First Blu-ray Disc / DVD hybrid announced in Japan

It sure took long enough to happen, but one of HD DVD's biggest benefits has finally made it over to the Blu-ray side. Yep, we're talking about a Blu-ray / DVD hybrid disc, with a single-layer of Blu on one side and a standard DVD on the very same side (as in, not a "flipper" disc). Not surprisingly, the action's going down first in Japan, with Code Blue emergency helicopter doctor Blu-ray BOX (yes, seriously) as the first hybrid title. There's no word on when (or if) this technology will make it to US soil, but the sooner the better -- nothing like a little inbuilt backwards compatibility to ease the mind.

[Via CDRInfo]

[iQueefed @ Dec 19th 2008 10:12PM]

Wow, finally I'd be able to buy those BR/DVD's so I dont have to wate my money re-buying movies when I decide to get a BR player. :)

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Dec 20th 2008 4:03AM]

Disney already shipped the BluRay of Sleeping Beauty with a copy of the DVD too. So the future you describe is here today.

[Inane_Asylum @ Dec 20th 2008 9:20AM]

@OCEAN CLAK

And while you're taking up gigs of space storing low-def movies, I'll be happily watching HD movies without worrying about storage space or HDD failure.

[Timerider @ Dec 20th 2008 12:54PM]

We need this now. Actually, we need this a year ago.

[TheWakeUpCall @ Dec 20th 2008 8:34PM]

Do we really need it? I can't see any point... for the consumer anyway. I suppose it will temp people to upgrade sooner. But, you either make the jump or you don't. Don't make HD content "HD Ready".

[superhobo @ Dec 21st 2008 10:48AM]

Yeah, this is awesome.
Should've been released earlier so the victory against HD-DVD would've been a flawless victory.

[protozoider @ Dec 22nd 2008 9:06AM]

Only $75.00 per disc! Blu-ray was the stupidest idea for media ever. The cost of 50GB worth of discs can get you a 1TB hard drive. DVDs only cost pennies per disc while blu-ray still costs tens of dollars per disc. I would still be behind HD-DVD, but they gave up... those idiots.

[Precurse @ Dec 22nd 2008 4:09PM]

@protozoider

When you're willing to spend $80 for a 500GB (write protected) hard drive which includes a single movie on it... Let me know. Last I checked, purchasing a movie on a Blu-ray disk is a hella a lot cheaper than that!

People were saying the same thing when blank CDs and DVDs came out. Heck, the same thing can be said about SSD disks right now. In time prices do drop!

And now that blank DVDs are like 15 cents/4.37GB OR 3.4cents/GByte, it's much more reasonable. You could have said DVDs were a waste back then too. But look at their costs now.

New(er) technologies tend to come at a cost. It's the cost to be the first to adopt that technology. Why would someone spend an extra $600 for 300mhz faster processors? Does that make sense? Not really.

[Kris120890 @ Dec 19th 2008 10:13PM]

Some one care to show me the point.

R.I.P
Majel Barrett Roddenberry

[AVG @ Dec 19th 2008 10:20PM]

Although we are entering late December, I think you may still be in the running for the worst comment of 2008.

Unless phanbouy emerges for last minute victory.

[iEye #2 @ Dec 19th 2008 11:20PM]

Well, she did Live Long and did Prosper for 76 years...

at least she lived to see the emergence of what is, the Next Generation of mobile technology...

iPhone...
......live long and prosper...

[Freestyle Farfetchd @ Dec 19th 2008 11:42PM]

And you'd be beating all the regular trolls *looks above* and that's a huge achievment. Do I have to spell it out to you? The point of these is you only have to buy the same damn movie once. Until you've saved enough to buy a BR player, it'll play in your regular DVD player, and even when you do get your BR player, you can still put it in your non BR-compatible laptop or player on your secondary TV. Got it now? Jeebus.

