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Double disc might end hi-def war Many people are buying big screens to show hi-def films Inventors have come up with a design for a disc that can store copies of films in rival high-definition formats.A US patent has been filed for the discs that could hold both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray versions of movies. Currently movie makers and technology companies are dividing into camps that back either one or the other of the two formats. The creation of the discs could end the looming battle over the different high-definition formats. Format wars The design of the disc patented in...

CHOICE IS A BEAUTIFUL thing, whether it's picking stocks, voting for a politician or ordering pizza toppings. However, when it comes to the ongoing battle of the high-definition DVD formats — Blu-ray Disc vs. HD DVD — choice is a burden consumers will have to bear. That is, if they opt to choose at all. The first Blu-ray player in the U.S. is coming from Samsung next week — HD DVD players hit store shelves in the U.S. in mid-April — and I can't help but think that those early adopters who choose wrong will get burned. Recall how Sony...

TOKYO - Two Japanese companies said Tuesday they have developed a DVD that can play on both existing machines and the upcoming high-definition players, raising hopes for a smooth transition as more people dump old TV sets for better screens. Toshiba Corp. and Memory-Tech Corp. said their disc has a dual-layered surface that can store both types of data on the same side. For consumers, that would eliminate the potential headache of having to own two types of DVD players: Both will be able to read such discs, though only the newer equipment can take advantage of the higher-resolution technology....