HD DVD Player Obsolete

[repobanjo]

Source

Toshiba will discontinue its HD DVD products, it said Tuesday, handing victory to rival high definition disc format Blu-ray Disc.

The company will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders.

It will reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail markets and aims to cease the businesses altogether by the end of March.

But the Japanese electronics giant pledged to provide full product support and after-sales service for owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.

Recent changes in the market prompted the decision, Toshiba said. Early this year, Warner Bros. said it would stop issuing movies on HD DVD in the coming months and rely exclusively on Blu-ray Disc. The Hollywood studio was one of three major studios remaining in the HD DVD camp, and its defection created widespread belief that the battle between HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc was now over.

More recently, major U.S. retail chain Wal-Mart announced it would phase out the sale of HD DVD products, moving to exclusivity with Blu-ray Disc. Electronics retailer Best Buy also said it would back Blu-ray Disc, but it did not say it would stop offering HD DVD.

Warner made its decision based on consumer confusion and indifference to high definition movies, an indifference that cost Hollywood in lost revenue, it said. Wal-Mart said U.S. customers preferred Blu-ray Disc movies and hardware. Blu-ray Disc is the high definition disc format championed by Sony.

"This once again shows why incompatible and mutually exclusive formats should be avoided at all cost by the industry," said Carl Gressum, a senior analyst at Ovum. "It reduces profitability and delays customer adoption."

"The big question is, however, the impacts on Toshiba as an electronics company," he added. "It has after all bet its disc media business on HD DVD, as well as gone for HD DVD integration into some of its laptop PCs. The channel has inventory to clear, and demands from owners of HD DVD players."

Toshiba said its decision came after careful analysis of the long-term impact of continuing the format war, and said a swift decision was called for to help the high definition market develop.

The company also pledged to remain a player in the high definition market. Developing HD DVD created many assets for Toshiba and its partners, which include Microsoft, Intel, HP, and Universal Studios, the company said. Toshiba plans to work with these companies to seek future business opportunities.

Blu-Ray wins the format war. I'm shocked. Sony actually won a non-video game related battle. To all those people who said in the chat that HD DVD will win, you were wrong. No go out and buy a Blu-Ray. If you already have an HD DVD Player, go and refund it for a Blu-Ray. Oh, wait....

Still, the 360 can download HD movies, so I'm still gonna be doing my business there. My dad'll get the Blu-Ray he's always wanted, though.

[gdsmzroll]

aaaaaaaawwwwwwwwww you beat me to this tread.

I was planning on getting an HD DVD add-on for the 360, but ill probably buy a blu ray player now.

[Theguyoverthere]

PS3's might actually sell now..

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by Theguyoverthere

PS3's might actually sell now..

XD Good one. It's funny because it's NOT true .

[repobanjo]

It's not true because now that Blu-Ray is the true winner, they can go into mass production, and the price of Blu-Ray will drop.

Price drop for the PS3, then?

[gdsmzroll]

Originally Posted by Neza Kaz

XD Good one. It's funny because it's NOT true .

No wait, he may be right. This year the PS3 is gonna wage war on the 360. Trust me, the software lineup is powerful enough to defeat the 360, but thw wii still has ground.

For more info buy EGM March. You'll se why.

[DeLMrcs]

Heard about this, MS is now considering to go Blu-Ray, can't blame them.

[RareBK]

Originally Posted by DeLMrcs

Heard about this, MS is now considering to go Blu-Ray, can't blame them.

But making a $400 dollar console cost an extra $200 (Microsoft will no doubt jack up the price for a Blu-Ray Player for the 360) Is a stupid idea.

Now for non-360 uses, I guess it could work.

[DeLMrcs]

Originally Posted by RareBK

But making a $400 dollar console cost an extra $200 (Microsoft will no doubt jack up the price for a Blu-Ray Player for the 360) Is a stupid idea.

Whoever said it was for the 360?

Personally I don't care that much.

[Gold Jinjo]

I still see a lot of life left in regular DVD, so while Blu-Ray may have beat out HD DVD... HD itself still has to win the hearts of consumers. I don't see that happening any time soon.

[Timboid]

I'm getting an Xbox soon, and we were going to get an HD-DVD addon for it, but I guess we won't now. I'm sure they'll release a Blu-ray addon for the 360.

[Hakey Wake]

I saw the HD-DVD 360 add-ons go from £100 to £10 in the space of an hour, on eBay.

It was epic.

[Kain Horward]

Originally Posted by Gold Jinjo

I still see a lot of life left in regular DVD, so while Blu-Ray may have beat out HD DVD... HD itself still has to win the hearts of consumers. I don't see that happening any time soon.

I heartily agree.

[Tommy Walker]

So do we have to get rid of the HD's, or what?

PS. I still have a VCR 'cause I have a lot of old tapes, too.

[ConkerKing]

Torrents don't require either so i'm good.