The 3x DVD is another weapon in the format war between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. It’s a disc that’s physically identical to standard DVD’s, but it plays high-definition video. It offers three times the bandwidth of a standard DVD—hence the name.
3x DVD is supported by the HD-DVD side of the format war, and many industry insiders say it’s there to give HD-DVD a further edge on price. Because HD-DVD is physically more similar to standard DVD’s than Blu-Ray, it costs a little less to produce. Therefore, HD-DVD’s are slightly cheaper than Blu-Ray.
3x DVD takes the cost advantage a bit further. Because it’s physically identical to a standard DVD, it costs no more to produce these. The idea is that they will give consumers a low-cost way to get into HD technology through HD-DVD, giving them an edge over Blu-Ray.
There are some problems with this, however. 3x DVD’s may be physically identical to HD-DVD’s, but they’ll only play in an HD player. That means budget-conscious buyers will still have to invest in a costly HD player—and pick sides in the format war—to play these DVD’s.
In addition, 3x DVD’s have limited play time. They offer only about 85 minutes of time—shorter than the average Hollywood movie. This makes them workable for shorter productions, such as home movies, exercise videos, and other training videos. But the vast majority of consumers use DVD’s for movies.
So, yes, 3x DVD’s are cheaper than HD-DVD’s—but they still may not be worth the money. Most consumers willing to buy an HD player are committed enough to the format that buying HD DVD’s is not a problem. It’s unlikely that it will have significant impact in the format wars.