Microsoft News Tracker

Scott M. Fulton, III has the story at Toms’ Hardware Guide:

Redmond (WA) - In an exclusive interview with Tom’s Hardware Guide, one of Microsoft’s lead representatives on the DVD Forum Steering Committee said that decisions regarding whether his company and Intel would back and promote HD DVD as a high-definition video disc standard, were determined only within the last few days. Prior to some critical recent developments and announcements, both companies - which had proclaimed neutrality - may have been ready to back Blu-ray.

“Until now, we viewed ourselves more as a technology provider for both groups,” said Jordi Ribas, Microsoft’s director of technology strategy for Windows Digital Media, and a key developer of the VC-1 codec currently in use by both HD DVD and Blu-ray. He revealed that Microsoft and Intel had produced a list of what he called “key requirements for the success of next-generation DVD.”
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Blu-ray failed the Intel/Microsoft test in six critical areas, Ribas told us, referring to a document listing those areas that a Microsoft spokesperson provided to Tom’s Hardware Guide
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“Intel was looking at similar issues,” said Ribas, “and [we] realized, ‘We are getting very close to getting these things into the market, we have to stop hoping or expecting or believing promises. We have to look at what’s real and what’s not.’ That’s where our decision came from.”

Many more details including the six critical areas by following the link.