Ding Dong HD-DVD is Dead
Figures, I sided in the HD-DVD camp. Today Toshiba, the primary backer of HD-DVD, has announced it will no longer produce drives that read HD-DVD’s paving the way for Bluray to be the next gen DVD successor.
Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.
HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.
“We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called ‘next-generation format war’ and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop,” said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. “While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality.”
Bummer. I really thought the HD-DVD standard was better, picture was clearer and players were faster. Thankfully now I can start building up my HD movie collection!
7 Comments, Comment or Trackback
I.A.
If you picked an HD-DVD player, these guys have an idea how to make that player more useful using electrical tape.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH51u_-Kabw
Feb 19th, 2008
Nick
There we go! haha But yeah, finally. These prices on the players will start to fall and we’ll see many more movies to the blu side.
Feb 19th, 2008
Ian
What? Format war over? Is this why I’m having a hard time finding new releases on Betamax? Damn those VHS people! Guess I’ll have to go out and buy a new tape player.
Feb 20th, 2008
Anthony
When I bought my xBox 360 add-on and PS3 within 2 week of each other, both formats were pretty new. Back then HD DVD was using a more advanced video codes while Blu-Ray was still using MPEG2. There was a definite HD DVD adwantage. But months go by and Blu-Ray start using better codecs and transfers look identical on muli-platform discs.
Will I dump my HD DVDs and player? Hell no, The movies I have look and sound great. I might even pick up a stand alone HD DVD player on eBay once peple start dumping their higher end equipment.
Feb 20th, 2008
Nigel
Finally. Now we can move forward. There are so many movies I want to see in HD, that can now finally be released.
Feb 20th, 2008
Steven
HD-DVD standard is better?? I’d much rather have a box using Java to do interactive content than Microsoft-owned HDi.
HD-DVD picture is clearer?? They both support 1080p, they both support the same codecs…the difference is that Blu has higher capacity and bandwidth to enable lower compression (and they’re all lossy, so that’s important).
I wouldn’t know about players being any slower or faster, my PS3 seems fast to me. Not any slower than watching DVDs, anyway.
Anyway, it’s all a moot point now…time to let the market do its magic and get Blu to the current DVD price point so I don’t have to netflix EVERYTHING.
Feb 20th, 2008
Sire Dimitry
WOW I would have to say that was a short life span. I wonder how we will store information in 10 years?
Feb 21st, 2008
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