[CosterMonger @ Dec 22nd 2008 9:57AM]

don't forget you get to lend out your bluray/dvds to all your less technologically advanced friends (even though I really don't notice the difference at 720p), and you also have a side to hack so you can get a copy on your PMP with out having to pay for it again -- if they neglect to include a digital copy.

[CosterMonger @ Dec 22nd 2008 10:01AM]

but asking that question on engadget is like asking why the sky is blue, when you can clearly see it's cyan

[Ethan @ Dec 19th 2008 10:17PM]

I think this is a critical part of making blu-ray a mainstream success (though I know several consider it to already be). If these are near the price of normal DVDs, people won't really care about the difference, and with a few titles already on their shelf it'll be a much more attractive prospect to plunge for a player or a ps3.

However, there'll be the occasional person who choses the wrong layer and calls up to complain that the quality is terrible. I've got a Björk album with 3 layers, all with the same music on.

[jason @ Dec 19th 2008 10:19PM]

wha?


gizmodo just posted a story where BOTH the bluray and dvd parts were on ONE side, and not on 2 different sides.

http://gizmodo.com/5114683/worlds-first-single+sided-blu+raydvd-hybrid-disc-unveiled

[roger @ Dec 19th 2008 10:24PM]

weird

[Heyyou27 @ Dec 19th 2008 10:29PM]

Based on the images posted on Gizmodo, I'm under the impression that Engadget didn't quite get the story right. I personally would love to see these Blu-ray/DVD hybrid discs, so I wouldn't feel as guilty buying a movie that I can only play on my PS3.

[bill cant fart @ Dec 19th 2008 10:29PM]

And WHAT were doing over there, young man?! You are SO grounded!

[a ham sandwich @ Dec 19th 2008 10:35PM]

that's good to hear. because to me, having each side of the disc being a different type doesnt sound as impressive. then again, for the typical consumer it probably makes no practical difference whether they're on the same side or two different ones. that they're on the same disc is probably what matters.

[Calvin @ Dec 20th 2008 12:48AM]

I don't know if the article got edited or something, but it now says:

"a single-layer of Blu on one side and a standard DVD on the very same side (as in, not a "flipper" disc)"

[Richard Lai @ Dec 20th 2008 2:54AM]

@Calvin: yep, it got edited.

These slides from the press event show the structure of the hybrid disc:

http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20081219/kyodo09.jpg

http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20081219/kyodo11.jpg

[Ethan @ Dec 20th 2008 8:06AM]

Y'know, journalistic integrity and all that, they should really announce the edit.

[AlexHD @ Dec 20th 2008 10:43PM]

It's a blog, so not really. Maybe for convenience, but not for integrity.

[WTF @ Dec 19th 2008 10:23PM]

So does this mean they're going to come out with or already have, BR/DVD players, stacked in one device??? Like will these CD's work solely on a Bluray player or will it have to be compatible with a player that reads both??? Or is it either side you put it in it will work that way???

[Christian Walters @ Dec 19th 2008 10:27PM]

Blu-Ray players already play DVDs brother.

[Christian Walters @ Dec 19th 2008 10:27PM]

This=pointless. New Blu-Ray titles already cost 30-45USD, and they will cost even more now due to higher manufacturing costs to make dual sided discs. This was a good idea.....for the HDDVD camp. HDDVD and DVD where not that far apart as far as manufacturing process' and structure where concered, whereas BD and DVD are WORLDS apart.

[Game_playa @ Dec 19th 2008 10:40PM]

Single sided

[austin @ Dec 20th 2008 12:15AM]

single sided.
multiple layered.
know the difference.

[dan @ Dec 20th 2008 4:22AM]

I doubt the discs cost lots now because manufacturing them is particularly expensive. They've just figured out that early adopters will happily pay a premium. Lowering the price of discs would just lose them money until lots more people have players.

[Pete @ Dec 20th 2008 7:51AM]

I don't know where you've been buying your BDs at, but I typically never have to shell out more than $25 US for new movies. Unless I'm getting some boxed set like Season Six of The Sopranos.

