Fed up of choosing between Blu-ray and DVD? Universal is launching Flipper discs with the Blu-Ray version of a movie on one side, and the DVD version on the other.
Hoping to elevate the Blu-ray format, Universal claims its "groundbreaking dual-format discs" are "the perfect way for consumers to future-proof their collections while still enjoying their favourite movies on all their existing DVD players".
The dual-format medium will store an entire DVD movie and extras on one side, with a Blu-ray movie and BD special features on the other. The disc will be playable in both DVD and Blu-ray drives by simply flipping to the required side.
Universal's first flipper discs will be The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, launched on January 19, 2010.
In recent years, similar technologies have been trialled by other major studios. Warner Bros. once fused HD DVD and Blu-ray on a single disc as part of its Total HD format, and Disney continues to bundle many of its Blu-ray movies with a free copy of the movie on DVD, too.
Universal's method makes implicit sense, we reckon, as it allows consumers without Blu-ray players to buy high-def movies that they can watch in the DVD format today, and in Blu-ray at a later stage. Useful, too, for those who have only one Blu-ray player in the house.
