Research & Markets: Why is Microsoft's New Vista Operating System a Key Factor in the Future of Hi-def Videodisc?

Business Wire, August 23, 2006

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c41065) has announced the addition of Screen Digest's new report: HD DVD, Blu-ray Disc and the Future of Home Entertainment: A Strategic Analysis to their offering.

The latest report is the first major industry study on the potential market for high definition video formats. The report assesses the merits of the competing formats and predicts the most likely outcome.

Included in the report is detailed historical data for worldwide video sales by value and volume from 1992 to 2005 as well as forecast data for the existing and next generation video formats to 2010.

Some of the key questions that the report answers include:

--Will the new formats be the saviour of Hollywood?

--What affect will the new formats have on hardware and software sales and pricing?

--How will the market for the new generation video software and hardware develop over the next five years?

--Have the claims and counterclaims of the two hi-def disc camps left you wondering what the truth is?

--What kind of interactivity do BD Java and iHD offer? Why does it matter?

--Do you understand why HP has gone neutral on the Hi-def format issue?

--Why is Microsoft's new Vista operating system a key factor in the future of hi-def videodisc?

Covered in the report:

--A detailed assessment of the likely outcomes of the current video format war and its effect on the industry.

--The report includes 5 year forecasts with combined sales of the new format broken out for US, Europe and Japan.

--Compression and authoring

--Profiles of supporters for both camps

--Analysis of copy protection for both formats

--Manufacturing next generation discs

--Hardware for next generation formats

With DVD prices in freefall and consumer spending on DVD plateauing, there is increasing industry pressure for a next generation video format to accompany TV's shift to high definition.

Consumer electronic companies and content owners alike hope to restore their fortunes by offering better quality video and other features at a higher price point. But instead of a single system, supported by all relevant industries, there are two incompatible formats. One is HD DVD, developed and supported by the DVD Forum, which its supporters claim is the logical successor to DVD. The other is Blu-ray Disc (BD) a revolutionary rather than evolutionary format which is not backed by the DVD Forum.

Topics Covered

Management summary

Digital video, SD and HDTV

Home video markets

A tale of two formats

Protecting video content

Supporting Blu-ray and HD DVD

Consumer electronics companies

Compression and authoring

Manufacturing next generation discs

Hardware for next generation formats

The future

High definition DVD market overview

List of tables and charts

Companies Mentioned Include:

- Sony Pictures - Twentieth Century Fox - Lionsgate Home Entertainment - MGM - Paramount - Universal Pictures - Warner Home Video - Disney/Buena Vista - The Weinstein Company (TWC) - Studio Canal - Apple - Dell - Hewlett Packard (HP) - Intel - Microsoft - NEC

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c41065