The two industry groups fighting to set a rewritable DVD standard are showing no interest in working together, but technology tricks and behind-the-scenes talks could inch the sides toward a compromise.
The DVD+RW Alliance, an industry group promoting one of the chief DVD recording formats, came away from a quarterly meeting last week resolved to hold its ground in the standards fight. The DVD Forum, which promotes the DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM formats, doesn"t appear to be budging either.
A number of companies, though, are working on products to get around the format showdown. Consumer electronics giant Sony Electronics announced two new drives that will be able to read and write to both DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs
Chip giant Intel is also interested in standards, and according to sources, plans to speak with both groups to work out a possible compromise.
"There is a pretty big need to establish an interoperable standard," said Louis Burns, vice president of Intel"s desktop group. Burns would not elaborate on any plans. Yet sources close to the company said Intel was getting involved in the debate