Blu-ray discs to overtake DVDs, Disney says

October 12th, 2008, 11:08 Posted By: wraggster

Walt Disney Co., the second-largest U.S. media company, forecast sales of high-definition Blu-ray discs in the U.S. will overtake DVDs within two years.

Consumers will adopt the new technology "much sooner than we think," David Jessen, Disney vice-president of Blu-ray and DVD creative production, said in an interview. "It's right on the verge of becoming really big in the U.S., where in two years Blu-ray will eclipse DVDs."

In February, the Blu-ray disc technology won against Toshiba Corp.'s HD DVD, setting the new high-definition standard in the entertainment industry's largest format war since VHS beat Betamax in the 1980s. Blu-ray discs can store 50 gigabytes of data, about six times more than conventional DVDs.

Disney is releasing classic movies including Sleeping Beauty this month in the Blu-ray format to encourage consumers to start using the new technology.

The film is the first release to include the BD-Live network system, enabling viewers in different locations to chat and create communities while watching the same movie, Disney said.

Shopping for HD-TVs and Blu-ray players will help the technology "take off big" after the holiday season, Jessen said. "Prices of HD-TVs are coming down everywhere" and those of Blu-ray discs "will also drop as mass adoption takes over."

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