Computer manufacturer Dell ( News - Alert) gave the Blu-ray optical disc format a boost Tuesday with the introduction of its new XPSTM M1810 laptop computer. The laptop is capable of both reading from and writing to Blu-ray discs.
Dell said its new laptop, which also has read/write capability for CDs and DVDs, is designed to be “a single platform for a compelling digital entertainment throughout the home.”
In its announcement, Dell explained that Blu-ray discs are in improvement over older media formats because of their capacity to hold up to 50 gigabytes of data, more than five times the storage space of a dual-layer DVD.
That means, for example, that customers can store a complete, high-definition, feature-length film on a single Blu-ray disc.
Dell Product Group senior vice president Alex Gruzen said that Blu-ray has gained broad industry support, and that Dell believes it is the format of the future for optical discs.
“We continue to see PCs – both desktops and notebooks – functioning as the entertainment and productivity hub in the home and on the road with their versatility, power, connectivity, and vibrant high-definition displays,” Gruzen said in a statement. “We believe high-definition video powered by Blu-ray Disc technology will be a significant part of that entertainment experience.”
Dell’s championing of the new format is hardly surprising, given that the company is a founding member of the Blu-ray Disc Association. The company claims that, to date, more than 170 major companies (including those in the consumer electronics, gaming, recording media, music and movie industries) have jumped on the Blu-ray bandwagon.
The list of Blu-ray’s supporters also includes seven major Hollywood studios, which to date have produced 100 feature titles in Blu-ray format.
Blu-ray isn’t the only new, high-capacity optical disc format out there, though. It has been running largely neck-and-neck with HD DVD. That standard produced discs capable of holding up to 30 gigabytes of data. The battle between the two formats is for overarching domination in the industry, but neither has yet managed to get a significant leg up on the other.
In the disc player industry, Blu-ray’s main champion is Toshiba (News - Alert), while Samsung has taken the lead in promoting HD DVD. With the competition being so fierce, and no clear champion emerging, companies like Dell are hedging their bets by making products capable of handling both types of discs.
Dell’s new laptop, retailing for roughly $2,699, has more to recommend it than merely Blu-ray and HD DVD functionality. It also boasts an Intel (News - Alert) Core 2 Duo processors, NVIDIA GeForce graphics processor, up to 4 gigabytes of DDR2 memory, and up to 160 gigabytes of hard drive storage.
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