Got confused by the title? Well don't be, as while the 3X DVD is an idiotic name for this format, the idea is very cool and has plenty of uses. The 3X DVD is a new hybrid format by the HD-DVD camp, that brings the benefits of high definition video on the affordable DVD format. The trick is to use max resolution of 720p (instead of 1080p), and utilize the VC-1 or AVC video compression codec for higher compression ratio to fit the content on a normal DVD disc. If you do the math of resolution, bitrate and a more efficient codec, the end result should look pretty good. And the size of the movie would be reduced from 25G to 9G maximum, which of course would be much better for the Internet...

Doug Carson & Associates (DCA), makers of DVD mastering software, announced today that the first 3X DVD-ROM disc was officially mastered over the weekend, a move that some think will allow HD DVD to become more popular and possibly even win the ongoing "format war" with Blu-ray. The disc is a standard, red-laser DVD disc, but will carry higher-def content on it than standard DVDs and is only playable on HD DVD players. The disc will still support HD DVD's UDF 2.5 file structure as well as AACS copy protection.

Also part of the 3X HD DVD news was Eclipse Data Technology's announcement that the company would offer free upgrades that would allow for the mastering of 3X HD DVD discs to replication facilities using their encoding hardware. "As interest for the 3X DVD format grows, we want to give our customers a low cost way to experiment and learn the process," said Eclipse's VP of sales and marketing, Bob Edmonds. DCA also acknowledges that several manufacturers are looking at the new 3X format "as a low cost entry into the HD video market."

Source: Arstechnica