Dual Format Laser for High-Def DVD a Possibility

It's been considered unlikely or impossible for a while now: The idea that Blu-Ray and HD-DVD might someday peacefully coexist in a single box.

Well, Ricoh has finally come up with a solution that just might make the impossible possible: A single laser than can read both types of high-definition DVDs (as well as regular DVDs and CDs).

Right now the technology is experimental and as beta as it gets. It'll be shown off this week in the flesh at a Japan optical electronics trade show.

Now comes the big problem, though: Licensing fees, different data structures and DRM formats, and agreements with the groups that allow such devices to be made. Then there's the not-so-little issue of how much such a beast might cost. Will Sony want its tech swimming in Toshiba's pool, and vice versa? We shall see!