China plan to develop its own HD DVD standard.

[Smokey]

You thought double format is bad enough, now China plan to develop its own version HD DVD to avoid paying heavy licence fee. As of now up to 80% of DVD players are manufactured in China, but makers have to cough up about 40 percent of the cost of each player to license holders, according to Chinese reports.

The Xinhua News Agency said the new standard will be based on but will not be compatible with HD DVD. If successful, the move could add a new wrinkle to the battle between the competing HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats over which will become the dominant new DVD standard. The good news for HD-DVD and Blu-ray might be that Chinese standard is not expected to reach markets until at least 2008.

How about triple format :D

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-10/09/content_483441.htm

[twochannelsonly]

%@&!# not another format :(

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I wouldn't worry about their format reaching these shores. This is going to be much like Japan's HD television system. They'll make DVD players specifically for the Chinese market, and another for the rest of the world. I wouldn't look at this as a competing format at all. I cannot see the Japanese conceding their domination of the DVD to the Chinese, especially considering the current climate between them.

[Smokey]

They'll make DVD players specifically for the Chinese market, and another for the rest of the world.

You know , that might be a smart move in Chinese part. Given that they got the biggest demostic market in the world (over one billion poeple), just imagine how much they save by not paying licence fee to Toshiba or Sony :)

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

You know , that might be a smart move in Chinese part. Given that they got the biggest demostic market in the world (over one billion poeple), just imagine how much they save by not paying licence fee to Toshiba or Sony :)

One problem though, where do they get there content? Do you really think Hollywood is going to let loose their product in the Chinese market without some sort of anti copy content protection? I don't think so, especially in a market rife with DVD piracy issues. The Chinese are going to be forced to pay some liscensing fees to somebody whether they like it or not.

[Smokey]

One problem though, where do they get there content? Do you really think Hollywood is going to let loose their product in the Chinese market without some sort of anti copy content protection?.

Considering that China only allows 20 foreign movies to be shown in its theaters each year, the piracy will always be a big issue, especially when HD-DVD rolls out. Somebody will find a way to hack a HD-DVD movie since there is a big market for it.

May be if they ease restrictions on Hollywood movies entering China, there won't be such a market rife with DVD piracy issues :)