China has started to crack down on pirated HDVD video disks, which have a much bigger capacity than ordinary DVD disks, the Ministry of Culture said Thursday.

A HDVD can store a 10-episode TV serial or eight-movie-long video data, while an ordinary DVD holds just one movie of about two hours in length, the Ministry noted.

The video disks, which were marked as DVD-9, DVD-ROM or PC-DVD,played on both DVD players and computers, attract buyers for theirlarge capacity and low price.

The nationwide campaign against pirated HDVD products, which was launched Thursday, will last till Feb. 28 next year. The administration will impose strict inspections on video and audio wholesalers, retailers and lending shops, the source added.

The pirated HDVD products, usually sold by venders at big shopping centers for computers and software, have severely menacedand jeopardized the legal distribution of movies and TV plays, theministry source said.

Source: Xinhua