Sharp speeds up diode manufacturing for Blu-ray and HD DVD.

Mike Bantick
Wednesday, 20 December 2006 11:00

Your IT - Entertainment

Sharp Corporation has decided that the time is right to get stuck into the High Definition video market by ramping up the output of blue laser diodes.

Sony may dominate the market, but Sharp has heard what we have all heard; Sony blaming production of the diode as the main delay of products such as the PlayStation 3 and its inbuilt Blu-Ray disc drive

Now Reuters is reporting a Tokyo based Sharp spokesman Hroshi Takenami, stating that November saw the electronics manufacture churn out 150,000 blue laser diodes.  These diodes can be used in either the chiefly Sony backed Blu-ray or Toshiba (and Microsoft) backed HD DVD players and writers.

It will cost them several billion Yen, but the plan is to aim for a monthly output of half a million units by the end of 2007.

The obvious consumer benefit from this announcement could be the lowering of player pricing, possibly resulting in a competitively priced dual HD DVD Blu-Ray player being produced.  

Could it also mean improved output of PS3 units with increased competition between Sony and Sharp?  Lets hope so.