
It's all go in the HD-DVD camp at the moment. Still on a high from the Paramount/Dreamworks deal, we're now hearing that HD-DVD will soon have a 51GB, triple-layer disc on the way. The significance of a 51GB capacity is that it exceeds the current Blu-ray maximum by 1GB.
Obviously, 1GB is nothing more than a token increase, but it's an amusing nose-thumbing by Sony's opposition. Of course, the smile might be wiped from HD-DVD's face if Sony announces a 100GB disc in the near future. There's also a DVD/HD-DVD hybrid disc that has a 4.7GB DVD layer, and two 15GB HD DVD layers, something that could encourage DVD player owners to buy a hybrid disc for future upgrade purposes.
The good news is that the 51GB discs should play in all HD DVD players currently on the market. CNET discussed this with James Armour from Toshiba's optical storage division at CeBIT this year, and were told that although the third layer would be harder to read and generate more data errors, the player's error correction should be able to fix these problems without picture and sound problems.
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Damian Koh | Sep 02, 2007

Loewe--a brand that is synonymous with design and style, even though our wallets are likely to protest. And we like how aptly the product catalog puts it: What looks better in your living room--a PC or another piece of designer furniture? Needless to say, we chose the latter, and with good reasons. At IFA Berlin, the company showcased its new Loewe Connect range that integrates the functionalities of a PC into the TV. We could access digital content or connect to a home network with a special dLAN 200 AV adapter by plugging directly into a power socket. The best part is this sweetie comes with a built-in antenna to go wireless. So basically Loewe wants you to believe its new panels are all you'll ever need at home. The first units with a diagonal screen size of 94cm will be available in Europe from next January, while the 106cm and 80cm editions are expected in March and May, respectively.