. The Blu-ray Disc Association, which handles all licensing for Blu-ray technology, said in a statement that the group is "an open organization that welcomes the participation of all companies interested in using and supporting the format, including those that represent the full spectrum of genres in the content industry."

Hardware support

See List of Blu-ray Disc devices and List of HD DVD devices

Market research

According to a survey published by The Diffusion Group on December 12,2007, one third of households that do not currently own a high-definition TV are interested in purchasing one over the next six months. Of those from the same households that are also likely to purchase a high-definition media player, 43% prefer HD DVD, 27% prefer Blu-ray and 30% are undecided.

According to research by DisplaySearch and NPD Group, Blu-ray players could fall in price to $200-$250 by Black Friday (shopping) 2008, and HD DVD players to far less than $100.

According to a study by Forrester Research, 22% of Americans say they will not buy a next-gen player until one format wins over the other, and 25% say they'll never buy a next-gen player.

According to a market report by Understanding & Solutions, the manufacturing costs for basic high definition players of both formats should be below $150 by early 2008.

Rental company support

Blockbuster, the largest U.S. movie rental company, offers Blu-ray exclusively in 1450 stores. Previously, the company test-marketed both formats at 250 stores and found that more than 70% of high definition rentals were Blu-ray discs. Blockbuster continues to offer both formats at those initial 250 stores, as well as on its online rental service.

Netflix, the largest online video rental service, provides both Blu-ray and HD DVD disc rentals at no additional charge. In September 2007, Netflix released statistics from the months of June through August showing that customers viewed the available Blu-ray disc catalog nearly twice as often as the HD DVD catalog, but were 2.4 times more likely to set HD DVD as their preferred HD format. Note that only 0.3% of Netflix users viewed either format during that time-frame.

Sales promotions

Blu-ray

Since October 1, 2007 the Blu-ray Disc Association has offered five free Blu-ray movies with the purchase of an eligible Blu-ray player or Playstation 3 console. This mail-in rebate is available to customers in the United States and Canada. (Movie selection is limited. Choose five titles by categories from a total list of 18.)

HD DVD

From October 1 2007 to February 28 2008, Toshiba and Microsoft have offered five free HD DVD movies by mail with the purchase of any Toshiba HD DVD player, Toshiba HD DVD notebook, or Xbox 360 HD DVD player. (Movie selection is limited. Choose five titles by categories from a total list of 15.) This offer is available to customers in the United States and Canada.

A similar offer is available in western Europe, although details vary from country to country. United Kingdom and Ireland buyers can choose five titles from a total of 13 in three categories.

Sales data

Discs/titles

United States

According to a market research company Nielsen VideoScan, U.S. sales of Blu-ray discs were ahead of HD DVD with 65% of the market for the week ending 2008-01-06. In 2008 U.S. sales, Blu-ray leads with 65% of the market. Since inception, US market share was 62% for Blu-ray and 38% for HD DVD. Nielsen also releases normalized sales data (presented in the table to the right). The 2007 sales numbers are in contrast with much of 2006 (before the release of the PlayStation 3) when HD DVD held an early lead. The sales figures Nielsen tracks, however, do not include all points of sale, such as Wal-mart.

Although Blu-ray has sold more discs, the HD DVD group claims that the attach rate (the number of movies bought per player) is higher for HD DVD than for Blu-ray.

Europe

In Europe, a study by Gfk revealed that Blu-ray lead with 70% of units sold with 650,000 units for Blu-ray and 332,000 units for HD DVD. On November 27, 2007, the Blu-ray Disc Association cited independent Media Control GfK International figures showing its share of European disc sales was 73% and that over 1 million Blu-ray movies had been sold.

Japan

In Japan, according to Nikkei, the sales figure as of October, 2007 is approximately 9:1 in favor of Blu-ray Disc.

Australia

As of December 2007, according to Gfk, more than 102,000 Blu-ray movies have been sold, compared to less than 18,000 HD DVD, giving the ratio of approximately 5:1 in favour of Blu-ray.

Players

United States

On November 27, 2007, the North American HD DVD Promotional Group said that 750,000 HD DVD players had been sold, including stand-alone players and the Xbox 360 external drive.

As of the end of 2007, Sony has stated that 3.4 million Blu-ray equipped PlayStation 3 consoles have been sold in North America.

Europe

In August 2007, a study by Gfk concluded that HD DVD leads the stand-alone market (i.e. excluding games consoles and computer drives) with 70% with 83,000 players sold.

As of December 16, 2007, over 2.6 million Playstation 3 consoles, with Blu-ray video playback capabilities, have been sold in Europe.

Australia

As of December 2007, according to Gfk, 2241 Blu-ray Disc players have been sold (excluding 100,000 PlayStation 3 sold), compared to 609 HD DVD players (excluding 2461 Xbox360's HD DVD add-ons).

Retail price of consumer-writable discs

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External links

• The Authoritative FAQ for Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD by Hugh Bennett
• Blu-ray vs. HD DVD article by cdfreaks.com

• Articles with unsourced statements from January 2007
• High-definition television
• Video storage
• Blu-ray Disc
• HD DVD