About Electronics

Bill Gates knows what it’s like to have the European Union on his tail. Now Sony and Toshiba may expect some of the same treatment from the European Commission.

The Commission is investigating on HD DVD and Blu-ray. However, no complaints or charges so far. According to a spokesman, the Commission just wants to know more details about the licensing of their products.

So if you’ve ever wondered what Brussels is doing with your tax money, there’s your answer. Once you buy a new player (beit HD DVD or Blu-ray), you’ll know you pay a fair price.

More details on the BBC website.

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So far, Sony’s PlayStation 2 was the undisputed market leader in the video game console business. Microsofts Xbox and the GameCube by Nintendo didn’t come even close.

According to a report by DFC Intelligence however, it’s red alert for Sony and its upcoming console. The PlayStation 3 promises to be rather costly for young gamers. The PS3 would sell at 499 euro, whereas the Xbox 360 for instance already sells at 299 euro.

Sony on the other hand claims the price tage is justified, since the PS3 is equipped with a Blu-ray drive. In November 2006 we’ll know who’s right…

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HD DVD players are almost oldskool by now. That’s why Toshiba takes it one step further. According to creative.mac the Japanese company will launch the world’s first high-definition DVD recorder in July in Japan.

The new RD-A1 can record and store up to 130 hours of HD broadcasts (…) and record up to 230 minutes of HD content to a single HD DVD disc, Toshiba claims in a statement. Toshiba hasn’t decided yet when it will launch the RD-A1 overseas.

Seems like Blu-ray has far from won the battle against HD DVD…

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