The Cutting Edge / COMPUTING / TECHNOLOGY / INNOVATION : Japanese PC Drive Makers Join Sony Camp in Disc War : Electronics: Toshiba loses out as three firms say they will conform to the Sony-Philips’ standard.

Sony Corp. won a round Tuesday in its battle with Toshiba Corp. over a key consumer electronics technology when three major Japanese disk-drive makers joined the Sony camp.

Two groups of electronics firms led by Sony and Toshiba are promoting rival formats for next-generation digital video discs, which are expected to become a powerful new medium for selling movies and other entertainment programs.

Three major Japanese makers of personal computer disk drives said they would conform with the DVD format developed by Sony and its Dutch ally Philips Electronics.

The support from Mitsumi Electric Co. Ltd, TEAC Corp. and Ricoh Co. Ltd was viewed as a step toward persuading manufacturers of personal computers and office automation equipment makers to adopt the Sony standard.

The competing DVD standard developed by Toshiba Corp. is backed by consumer electronics giant Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Two U.S. movie companies, Matsushita’s affiliate MCA Inc. and Time Warner Inc., have also expressed support.

DVDs, which are compact discs with a diameter of 4.7 inches, are expected to hit the market in 1996.