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Technical Version

General Electric researchers announced today that the company has made a breakthrough in the development of microholographic storage discs for mainstream use. Using G.E.'s current technology, a single holographic disc could ostensibly hold 500 gigabytes of data -- about 100 times the size of a standard DVD -- and still be readable. Better still, these discs should be commercially viable when they're introduced in 2011 or 2012, coming in at around 10 cents per gigabyte (a pittance compared to Blu-ray's initial price of $1 per gigabyte).

Layman's Version

You know those holographic Jurassic Park stickers you have on the spine of your middle school Trapper Keeper? They're putting those on CDs to make them bigger! That is to say, on the inside. They'll be the same size on the outside, and should still fit snugly within your Saved By The Bell CD case.

[Via Engadget]

JoystiqGeneral Electric makes breakthrough in microholographic storage originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>discformatgegeneral-electrichologramholographicmicroholographicstoragesciencestorageMon, 27 Apr 2009 20:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Toshiba reportedly set to lose nearly $1 billion in wake of HD-DVD format death]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/16/toshiba-reportedly-set-to-lose-nearly-1-billion-in-wake-of-hd-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/16/toshiba-reportedly-set-to-lose-nearly-1-billion-in-wake-of-hd-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/16/toshiba-reportedly-set-to-lose-nearly-1-billion-in-wake-of-hd-d/#commentsFiled under:

In order to truly enter a format war, one must possess a number of things. The first, of course, is a viable format, unique from all others currently on the market. The second is the persistence to constantly push your format on as many film companies and consumer electronics producers as you possibly can, to ensure your victory. Finally, should said victory never come, you must possess a strong stomach and a wide wallet -- as losing a format war is a costly and heartbreaking endeavor.

According to the Nikkea Business Daily, Toshiba is learning this lesson to the tune of a ¥100 billion loss in revenue this year (to grasp the magnitude of this loss, here it is in numeric form: ¥100,000,000,000) or roughly $986 million in U.S. cash. We usually leave the economic speculation to the experts, but we're pretty sure that's a large sum of money that Toshiba would rather not part with. But as they say, in order to make an omelet, you've got to break a few eggs; though sometimes, you have to break 100 billion eggs, only to find that nobody wants to eat your omelet. Okay, nobody says that.

JoystiqToshiba reportedly set to lose nearly $1 billion in wake of HD-DVD format death originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>100billionblu-raydvdformatformatwarhd-dvdhddvdps3toshibaSun, 16 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: Toshiba set to kill off HD DVD format]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/15/rumor-toshiba-set-to-kill-off-hd-dvd-format/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/15/rumor-toshiba-set-to-kill-off-hd-dvd-format/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/15/rumor-toshiba-set-to-kill-off-hd-dvd-format/#commentsFiled under: ,

While the writing has been on the wall as far as HD DVD is concerned for a some time now, today's Hollywood Reporter story takes that writing, highlights it in thick black ink, and draws some big red arrows pointing towards it. Citing "reliable industry sources," the entertainment newspaper predicts Toshiba will officially stop supporting the high-definition movie format "sometime in the coming weeks."

If true, the move would somewhat validate Sony's costly decision to integrate Blu-ray technology into the PS3, and would give Sony a rather large stake in the future of the lucrative HD home movie market. While the death of HD DVD would obviously be a blow to Microsoft's external HD DVD drive (and everyone who bought it), Microsoft has said again and again they are open to the idea of a Blu-ray attachment if and when that format wins out. Which, at this point, seems like only a matter of time ...

[Via Engadget]

JoystiqRumor: Toshiba set to kill off HD DVD format originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blu-rayconsole-warsformatformat-warsHDHD-DVDhigh-defmoviemovie-warsPS3Xbox-360Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Don't even trip, Financial Times -- Paramount is sticking with HD-DVD]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/13/dont-even-trip-financial-times-paramount-is-sticking-with-h/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/13/dont-even-trip-financial-times-paramount-is-sticking-with-h/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/13/dont-even-trip-financial-times-paramount-is-sticking-with-h/#commentsFiled under: ,


If you just bought an HD-DVD player attachment for your Xbox 360, don't feel completely discouraged about the recent movements in the home entertainment industry. While it definitely seems as though Blu-ray has soundly won the format war, Viacom Inc. owned Paramount Studios recently issued a statement saying they would continue producing HD-DVD movies.

