The Japanese unit of Microsoft Corp. said on Monday the company's next-generation operating system, Longhorn, would be compatible with HD DVD, an advanced form of DVD technology.
The show of support from Microsoft is considered a boost for the next-generation, blue-laser DVD technology, which is promoted by Japanese conglomerates NEC Corp. and Toshiba Corp.
Blue light, with a shorter wavelength than the red laser used in conventional DVD recorders, can read and store data at the higher densities needed for high-definition recordings.
An executive at Microsoft's Japanese unit said at a briefing on HD DVD technology that it was not yet decided whether Longhorn, the next version of Windows, would support the rival Blu-ray technology from a consortium of companies, including Sony Corp. and Philips Electronics.
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