Monday, September 10, 2007
China Comes Up With CH-DVD Optical Disc Format, World Yawns
Posted by Jeremy Charette in "NEWS" @ 11:00 AM
"The Optical Memory National Engineering Research Center (OMNERC), a laboratory dedicated to optical disc research in Tsinghua University, today announced CH-DVD (China High Definition DVD)(a), a new generation high definition DVD format developed in collaboration with research institutes and manufacturing enterprises at home and abroad. The physical format of CH-DVD includes Chinese-owned intellectual property, and is based on HD DVD, the next generation high definition DVD approved by the DVD Forum. The realization of CH-DVD was supported by the Chinese government, and will pave the way for the localization of blue-laser, high-definition DVD in China."
While there is obviously a huge market of potential consumers in China, I have to wonder how many of them have the financial means to buy an HDTV, and CH-DVD players and discs. Adoption rates for Blu-Ray and HD DVD are abysmal in the US, where there is a much higher average income, as well as higher disposable income. I can't imagine the situation is any better in China. So what does CH-DVD mean to the rest of the world? Nothing. Even in China it may not amount to much.
While there is obviously a huge market of potential consumers in China, I have to wonder how many of them have the financial means to buy an HDTV, and CH-DVD players and discs. Adoption rates for Blu-Ray and HD DVD are abysmal in the US, where there is a much higher average income, as well as higher disposable income. I can't imagine the situation is any better in China. So what does CH-DVD mean to the rest of the world? Nothing. Even in China it may not amount to much.
