Blu-ray may have won the format battle, but it may not have won the HD war – at least according to a scientist at THX.
THX is part of George Lucas’ empire, and Laurie Fincham, one of the company’s scientists, told Mobile Magazine: "I think it's too late for Blu-ray. I think consumers will only be interested in replacing DVD when HD movies become available on flash memory. Do we really need another spinning format?
“In the future, I want to be able to carry four to five movies around with me in a wallet, or walk into a store and have someone copy me a movie to a USB device. Stores will like that idea, because it's all about having zero inventory. I don't want to take up shelf space with dozens of HD movies."
Clarification
THX’s senior PR manager Graham McKenna clarified the comment after inevitable ‘THX declare Blu-ray dead’ headlines, adding: THX recognizes the quality and benefits that the Blu-ray HD format brings to the home theater experience.
“We are dedicated to supporting Blu-ray with new THX technologies and other initiatives.
“At its very core, THX is about advancing the quality of the entertainment experience, whether that is on optical disc, downloads or other emerging media. I believe Mr. Fincham’s comments reflect that broader goal.”
The inevitable PR fire-fighting aside, it’s interesting that a senior figure in one of the most respected sound reproduction firm believes that flash memory, rather than HD downloads is the future.
