Software monster Microsoft and electronics giant Toshiba signed a patent cross licensing agreement. This will let the two companies use each other’s stuff without having to pay fees to the respective companies.
This could be a boon for both companies. Toshiba is currently locked in a sword duel of electronics companies with Sony over the format of the forthcoming blue laser technology high definition DVDS. Toshiba has the HD-DVD and Sony has the Blu-Ray format. Most people would bet on Sony to be honest but Toshiba, who recently upped their disk to 45 gigs vs. 30 gigs may be able to compete although the price point isn’t there. Sony is still the man to beat though.
Microsoft waged a war if attrition with Sony on the Xbox. Sony’s PS2 has been the dominant force in console games. With Microsoft’s new Xbox 360, they MUST close the market share gap in order to compete. They are planning on offering they Xbox towards the end of the year to take advantage of the holiday season. They debuted the new Xbox on MTV today. They say it has HD capabilities. Of course most people don’t have the HD tvs but that’s beside the point.
Sony’s PS3 will be out probably in the first half of next year. The rumors are that Sony will integrate it’s Blu-Ray technology into the thing and that would make sense. Then one could play DVDs just like you can in the PS2. But with this patent sharing deal with Microsoft and Toshiba, what if, and this is purely speculation mind you, what if they took Toshiba’s HD-DVD and stuck in the Xbox. It would open some new doors certainly. Especially if a new 45 Gb HALO came out as one of the new and improved HD-DVDs. That would put them months ahead of Sony in the game and give both Microsoft and Toshiba some leverage.
I could be totally off the mark here but I’d say this is one of the primary plans of the future. Toshiba had to do some slight retooling of the product when they added the third layer to the DVD. Microsoft may have to do some minor retooling for their player too but I think it would certainly be the way to go for Microsoft and Toshiba.
John Stith is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business.
