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Microsoft and Intel to Support HD-DVD
By Nate Mook
September 26, 2005

JUST IN Microsoft and Intel are expected on Tuesday to pledge their support for HD-DVD, the next-generation DVD format created by Toshiba. Microsoft had previously remained neutral in the standards war between HD-DVD and Sony-backed Blu-ray, as the company's VC-1 Windows Media

Video codec will be included with both formats. The announcement isn't that surprising, however. Microsoft's Xbox will soon begin a fierce battle with Sony's Blu-ray capable PlayStation 3 for living room dominance, and the company inked a deal in April for Warner Home Video to use VC-1 in its HD-DVD discs.

Other Microsoft rivals, including Apple and Sun, have thrown their support behind Blu-ray. Sun's Java Virtual Machine technology will power the menus and multimedia features in the new format. In June, Microsoft also entered into a wide-ranging agreement with Toshiba that enables the two companies to share hardware and software technologies.

At the time, Microsoft said it would investigate the feasibility of an HD-DVD player running Windows CE. But in the end, copyright controls may have been the deciding factor for Microsoft and Intel. As the companies push out more Media Center enabled PCs, the movement of protected content around the home becomes an important factor.


Source:http://www.betanews.com/article/Microsoft_and_Intel_to_Support_HDDVD/1127787846