Verbatim Corp. and its parent, Mitsubishi Kagaku Media, said Monday that the media manufacturer will support both Blu-Ray and HD DVD, the two competing next-generation optical formats.
The implication is that Verbatim has not determined that there is a clear winner in the next-generation DVD race. HP has chosen to include Blu-Ray drives inside its PCs, and Disney Corp. has chosen to release its movies on the format. Meanwhile, four other major Hollywood studios have decided to back the HD DVD format, led by Toshiba.
Verbatim Blu-ray media will be available with 25-GB (single-layer) and 50-GB (double-layer) capacities, Verbatim said. The HD-DVD media will be available with a single-layer capacity of 15 GB. Double-layer HD-DVD media is also being developed for release following format finalization, the company said.
Verbatim did not release a production timetable.
Verbatim has dedicated its Singapore facility to HD DVD production, and its Mizushima, Japan facility to the manufacture of Blu-Ray discs.
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