Blu-ray supports several video codecs. One is the old standby, MPEG2. It’s the oldy but goody. It’s currently in wide use, most commonly by the millions of DVD discs out there. But Blu-ray has a couple of new codec tricks up its sleave too. VC-1 and MPEG4-AVC both compress HD movies twice as hard as MPEG2 can, reducing the amount of disc space needed for an HD movie so much that it could fit on a red-laser DVD. (Actually, this is the basis of Blu-ray’s BD-9 variant.)

With these fancy new codecs at their beck and call, you’d expect studios to jump on them with both feet. But that’s not happening. Sony, for one, has decided to stick with MPEG2 for its HD BD (BD = Blu-ray Disc) movies.

I’m not sure people really care that much either way, but c|net seems to think so:

But the studios’ decisions could mean a great deal to companies that have invested heavily in creating or supporting the new video technologies. Microsoft has been betting that the adoption of its advanced video format by Hollywood studios, cable networks and satellite TV companies will help Windows-based devices capture a bigger share of the home entertainment market.

It might be the wisest thing to do. Stay with a known technology until the wrinkles get smoothed on the new stuff. Then make the step. But there are a few studios making the step already. Warner Brothers is leaning towards the use of VC-1, probably on BD-9 discs. And Fox is thinking that MPEG4-AVC might just suite their style.

Personally, I think BD-9 is a great idea. It’s a great transitionary technology while the costs of producing BD media comes down. Then the increased storage capacity of BD media will invite another wave of innovative ways of giving us consumers interesting content.

c|net - New high-definition DVDs to use old video technology?