Blu-ray and HD-DVD delays due to blue laser shortage?

DigiTimes is reporting that a serious shortage of blue laser diodes is forcing many manufacturers to cut back on production of next-generation drives, which means the expected pre-Holiday flood of HD-DVD and Blu-ray players may not materialize as expected. They're also claiming that Sony, which is one of a handful of companies making the diodes right now, just suspended shipments to other companies so they'll have enough Blu-ray drives for the PlayStation 3. It's not entirely clear how this is going to affect the balance of power in the HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray deathmatch -- each format relies on 405 nm blue-violet laser diodes, so each may be equally affected -- but it looks like the battle royale between the two may have to be postponed until next year.

[Via HDBeat]

[scott @ Aug 30th 2006 10:26AM]

The Cheat Commando's will be overjoyed at this news...

[Raider @ Aug 30th 2006 10:36AM]

This is too funny. Plague of nothing but problems for this new technology. None of it seems too thought out at the moment. Blu-Ray is having the most problems right now. I wonder how the PlayStation 3 is going to fair up in November.

I was all for the PlayStation 3... but now it just looks like there is going to be nothing but problems. I'm sure about 1-in-5 systems are going to be defective on launch day.

[iTard @ Aug 30th 2006 10:36AM]

It seems anything sony touches turns to crap lately. They just can't seem to do anything right. Drm, batteries, these laser problems, cell 10% yeilds, PS3 delay, PS3 price and reduced specs, no games for PS3, bluray, psp, UMD, minidisc, atrac, their mp3 players the list goes on and on.
Sigh.

[calebc @ Aug 30th 2006 10:37AM]

*gasp* You mean Sony is making parts for HD-DVD too? Well then it must be destined for failure too.

[duh @ Aug 30th 2006 10:48AM]

maybe they changed it but i thought the main diference between hd-dvd an blu-ray was that hd-dvd was still using red lasers.

[B @ Aug 30th 2006 10:57AM]

^^^
No they both use blue-violet wavelength which is smuch smaller than red. That is why the marks on the disc can be smaller and the capacity larger.

[Wonderboy @ Aug 30th 2006 11:00AM]

Duh...

Nope, both use a smaller wavelength blue laser which is how they fit so much data on a disc... the red laser's wavelength is to wide to capture data as dense as on the HD discs from either camp.

The major differences between the two are the depth of the bits (2mm for 1st layer of BD and 6mm for 1st layer of HD-DVD). You've also got capactity differences of 25 GB per layer (BD) and 15 GB per layer (HD-DVD). Due to HD-DVDs depth of layer 1, it theoretically maxes at out 4 layers, or 60 GB (currently available at 2 layer, 30GB). Blu-Ray theoretically maxes out at 8 layers or 200GB (currently also at 2 layers, 50GB). Other than a few other differences is DRM info, etc. the two are relatively similar.

Both run of the same type of laser, both have the same three compression schemes mandatorilly available, same physical size, same theoretical content. HD-DVD has a better head start due to it's ability to simply re-tool current DVD production lines, which is why their capacity is lower than that of Blu-Ray who has to build productions lines pretty much from scratch.

[Ryan @ Aug 30th 2006 11:03AM]

Actually, I think this may end up helping Sony. With a shortage of next-gen media players, the PS3 would be plentiful due to the hoarding of the diodes by Sony. You won't be able to find an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player, but you sure as heck will be able to buy a PS3, all for the low, low (for Blu-Ray) price of $600. Let's just hope it supports dual-layer discs.

[John Stracke @ Aug 30th 2006 11:08AM]

Forecast: Sony will be the only company able to make large quantities of high-def players (HD-DVD or Blu-ray), and will be accused of anticompetitive practices for reserving all its diodes to Blu-ray manufacturers. When they say, "But we just kept them for ourselve!", the response will be, "So you ADMIT it!"

(Mind you, I personally don't have any great stake in this format war; it'll be another 5 years or so before my 1999 TV dies and I buy something HD-capable. My only reason to lean one way or the other is that Blu-ray uses Java instead of some weird Microsoft technology.)

[5ftassassin @ Aug 30th 2006 11:48AM]

John:

The blue screen of death comming to a HD-DVD player near you. Thank you Microsoft!

[Westacular @ Aug 30th 2006 12:25PM]

Wonderboy: Blu-Ray is really only currently at 1 layer, but they're trying desperately to get to 2 as soon as possible.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/29/blu-ray-camp-cant-get-50gb-titles-to-work/

[Andir2.0 @ Aug 30th 2006 12:49PM]

@Westacular: No, one player is having trouble. Not the entire Blu-Ray collection. Get your facts straight.

This is like one of those stupid telephone games you played as a kid. Each source that gets ahold of something puts a spin on it and by the time it gets to the end, the story is completely wrong. Someone else will make a blog and state: PS3 will not support dual layer! Which would be a total lie. Thus the source of everything about Blu-Ray and PS3 thus far.

[tristanfey @ Aug 30th 2006 1:48PM]

This is bad news for HD-DVD. Sony can put HD-DVD's lead on an indefinate hold by not supplying the diodes needed for the players, thus giving them a chance to play catch-up. In the meantime, they get their low-cost Blu-Ray player out in the market in the form of the PS3.

They can skirt past the anti-competitive practices accusations, by saying that the shortage of diodes limited not just the production of HD-DVD players, but also "dedicated" Blu-Ray players. They can also claim that even with moving the diodes over to PS3 use, they are still in a shortage of projected PS3 units. Every analyst out there agrees there is going to be a PS3 shortage.

[James @ Aug 30th 2006 2:52PM]

John Stracke & 5ftassassin,

HD-DVD does not use some weird Microsoft technology. Granted VC-1 is used in WMV9, but 15 other companies besides Microsoft are part of the patent pool of VC-1. If you were referring to the interactive portion of HD-DVD compared to BD's Java, you must be talking about HD-DVD's iHD. iHD is an implementation of XML w/ Javascript. Why does that make it weird?

[TexRob @ Aug 30th 2006 3:02PM]

Keeping diodes for yourself is one thing, but if they truly have committed to orders for other companies and are then delaying those orders for their own internal/competitive use, then this seems highly illegal. I'd be curious if they have been denying taking orders, or denying delivery of orders, big difference between the two.

[joba78 @ Aug 30th 2006 4:10PM]

Its foolish to believe Sony is the only company producing blue diodes for next gen formats...

[PWhite @ Aug 30th 2006 4:41PM]

At the price of $600 plus for the PS3 I don't really care if they have all kinds of problems. The price point is ridiculous.

[Peter Rojas @ Aug 30th 2006 9:16PM]

Where do I imply that Sony is the only supplier? I state very clearly that they are one of several out there, so please don't misinterpret what's been written.

[Dr Manhattan @ Aug 30th 2006 9:57PM]

Uhm, has anybody told the chinese about this extreme blue diode shortage?! I mean, if this news sinks in among the big players and politicians in Zhenshen, Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta, they could probably ramp up production really good before the year end.

This being said with complete and blissful ignorance of the production process for blue diodes, of course..

[peyay @ Aug 31st 2006 5:50PM]

no i dont think there r delays i think that no 1 wants to pay 500 - 1000 bux for a dvd player

[ape man yea? @ Sep 7th 2006 2:56AM]

no i dont think der is sutch a ding as a brainne, who da hell tipes wit dought pocesses? 500 bux is mo' monie dan i could eva mac pusin' a mop n buket.

Fucgers.