[Daniel @ Dec 19th 2008 10:37PM]

i miss hd-dvd more complete of a format had these disk earlier. oh well i guess you really cant win everything.

[meatee @ Dec 19th 2008 10:51PM]

I'd rather see them use the second disc that they're using solely for "Digital Copy" nowadays and put a standard DVD version of the film on as well, and keep the Blu-Ray disc as a 50GB Dual-Layer.

[img eL @ Dec 19th 2008 10:59PM]

480p!!!

[Shinigami @ Dec 20th 2008 5:31PM]

amen

[Kamil @ Dec 19th 2008 10:55PM]

ok.... uhmm... anyone care to explain to me the use of this? im very confused....

[DeadPlasmaCell @ Dec 19th 2008 11:00PM]

It's pretty simple.. You can use it in a regular DVD player or a Blu-Ray player.. You have a Blu-Ray player in the living room only, but the Mrs' wants to watch Movie X in the bedroom, so you bring in the hybrid disc and done deal. Or the damned kids wont shut up on the ride to Grandmas unless you put in their favorite cartoon movie.. Boom, bust out the hybrid disc. Say you like having sex with DVD but not Blu-Ray, but your wife doesn't, boom, problem solved....

/has nothing

[DrXym @ Dec 20th 2008 10:28AM]

Unfortunately hybrid discs are single layer Blu Rays and dual layer DVD. They might have uses for kids movies, but otherwise I see little attraction. Yes in theory it might allow you to take the same disc and play it on a DVD player, but that's a fairly marginal benefit when you lose out on HD content and possibly suffer a higher retail price for the sake of it.

[Gad Get @ Dec 19th 2008 10:56PM]

"Not surprisingly, the action's going down first in Japan, with Code Blue emergency helicopter doctor Blu-ray BOX (yes, seriously) as the first hybrid title."

I was curious, so I did some quick Google-powered research.... It seems it's a Japanese TV show called "Code Blue: Doctor Heli Kinkyu Kyumei."

[rwfu666 @ Dec 21st 2008 11:50AM]

wow the name sounds funny when in english lol

but that show was awesome!

well, kinda sorta. at least erika toda and aragaki yui were in it though :)

[idiot @ Dec 19th 2008 10:57PM]

BEST. TITLE. EVAR.: "Code Blue emergency helicopter doctor Blu-ray BOX"

I CANNOT believe the first comment on that dang title is this far down.

For shame...

[idiot @ Dec 19th 2008 10:58PM]

...ooooooooohhh fail

[Wwhat @ Dec 20th 2008 11:53AM]

Lolz

[paul34 @ Dec 19th 2008 11:17PM]

What? We need to preserve the sanctity of DVD-DVD replication. This Blu-Ray/DVD hybrid nonsense will destroy this nation!

[northpole @ Dec 19th 2008 11:51PM]

oh, hmm.. but somehow, that person's hair doesn't look good.. he/she should wash his/her hair often.
and if that left palm is considered to be of a female, she may face bad times in future, with little help of recession...

[1234321 @ Dec 19th 2008 11:50PM]

The Final Nail in the Coffin for HD-DVD

[matt merritt @ Dec 20th 2008 12:57AM]

Was delivered in January?

[Justin @ Dec 20th 2008 3:37AM]

Zing!

[rcappo @ Dec 22nd 2008 12:37AM]

Well, I'm still buying and using HD-DVD and downloading the movies that aren't on either disk format yet. It works pretty well on my 120" screen. I don't have a lack of movies to choose from or watch.

[Alex @ Dec 20th 2008 12:09AM]

This is very, very cool. This will make BluRay disks so much more attractive to potential buyers, or people that only have 1 BluRay player (and several standard DVD players) in the house. And no flipping? Wow...

Now I almost wish I had waited to order the Dark Knight in this hybrid format, but I assume it won't make it to market for a least a couple years. Then there's waiting for the companies to switch production formats (seriously, it took this long for the Matrix collection to come out on Blu Ray?)