Video Disc Rivals Talking

Companies backing rival formats for video compact discs have started talks on creating a single standard for what many analysts think will replace tapes for full-length movies, the companies said Friday.

The two camps, one led by Toshiba Corp. and Time Warner Inc. and the other by Sony Corp. and Philips Electronics NV, have been locked in a bitter battle over which type of digital video disc should become an industry standard.

The discs are the same size as CDs, but can store more than two hours of high-quality video as well as computer data and other information. Many analysts believe they could become the next major home-entertainment hit if the rivals reconcile their differences and produce a single standard.