Microsoft pushing FVD next-gen DVD standard

The next-generation DVD market is already a mess with two different incompatible technologies called Blu-ray and HD-DVD, and now it looks like we'll even get a third called Forward Versatile Disc (FVD).

Microsoft was leaning towards the HD-DVD side because of the speculation it may be planning a future version of the Xbox 360 with an HD-DVD player and now sources report Microsoft has set up a new Windows multimedia technology center n Taiwan to encourage manufacturers to push forward with development of the Forward Versatile Disc next-generation DVD standard.

We first wrote about FVD back in April of last year and sort of figured that it’d go nowhere fast, mainly because the first generation of the discs can’t hold all that much more than a standard double-sided DVD, but the Taiwanese love it because it’s cheaper and easier to manufacturer than either of the blue laser standards (FVD uses a red laser) and because they don’t have to pay any royalties to either standards group. Not sure whether Microsoft is serious about trying to establish yet another successor to the DVD or if they’re just trying to gain some leverage with both the HD-DVD and Blu-ray camps, but the one thing we do know for certain is that this whole scene just keeps getting messier and messier.

More details at Engadget