Next-gen tech tries to keep the DVD juggernaut rolling

While DVDs and their players are still selling robustly at all levels of retail, the industry is already buzzing about what will shape the next phase in a never-ending format evolution. Two distinct camps have emerged, and only one point of agreement unites them: Consumers are starting to invest in high-definition TVs at a good clip (see charts on page 64), and standard DVD players and disks aren't currently up to the task of delivering HD content. It's clearly time for an upgrade since nobody wants the multi-billion-dollar DVD business to get knocked out of the market by competing HD content delivery modes like VOD. But with a format prizefight brewing, that may be exactly what happens if the two sides can't find a way to come together.