Engineers at Warner Bros. Studios are working on a hybrid High-Definition video disc that will offer both HD-DVD and Blu-ray content on one side of the disc, and Standard-Definition DVD content on the flip side.

“Blu-ray uses a 405-nanometre wavelength laser to read data from tracks 0.1-millimetres-deep on the top surface of a disc. HD-DVD, on the other hand, uses the same wavelength to read recordings at a depth of 0.6 mm.

Warner’s plan is to create a disc with a Blu-ray top layer that works like a two-way mirror. This should reflect just enough blue light for a Blu-ray player to read it okay. But it should also let enough light through for HD-DVD players to ignore the Blu-ray recording and find a second HD-DVD layer beneath.

An ordinary DVD recording could be put on the other side, so that conventional DVD players can read the disc as well.”

Warner notes that such a disc would cost more to make, but not as much as it costs to manufacture three seperate format DVDs. Perhaps this sort of solution will render the High Def DVD war null and void. I certainly hope so.

(Via Camcorderinfo)