The DVD Forum Steering Committee has finally approved amended specifications for the 51 GB three layer HD DVD disc, meaning the disc, dubbed Version 2.0, can possibly begin to move into production.

It’s not clear if this approval, which happened during its most recent meeting on Nov. 15, officially opens the door for production to begin on the 51 GB disc. At deadline, the minutes to the meeting were not yet available at the DVD Forum Web site. Reps for the HD DVD format were not immediately available.

A 51GB HD DVD would likely help the format gain ground in its war with Blu-ray, which has long advocated its superiority by being able to generate 50 GB titles for some time.

It is not completely clear whether the decision officially opens the door for production to begin but those details should be available soon. The new, larger capacity HD DVD should help the format gain even more ground in its war against Blu-ray as the Blu-ray camp has long advocated its superiority due to the ability to generate 50 GB titles.