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HD DVD Twin format arrives in the US

The first HD DVD “Twin” format disc has arrived in the US, under the anime title Freedom: Volume 1. This title is part 1 in a series of 6 volumes from Bandai Visual, a popular anime production studio in Japan. Freedom 1 is also the very first commercial anime film to be released in high definition in North America.

A twin format disc should not be confused with a combo disc. HighDefDigest breaks down the twin format details on their site.

Unlike combo discs, one side has a printed label, while the other side looks just like a normal HD DVD disc. Pop it in an HD DVD player or a standard-def player, however, and the twin-format disc starts to work its magic, auto-detecting the player format and hopping to the proper layer without the user having to make any selection.

The twin format HD DVD/DVD disc contains one DVD layer and one HD DVD layer, enabling it to be played on either a standard DVD or an HD DVD player. This single sided architecture is more durable than the double sided HD DVD combo disc format, which is easier to scratch or damage.

Do twin format discs cost less to manufacture compared to combo format discs? Possibly. Will the twin format discs become more popular in the US? Probably not, unless a twin format disc with 2 HD DVD layers is developed and readied for the market. For more information on Freedom: Volume 1, visit Bandai Visual.

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