Aehso’s Output

Blu-ray requires a JVM, Microsoft don’t do JVMs

Engadget have a great page on the ongoing Blu-ray vs HD DVD battlethat seems to have reached a critical point.

Microsoft’s public statement, in support of HD DVD, cites Blu-ray’s lack of support for managed copy and HD DVD’s better backward compatibility as the reason they are supporting HD DVD.
Both of these claims look shallow. Backward compatibility could easily be achieved if the drives add a second (red) laser and optical pickup - dirt cheap to do. Managed copy can also easily be implemented in Blu-ray’s existing AACS content protection system - it’s just not part of the underlying disk format.

So what’s the real reason why Microsoft won’t back Blu-ray? A small footnote in Engadgets page hints:

The Java platform is mandatory on Blu-ray as it’s the standard for menus/multimedia (i.e. all Blu-ray systems must support JVM) (1)

In other words, to support Blu-ray, Microsofts player would have to use Java to render the Blu-ray disks user interface - interactive menus etc (current DVDs use pre-rendered MPEG menu elements with very simple control interfaces). Does Microsoft want to depend on a Java Virtual Machine for anything? Like hell they do.

This week TG Daily report that HP have appealed to the Blu-ray Disc Association to implement two missing features: Managed Copy and oh, this other little thing called iHD. What is iHD you might ask? It’s the XML based interface definition format used by HD-DVD. It would not require players from vendors like Microsoft to use Java.

As the article above clearly states, HP have completely changed their position on both issues and its not half obvious there is a Microsoft gun stuck in their back. The question is why would the rest of the Blu-ray Disc Association listen to this demand/request when they know it is really from Microsoft who, having backed the competing horse, are now desperatly trying to hedge their bets? I’d imagine there is some amount of horse trading going on between members of the Blu-ray Association Board but Sony are sitting is a very enviable position. At best they will freeze Micrsoft out of the Blu-ray player market, at worst they might concede on iHD and compete on a more level playing field.

Today, Sony hold the tactical advantage over their biggest home media competitor.

(1) More info in Wikipedia

2 Comments to Blu-ray requires a JVM, Microsoft don’t do JVMs

1. 

   Java was originally designed to do exactly this sort of thing. (MS does not want the focus to be on Java. Java is an AWESOME technology!!) I am not surprised that Microsoft is shaking in their boots. I have been with Java since 1996. This (Blu-ray + Java) is a match made in heaven. High Def content + Ethernet + Java. Microsoft is trying to get the word out that it is anything but…

   Needless to say, Microsoft is shameless in their desperation to remain relevant. They will stop at nothing to squash *superior* technologies to their own. I’m sure we’ll see more ugliness from them before this is over.
BlueRayMan on October 21st, 2005

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