pornographers could play a deciding role of high-definition DVDs
One of the next big issues in which pornographers could play a deciding role is the future of high-definition DVDs.
The concept may seem odd, but history has proven the adult entertainment industry to be one of the key drivers of any new technology in home entertainment. Pornography customers have been some of the first to buy home video machines, DVD players and subscribe to high-speed Internet.
The multibillion-dollar industry releases about 11,000 titles on DVD each year, giving it tremendous power to sway the battle between two groups of studios and technology companies competing to set standards for the next generation.
One side of the divide is a standard called Blu-ray backed by consumer electronics heavyweights like Sony, Philips Electronics and Thomson and movie studios Fox and Disney. Blu-ray offers storage up to 50 gigabytes, enough for nine hours of high-definition content.
On the other side of the fight is HD DVD, which has much the same structure as current DVDs and, backers say, is cheaper and easier to manufacture as a result. Supporters of the disc format and its 30GB capacity include companies like NEC, Toshiba and Warner Home Video
Sentiment about the format rivalry varies, depending largely on the size of porn producer.
Many are watching the porn industry to see what happens.
“The whole porn business has driven technology adoption of several platforms,” said one major studio executive. “A better, more intense experience like high definition is a good thing for porn.” Read rest of story