PC World Business

Sony is betting the PS3/Blu-Ray platform will be enough to drive sales for a full ten-year lifecycle, but don't tell that to Samsung. The South Korean maker of everything from TVs to Blu-Ray players thinks the HD disc format won't survive past five years.

"I think it [Blu-ray] has five years left, I certainly wouldn't give it 10", said Andy Griffiths, director of consumer electronics at Samsung UK told Pocket-lint.

At that point in time, Griffiths believes Blu-Ray will be replaced with a new format or technology (*cough* digital distribution).

But first, Samsung is prepared to make bank on Blu-Ray in 2008, a year in which it expects the format to peak and make the most money for the industry.

"It's going to be huge", he said. "We are heavily back-ordered at the moment."

It sounds like Samsung thinks Blu-Ray is a sprinter, not a marathon runner. It will be successful, it just won't last. Do you agree? Is your Blu-Ray collection blossoming in 2008?