The statement was a correction to a recent Financial Times article saying that the company was following in the footsteps of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., and adopting Blu-ray as their sole HD format. Following a brief plunge in the stocks of Toshiba (the company most invested in HD-DVD technology), Paramount issued a statement pledging their allegiance to the format less blue. Looks like it's time to hunker down for the long haul, people -- it might be a while before the clear victor for the Battle of the Formats is decided.

JoystiqDon't even trip, Financial Times -- Paramount is sticking with HD-DVD originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blu-rayblurayformatHDhd-dvdhddvdtoshibaSun, 13 Jan 2008 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Fox, MGM pledge more support for Blu-ray]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/21/fox-mgm-pledge-more-support-for-blu-ray/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/21/fox-mgm-pledge-more-support-for-blu-ray/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/21/fox-mgm-pledge-more-support-for-blu-ray/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The high-definition format war was due for a shakeup. Following yesterday's news that Paramount will be ditching Blu-ray in favor of HD-DVD exclusivity, Twentieth Century Fox and MGM (whose video releases are, not coincidentally, handled by Fox) pledged more support for the Sony-backed Blu-ray, citing the format's dominant sales compared to HD-DVD.

That pledge totals 29 new Blu-ray releases by the end of the year, which breaks down as follows:
  • Six new films from Fox, including Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Live Free or Die Hard, that will be released day and date with the DVD version.
  • Four day and date (for U.S. only) Blu-ray and DVD new releases from MGM
  • 19 titles deemed "must have on Blu-ray" from the two studios' collection
Additionally, Fox has promised to bring television drama Prison Break to Blu-ray. According to the announcement (via GameDaily), Fox said it intends to release "at least one state-of-the-art title per month featuring numerous BD 'firsts.'"

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

JoystiqFox, MGM pledge more support for Blu-ray originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blu-rayblurayformatfoxhddvdmgmparamountPS3Xbox-360Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Pondering UMD's value on sale]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/27/pondering-umds-value-on-sale/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/27/pondering-umds-value-on-sale/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/27/pondering-umds-value-on-sale/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Legitimate sister site, PSP Fanboy, ponders the whimper-like end status of the UMD format. After finding Stomp the Yard as the last UMD available for pre-order through Sony Style, and Amazon listing a few others with a release date of 2025 (read: they may be canceled), PSP Fanboy takes a moment to mourn these movie discs.

But we wonder, having bought a fire-sale Virtual Boy after it was discontinued, is now the time to scoop up UMDs on the cheap? Or should we put our money into Memory Stick and copy our own movies over, DMCA be damned?

Update: Dave Karraker of Sony wrote to remind us, "There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that we are discontinuing the UMD format for PSP." Fair enough. MiniDisc is still around, too.

JoystiqPondering UMD's value on sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dmcaformatmoviemoviesPSPsalesonyumdTue, 27 Mar 2007 16:41:00 EST<![CDATA[PlayStation 3 media formats]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/27/playstation-3-media-formats/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/27/playstation-3-media-formats/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/27/playstation-3-media-formats/#commentsFiled under: ,

not compatibleThe (unofficial) PlaystationTeam posts this list of media formats that are compatible with PlayStation 3:
  • Blu-Ray (ROM, -R, -RE)
  • DVD (ROM, -R, -RW, R, RW)
  • CD (ROM, -R, -RW, Super Audio)
  • MPEG-1
  • MPEG-2 (PS, TS)
  • MPEG-4 SP
  • MPEG-4 AVC/H.264.
  • ATRAC
  • AAC
  • MP3
  • WAV
  • JPEG
  • GIF
  • PNG
  • TIFF
  • BMP
Aside from obvious disc differences, PS3 and PSP accept a near-identical list of formats (PSP is compatible with WMA files). It is disappointing that PS3 won't support some of the popular video codecs (e.g., XviD, DivX) out of the box, but if this Linux proposal comes together, then presumably, the compatibility list would grow.

