HD DVD stands for High Definition Digital Versatile Disc. It is a round and thin disc that looks almost exactly like a CD or DVD. It is actually very similar to CDs and DVDs in all aspects except one. The difference is that a HD DVD can hold much more information than the CD/DVDs of the past. The way they packed more information into the same space mainly comes from the color of the laser that is used to read the disc. HD DVDs are read by a blue-violet laser beam instead of the traditional red beam. The blue-violet color has a shorter wavelength that makes it capable of focusing on a smaller more precise area. That way you can just stuff all of the information closer together on the same size disc.

How much more information? An HD DVD holds about 3 times more information than a DVD. With this extra space you can fit HD quality movies and sound. Specifically a 720p/1080i resolution picture vs. a 480i movie on a DVD. A disc can hold any other type of information besides movies, but video is the most popular use for a DVD world wide. This is why many companies are competing to release home theater HD DVD players. Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. and Universal Studios have already released lists of titles that will be available on HD DVD. Toshiba has already announced two players that it will manufacture. HD DVD is in direct competition with Blu-Ray, which implements a similar technology that is not compatible. Blu-Ray was developed by Sony and is backed by the Blu-Ray Association including Apple, Hitachi, Dell, HP, LG, JVC, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Pioneer, Phillips, Samsung, Sharp, TDK, Thomson and Sony. Both technologies have similar launch dates and offer similar features.

HD DVD players will utilize a new kind of cable called HDMI for transmitting digital picture and sound. This cable has multiple wires for both video and audio that ensures the clearest quality. The use of one wire for both video and audio creates less clutter than previous technology. The players will also feature s-video and component connections to offer a wide range of usage capabilities.