First 3 Generation-Compatible HD DVD Drive

fenimor writes "NEC has developed world's first half height size optical drive capable of playing back HD DVDs, DVDs, and CDs with a single optical head. Although the lasers required to read each type of disk vary, NEC said it had successfully created a miniature drive with a single lens that could read all three. The drive was designed for laptop computers and will be released commercially later next year."

Re:Wow...

[suso]

I doubt it. Most of what slashdot carries are stories to let the tech-savy population know what is going on in the industry. It has always been that way. And when carrying stories about new technologies, the articles that are more marketing hype tend to slip in there more often than not. So I doubt its a record. There has probably been whole days where /. has been nothing but marketing hype.
No offense to slashdot, thats just the way it goes.

Blu-ray

[Jugalator]

I wonder if Blu-ray will be killed before the battle can even begin? I suspect that might be the case at least for HD movies since the bandwagon will start as HD DVD players are out for consumers, which will probably be a while before Blu-ray enters the market.

Maybe the cost for Blu-ray drives due to higher complexity, combined with the later availability will make it so we don't even see much of a trace of commercial Blu-ray drives at all.

Good...

[Faust7]

So when it turns out that most consumers couldn't care less about either of the new formats, having everything they need with regular DVD, that new player won't suddenly become useless.

Re:Half-height?

[KozmoStevnNaut]

The submitter got it wrong and needs to actually RTFA.

It is a half-height drive, ie. the same size as most current CD or DVD drives.

Re:Blu-ray

[nutshell42]

I wouldn't be so sure. Microsoft's trying to cap the per-unit costs. Unless there is real demand for HD-DVD players by mid 2005 I assume the HD-DVD drive will have to go. With wmv it isn't really needed for cutscenes so its only raison-d'etre would be selling more consoles

Re:Blu-ray

[badmammajamma]

Blue ray has broader industry support than HD DVD (including media giant Sony). If anything is going to die, it's HD DVD.

RPC-1 capable?

[Lead Butthead]

Most important question of all, can it be patched to RPC-1?