Microsoft has denied there will be a new HD DVD drive next year or any new PC support, claiming a misquote. A Microsoft spokesperson also told me this morning that there will be no plans to incorporate HD DVD into the PC platform in the future.

Not too many people were paying attention to the briefing, but I was taking notes and a journalist on PCW's sister title, ComputerActive, can also confirm what I heard, especially since we discussed it afterwards.

Interestingly enough a female reporter, also present at the event, recorded the whole conversation on a Dictaphone.

He may have said something he didn't mean to, but Mark Bennett, business development director for HD DVD at Microsoft Europe, told me there would be a new HD DVD drive in 2008 when I pressed him about the dominance of Blu-ray in the market.

Bennett wouldn't go into details and I have no idea what kind of drive might be on the horizon, since it could be new colours, a slimmer redesign or internal changes to support upcoming triple layer HD DVDs.

Microsoft, HD DVD, HDD, Hard Disk, Hard Drive, HD DVD Drive, Xbox 360

Source:→ Personal Computer World