Apple To Back Blu-ray and HD-DVD?

ThinkSecret claims to have uncovered documents that indicate that Apple may support both the Blu-ray and HD-DVD next-generation high definition DVD formats. Apple joined Blu-ray's board of directors on March 10, 2005, and has been expected to include the technology in future Mac Pros, however the ongoing changes in the HD-DVD / Blu-ray market war may be changing Apple's plans.

Blu-ray has seen stiff competition from HD-DVD, which beat the product to market and has consistently undercut Blu-ray's price point. Another point of interest is that Intel has supported HD-DVD since September of 2005. While ThinkSecret points out that neither format has yet to claim any clear market lead, some still view Blu-ray's trump card as the upcoming Playstation 3.

Blu-ray had initially gained a lot of studio support, but recently Universal Studios has decided to drop initial support for Blu-ray. Warner Brothers, who has not yet officially sanctioned a format, has recently filed for a patent for a Blu-ray / HD-DVD / DVD hybrid disk.

In 2004, Steve Jobs went on record siding with content creators on the topic of high definition DVD burners and the timing of their inclusion in computer hardware.

As the CEO of Pixar [ed note: now part of Disney], Jobs is taking sides with content creators, suggesting that studios not release movies in the high-definition DVD format until adequate copy protection methods are in place. Jobs even suggests that HD DVD burners not be bundled with computers at all, but admits this is an "extreme" scenario.