Toshiba's board to kybosh HD DVD this week?
Troubled format doomed, claim Japanese moles
Toshiba's board of directors will this week meet to put an end to the company's production of HD DVD machines, it has been claimed.
Sources cited by Japanese broadcaster NHK this weekend alleged that the consumer electronics giant will stop making HD DVD players and recorders at its Aomori Prefecture province plant.
They also said Toshiba's board has convened an extraordinary meeting to ratify the plan.
Last week, rumours coming out of the US had Toshiba conceding defeat to the Sony-led Blu-ray Disc format within a matter of weeks. While Toshiba itself did not comment on the claims, the language used by its executives indicated the company might be willing to admit that HD DVD had lost the format war.
On Friday, US retail giant Wal-Mart confirmed what a company insider had already revealed: that it would begin offering only Blu-ray Disc products from June.
Even if Toshiba hasn't reached the point where it's ready to call it quits on HD DVD, there's no question the format is losing momentum. Last week, Best Buy and Netflix said they would go exclusively Blu-ray following strong sales of the the format, primarily thanks to Sony's PlayStation 3.
COMMENTS
hmm..
"'the other reason I'm not buying a Blu-Ray player is the fact that there's no guarantee the player I buy today will work with the disks I buy tomorrow.'
No, you ARE guaranteed to be able to play the movie, which let's face it is the important part. It's all the extras that may not be compatible."
Now who's cherry-picking ? If you're content to only have part of the product you paid for working, then good luck to you.
"'I guess any blu-ray manufacturers who aren't Sony can start getting concerned round about now'
Again, No. The blu-ray standards have to be available to ALL consortium members. This is not a sony owned proprietory format, lots of different companies are involved."
Yep, available to all. And since DVD was invented, we've seen that manufacturers just can't adhere to standards - remember when The Matrix wouldn't play on a fair few players? My point is that with a moving target (as people become more adept at BR authoring, they'll push to the latest standards - this has always been the way it works), this situation is likely to only get worse.
@The last ananymous coward
RE: suggesting Sony will fix the price of BR. B******S. Do you even KNOW who the BR manufacturing partners are?
http://www.blu-raydisc.com/general_information/Section-14009/Index.html
Pioneer, LG, Samsung and Pioneer, as well as Sony.
What do you think those four will say if Sony say "I know chaps lets keep the price artifically high"? The only one who would clap their hands in glee is Apple.
Ill informed, silly and entirely irrelevant comments on the situation.
That wouldn't be Tim would it posting as an AC?!
The ONLY good thing
Only plus point on this is that finally all the Sony fanboys can finally give us peace about how much "better" Blu is despite it being EXACTLY the same. Extra storage means zip when you can't access it (i.e. extra features on films which most blu owners can't access) so there was never any actual benefit.
Personally I love my hd-dvd player and think its a crying shame its dying off. I would have bought blu if it wasn't so flippin expensive and may yet if they come down in price... BUT... does anyone for a minute think they'll come down in price now that theres zero competition? I doubt it. Sony have always overpriced their products and I can't see any reason they'd change now.
@ Anne van der Bom
How does your reasoning apply to 'Betamax' vs 'VHS' then?
@ Mark
You really have a hardon for $ony / Bluray.
What's your story, Skid?
