Apple Computer said on Thursday it had joined the Blu-ray forum, which is battling with rival HD-DVD forum to set the next standard for DVD.

Other companies already in the consortium forum include Dell, Sony, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi , Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung and LG.

Hollywood studios that support Blu-ray include Walt Disney Pictures and Television, Twentieth Century Fox and Sony Pictures.

Support from Hollywood will probably be the decisive factor in the battle. The studios are not expected to produce titles in different next-generation DVD formats.

Blu-ray offers storage up to 50 gigabytes, roughly six times that of current DVDs which uses laser technology. Extra capacity is needed to store high-definition video.

On the other side of the fight is HD-DVD, which has much the same structure as current DVDs. The backers said it is cheaper and easier to manufacture. Supporters of the disc format and its 30 gigabyte capacity include NEC, Toshiba Corp. and Warner Home Video.

Blu-ray supporters, however, argue that the increased cost of its processes are negligible.

By: DocMemory
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