Continue reading PlayStation 3 media formats

JoystiqPlayStation 3 media formats originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Oct 2006 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiocodecformatLinuxmediaPS3PSPvideoFri, 27 Oct 2006 11:25:00 EST<![CDATA[PSP-PS3 connectivity stays away from discs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/27/psp-ps3-connectivity-stays-away-from-discs/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/27/psp-ps3-connectivity-stays-away-from-discs/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/27/psp-ps3-connectivity-stays-away-from-discs/#commentsFiled under:


The PLAYSTATION 3 launch is getting closer and closer, and PSP fans are getting anxious. There's potential for a lot of great things to be done with the PSP-PS3 connectivity. Remote Play is one example of the connectivity at play: you'll be able to stream media from your PS3 to your PSP, so you see videos, music and images from your PS3's hard drive. However, according to PSX Extreme, you won't be able to stream copyright-protected content, such as disc media. So, you won't be able to stream the newest Blu-Ray movie from your PS3 to your PSP. You won't be able to stream any of your DVDs. How will purchased music work?

However, all the media that's stored on the PLAYSTATION 3's drive should stream to the PSP reasonably well, and the PS3 supports quite a number of formats: 1UP reports that the PS3 will support: MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (PS, TS), MPEG-4 SP, and MPEG-4 AVC/H.264. Audio formats include: ATRAC, AAC, MP3, and WAV. The PS3 is clearly a lot more flexible with video formats than the PSP, and unlike the PSP, will support videos with resolutions as high as 1920x1080 (according to PS3 Fanboy).

PS3 Fanboy also reports that future firmware upgrades may allow you to play PS3 content from your PSP, as previously theorized. While this is an exciting prospect, I hope that the immediate future brings us unrestricted video on the PSP, similar to what the PS3 has (having 480x272 video would be very nice indeed!).

JoystiqPSP-PS3 connectivity stays away from discs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>formatformatsmpegplaystation 3Playstation3ps3remote playRemotePlayFri, 27 Oct 2006 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Avoiding the high-def movie format war]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/12/avoiding-the-high-def-movie-format-war/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/12/avoiding-the-high-def-movie-format-war/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/12/avoiding-the-high-def-movie-format-war/#commentsFiled under: , ,


While Microsoft and Sony are obviously hoping their respective high-definition movie support will give them an edge in the console wars, other companies are busy trying to find a way around the format war brewing between HD-DVD and Blu-ray. First, Warner Bros. announced a new layered disc format that would allow all three DVD standards to reside on one disc. Now NEC has announced " two new low cost chips" that will allow standalone players to more easily support all formats starting in April '07.

These efforts could cast the proprietary format support of the console manufacturers into a new light. On the one hand, gamers might use their game system of choice as a low-cost entry into the high-def movie market, supporting one format over the other by default. On the other hand, wary movie fans might hold off on locking in to any standard (through a game system or a standalone player) if they know the option for easily supporting both is just around the corner. With all the confusion, it's hard to blame the movie studios for mostly "sitting on the fence and hedging their bets until the technology waters become clearer," as iTWire puts it.

Perhaps those considering which side of the format war to support should take their advice from the 1983 movie WarGames: "The only winning move is not to play."

(Thanks Prof-KOS)

JoystiqAvoiding the high-def movie format war originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Oct 2006 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blu-rayformatHD-DVDMicrosoftMoviePS3SonywarWar GamesWarGamesXbox-360Thu, 12 Oct 2006 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Universal Studios jefe disses Blu-Ray, re-endorses HD-DVD]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/18/universal-studios-jefe-disses-blu-ray-re-endorses-hd-dvd/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/18/universal-studios-jefe-disses-blu-ray-re-endorses-hd-dvd/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/18/universal-studios-jefe-disses-blu-ray-re-endorses-hd-dvd/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Everyone's atwitter with the news that Craig Kornblau, head of Universal Studios Home Entertainment just praised HD-DVD as the "hands down" winner of the HD format war, noting, "HD DVD has maintained its first-to-market advantage and delivered on the promises of providing the best high definition image and sound quality at the best value for consumers today."

