One of the benefits touted by HD DVD supporters had been the capability of the format to support both HD DVD and DVD content on a single side. Though, with only two layers, this meant a HD DVD15/DVD5 was the result – providing limited capacity on both formats. I repeatedly pointed out that the Blu-ray camp had the capability for the same kind of single-sided hybrid disc, and they had been demonstrated by JVC but not commercialized. Since Blu-ray, unlike HD DVD, uses a different layer depth than DVD it is theoretically possible to have higher capacities – in theory a BD50/DVD9 is possible. JVC demonstated a BD25/DVD9, which provides enough capacity on both formats for a lot of content. However, producing the hybrid discs is more complex and costly, and I didn’t really expect to see them move beyond the lab curiosity phase. What we’ve seen to date are some vendors simply packing a standard DVD in with the BD release to support both formats.

Well, color me surprised. On February 18, 2009 Pony Canyon will release the first BD/DVD hybrid discs, in Japan. It is a box set of the TV series Code Blue. It is a multi-disc set, with the discs being hybrid BD25/DVD9 – a single Blu-ray layer ‘over’ two DVD layers. So it is like having a standard dual-layer DVD and a single-layer Blu-ray disc on one physical disc. The DVD’s red laser sees through the BD layer to see the DVD data, while the Blu-ray’s blue laser reflects from the BD layer and never sees the DVD ‘below’.

The discs are produced by Infiniti Storage Media Ltd. and they’re very similar to the hybrid discs demonstrated by JVC back in 2004. Infiniti is also apparently working on a BD50/DVD5 (2-BD layers, 1-DVD layer) standard with the BDA. A BD50/DVD9 isn’t mentioned, though I’d be surprised if that wasn’t the next step, JVC was talking about that in 2004.

It’ll be interesting to see if this catches on or is just a bit of a gimmick. If it is successful we might see more titles using hybrid discs, which would eliminate the BD vs. DVD purchasing decision. Though I’m not sure it will catch on, since they are more complex to make than BD or DVD alone. Still, as a geek I love the elegance of the solution so I kind of hope it will.

Spotted via Blu-ray Stats News Log, which took me to Electonista, and thence to Impress AV Watch. Images from Impress.

Through January 4th, 2009 Amazon is running a post-holiday Blu-ray sale. 200 titles, up to 65% off MSRP. There are a wide variety of titles and discounts available – there are 71 titles for between $10 and $14.99 alone.

UPDATE: Blu-ray Stats found another Post Christmas Blu-ray Sale with up to 60% off 20 Warner titles.

Through December 6 Amazon is offering a $150 discount if you buy a Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-ray Player and a Samsung 52″ HDTV. There are four models of TV that qualify, all 52″ LCD 1080p models, but with a few difference features. Pricing starts at $2,059.37 and goes up to $2,499.99 – with savings up to $900 off MSRP. The BD-P1500 is currently listing for $212.74.

Picked up from Blu-ray Stats News Log.

As we hit Black Friday Amazon has a slew of deals that can save you money on Blu-ray titles. Two previously posted deals are still running:
- Feeling Blu?
- Blu-ray for the Holiday

And now there are even more deals:
- Black Friday Early Bird Deals. Between 02:00 and 11:00 (Pacific) you can get six Blu-ray titles for under $15: Indiana Jones, American Gangster, Transformers, Shooter, Kung Fu Panda, and Iron Man. (There are also six DVD titles for under $10, six more DVD titles for just $1.99, and Entourage Seasons 1-3 for $9.99 each.)

- The Movies & TV Black Friday Sale – Blu-ray. 246 titles to select from! Runs November 26 through December 2.

- Assorted Blu-ray Favorites, up to 61% off.

- Save up to 60% on over 550 DVD and Blu-ray titles.

Some of these were picked up via Format War Central or Blu-ray Stats News Log.

Amazon is running a couple more Blu-ray sales. First up is Feeling Blu? Select from 25 titles with up tp 43% off.

Next up is Blu-ray for the Holiday. This is a more attractive sale, with 79 titles with discounts of up to 48%.

Picked up from the Blu-ray Stats News Log.

Through November 27th, Thanksgiving here in the US, Amazon is running a special sale on Sony Blu-ray titles. The more movies you buy, the larger the discount you receive. Buy four to six titles and receive and save 15%, seven to nine titles and save 20%, and buy ten or more titles and save 25%! With 128 titles to choose from, this is a good opportunity to expand your Blu-ray collection.

Picked up from the Blu-ray Stats News Log.

Amazon really seems to be pushing Blu-ray, which is great news if you like your high-quality home video. They’re running two more sales.

First up is a Buy Two, Get One Free deal running through December 31st. It appears to be on Warner titles, with 112 of them to choose from.

And then there is a deep discount sale on Sony titles. While it is labeled as ‘up to 45% off’, 13 of the 17 titles in the sale are actually 54% off, three 45%, and one 44%.

Picked up from Format War Central and Blu-ray Stats News Log, respectively.

Amazon is running another Blu-ray sale, in this one buy a Sony Blu-ray player and two Sony BD movies, and receive two more BD films free. The Blu-ray players on offer are the BDP-S350 for $221.32, the BDP-S550 for $326.15, and the 80GB PS3 for $399.99. There are 20 Blu-ray titles to select from as part of the offer. The offer is good through November 27th.

Alternatively, through November 13th you can buy a Sony Blu-ray player or Blu-ray capable Sony VAIO PC and receive a free Blu-ray movie.

Keep in mind that previous Blu-ray promotions are also still running.

Picked up from the Blu-ray Stats News Log.

Amazon is running another major Blu-ray sale, this one is buy two, get one free on 147 titles. Prices range from $13.95 up to $54.95, of course the least expensive of the three is the one you get for free. If you’re planning to buy more than three you might play some games pairing up the titles by price and buying in batches of three.

Picked up from Blu-ray Stats News Log.

The bundle deal with The Ultimate Matrix Collection expired on the 18th, but they’ve replaced it with a new deal. Purchase the Samsung BD-P1500, currently listed at $223.60, and select two free Blu-ray titles from a list of 39 available. Pricing on the titles available run from $13.95 to $19.95. Not quite as good a deal as the Matrix promo, but still a pretty good one. Right now this looks like the best offer for a Profile 2.0 / BD-Live player.

Picked up from Blu-ray Stats News Log.