Paramount and Dreamworks leave Blu-Ray behind
Technology has long been a battlefield with two competing standards facing off against each other: VHS vs. Betamax. AC vs. DC. Mac vs. PC. Atom vs. RSS. The most recent standards showdown revolves around next generation DVDs: Blu-ray vs. HD DVD. Industry titans have aligned themselves behind one or the other, and many are wondering when Apple will be shipping Macs with next gen DVD drives (these new DVDs aren't compatible with older DVD drives).
Apple is part of the Blu-ray Disc Association which leads one to believe Apple will be shipping Macs with Blu-ray drives at some point in the near future. However, CNet reports that two of the biggest studios who were committed to shipping Blu-ray Discs have jumped ship to HD DVD. Paramount and Dreamworks Animation announced they will be releasing new movies exclusively on HD DVD, which is a set back for Blu-ray.
It looks like Apple has the right strategy with regards to including these next gen DVD drives. Wait until a clear standard emerges and then go with that, however, I know many Mac users are eager to watch HD content (whether from Blu-Ray or HD DVD) on their Macs not to mention burning data to these high capacity discs. Which side are you hoping will win out? Or does it not really matter to you, as long as you can find your favorite movies?