But what's curiously missing is a little context. This is the same guy that publicly endorsed HD-DVD in a Microsoft press release five months ago, using many of the same words. Careless journalists and bloggers are quoting him like this is some kind of new development in the format war. Sure, it's interesting that he's continuing his support, but it's not particularly noteworthy.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

JoystiqUniversal Studios jefe disses Blu-Ray, re-endorses HD-DVD originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Sep 2006 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blu-rayformathdhd-dvdhddvdhdtvPCPS3universalXbox-360Mon, 18 Sep 2006 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Major Nelson rips Blu-Ray a new one]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/19/major-nelson-rips-blu-ray-a-new-one/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/19/major-nelson-rips-blu-ray-a-new-one/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/19/major-nelson-rips-blu-ray-a-new-one/#commentsFiled under: ,

...in the politest way possible. OK, the source might be a tiny bit biased, but Larry's podcast interview with the guys from Microsoft Digital Media provides several argument-ready reasons why HD-DVD is better than Blu-Ray. If this doesn't get you excited about watching movies with the external drive, you're probably either a PS3 fanboy or the owner of a crappy TV. Don't listen if you suffer from home theater envy.

JoystiqMajor Nelson rips Blu-Ray a new one originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jul 2006 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blu-rayexternalformathd-dvdmajor nelsonMajorNelsonpodcastWed, 19 Jul 2006 05:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cheaper PS3 loses HDMI, slots, Wi-Fi, 40GB]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/09/cheaper-ps3-loses-hdmi-slots-wi-fi-40gb/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/09/cheaper-ps3-loses-hdmi-slots-wi-fi-40gb/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/09/cheaper-ps3-loses-hdmi-slots-wi-fi-40gb/#commentsFiled under:

PS3 SKU comparison montage
As you can see above, there are a few things different between the two PS3 SKUs planned. (Hint: the obvious alterations concern high-def output and wireless connectivity -- though Bluetooth controllers should work just fine with both, with or without any chrome case highlighting.)

So what's HDMI, built-in multimedia card-reader slots, wireless internet connectivity, and an extra 40 gigabytes' hard disk space worth to you? $100? Now that Sony's gone with the 2-SKU approach with its next-gen hardware (a la the Xbox 360's premium and "Core" systems), we can expect some tough consumer choices after six months -- with console shortages possibly for another six months after that -- as $100 separates the base $499 and premium $599 versions of Sony's "Clear Black" hope.

HDMI is important to those who want to take full advantage of Blu-ray high def and have the new screens to use it; MemoryStick, SD, and CompactFlash slots would be nice for the PS3 memory-card users and those will run multimedia on the system; Wi-Fi's the only way to avoid stringing ethernet cables for online access; and 360 owners might appreciate the full 60GB available to potential buyers of the premium PS3 model. Neither model comes with a second HDMI port; thankfully, one should hopefully be all most users need. The details are laid out in a feature-comparison table at the end of Sony's official PS3 hardware press release, available in both Adobe Reader and Microsoft Word formats. Determine what's most important to your PS3 ambitions there.

[Image pieced together from the PlayStation.com forums; thanks, Guru]

JoystiqCheaper PS3 loses HDMI, slots, Wi-Fi, 40GB originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 May 2006 03:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>$100$499$500$599$6002-SKU20GB36040 GB40Gb6 months60GB6MonthsaccessAdobe ReaderAdobeReaderalterationsambitionambitionsbaseBlu-rayBluetoothbuilt-inbuyerbuyerscablecablescard readercard-readerCardReadercaseCFcheapcheaperchoicechoiceschromeClear BlackClearBlackCompact FlashCompactFlashcomparisoncomparisonsconnectivityconsolecontrollercontrollersCorecustomerdifferentethernetexpensivefeaturefeature-comparisonfeaturesformatformatsforumforumshard diskhard driveHardDiskHardDrivehardwareHDHDMIhigh-defhighlighthighlightinghighlightsimage montageImageMontageimportantinternetmemory cardMemory Stickmemory-cardMemoryCardMemoryStickMicrosoft WordMicrosoftWordmodelmodelsmontagemore expensiveMoreExpensivemultimedianext-genofficialomissionsonlineoutputpotentialpremiumpress releasePressReleasePS3ReaderscreenscreensSDSecure DigitalSecureDigitalshortageshortagessix monthsSixMonthsSKUSKUsslotslotsSonySony'sspacesystemsystemsuserusersWi-FiWiFiwirelessWordXboxXbox 360Xbox360Tue, 09 May 2006 03:32:00 EST