Chinese manufacturers last week launched high-definition discs and players based on the China Blue High-Definition (CBHD) standard, intensifying the next generation disc format war in the world's most populous country, reports China Daily.

Lu Da, deputy director from the Optical Memory National Engineering Research Center (OMNERC) at Tsinghua University, said the CBHD-based discs and players are now ready for Chinese consumers.

"We have seen DVD replacing VCD during the past few years and we believe a similar trend will also happen when high-definition discs and players are available at affordable prices," he said.

Tony Vaughan, managing director of CAV Warner Home Entertainment, a joint venture between Warner Brothers and China Audio Video, said the company plans to release 100 CBHD titles in China this year, including Harry Potter, The Golden Compass, and Speed Racer.

Developed by OMNERC, CBHD has got wide support from the Chinese government and domestic manufacturers who wish to reduce their reliance on western technologies. CBHD competes with Blu-ray, a larger-capacity hidef disc, but much more expensive than CBHD discs at the moment.

The first two models of the CBHD players, made by domestic consumer electronic vendors TCL and Shinco, will sell for about yuan2,000 (€220). The price of a CBHD disc will be around yuan50 (€5.50).

"I think foreign companies need to face the fact that Chinese consumers are price-sensitive," Li said, "and that will not change for some new products or technologies." Vaughan added that the current pricing of Blu-ray products in China, where players are sold for yuan5,000 (€550) and discs yuan250 (€27.50) is "unacceptable" to the great masses. “The CBHD is a good option to provide high-quality products at appropriate prices to Chinese consumers,” he added.

Shi Wanwen, vice-president, TCL, said high-definition televisions have got a great boost in China in recent year and its cumulative shipment is expected to reach 70 million by 2011, creating a huge market for CBHD players.

"In China, there are few high-definition TV channels, so we think high-definition discs will be the major source of content for Chinese consumers to enjoy on their new TV sets," Shi said.
Sales of legitimate DVDs in China have been sluggish largely due to the rampant piracy resulting in great losses for content makers from home and aboard. Warner’s Vaughan believes Chinese consumers are willing to buy legitimate content as long as the price is appropriate.

As a supporter of Blu-ray technology, Warner Bros announced in February that it will support China's CBHD, making it the first, and the only Hollywood studio which is backing the standard. The company, however, also plans to release Blu-ray-based titles in China.

Story filed 27.04.09