Are Blu-ray Disc (BD) and HD DVD compatible with each other?

Blu-ray Disc (BD) and HD DVD technologies originate from directly competing commercial interests and although they share some common physical characteristics both disc families are significantly different from one another and thus mutually incompatible. It is, however, possible to design a player, drive or recorder to read and write BD and HD DVD discs by making the appropriate accommodations. In fact, several manufacturers (LG, Samsung) offer or have announced consumer electronics players and computer recorders that read BD and HD DVD discs but it is unclear at this early stage if such units are practical, desirable or even necessary. ... more