Hybrid Blu-ray/DVD movie: high price will affect sales

Pony/Canon, the Japanese entertainment software developer have announced that they are to release the first movie title on a hybrid Blu-ray/DVD disc in Japan, which should be some time in February. Pony/Canon hopes that this launch will be able to speed up the transition from the DVD format to the newer Blu-ray format.

Squeezing both formats on to one disc does have its problems, and the main one is the high price. The first movie will have a set of four hybrid discs and will cost around 36,540 Yen ($406). Compare this to the DVD version of the movie, 7 DVD discs which will cost around 23,940 Yen ($266).

These new hybrid discs will bring together two formats, the older traditional and still loved DVD, as well as the newer and better quality Blu-ray. The new hybrid disc was developed over two years ago by JVC, the top has a blue laser layer of 25GB, while underneath there are two more layers, this time the standard 8.5GB DVD.

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