I have to admit that, having agreed with our esteemed editor’s request to put together a story on what’s happening with high definition video formats, I faced the challenge with trepidation. I saw it as a bit like describing the movement of a glacier on steroids. This is really a monster!

First announced in 2002 Sony's Blu-ray format takes a very different approach to storing high definition material: a single-layer disc can store between 23 and 27GB of data, enough for four hours of high definition video. A dual-layer disc can hold between 46 and 54GB, more than enough for eight full hours.

I suppose you could see it coming if you looked really hard. But few of us probably had the patience to do so, infatuated as we are by the elegance and ease of use of DVD, which has taken the market by storm. The players are relatively easy to use, the movies are beguiling and the quality (when compared to VHS) is stunning.

Currently, some DVD players are priced at less than a decent meal at the local Chinese; my nearest Harvey Norman’s has them on the run for less than $50. The software, however, is still ticketed as high as the market will bear. But those bewitching platters of plastic in their stylish boxes pull us in every time.