Stephen of Borg 2 Posted February 19, 2008 Blu-ray technology poised for victory Competitor appears ready to pull plug on HD DVD format (February 19, 2008) — Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray technology is emerging as the likely winner in the format battle for the next generation of DVD players, with Toshiba Corp. appearing ready to ditch its HD DVD business. Such a move will help consumers know which system to invest in and will boost sales of Blu-ray gadgets, analysts said. But it will disappoint the 1 million people around the world estimated by Toshiba who already have bought HD DVD players. "You could see it coming. The handwriting has been on the wall for some time now," said Ken Breese, video buyer for Charlotte Furniture and Appliances in Rochester, which sells both formats. "It's unfortunate for people who were developing collections (of HD DVD movies), but it's good that it'll finally be over. It does clear things up." Rich Ciaraldi, electronics manager for Rowe Photographic Video and Audio in Rochester, which sells Blu-ray, said the end of the format war will bring buyers off the fence. Toshiba, which has its headquarters in Tokyo, said Monday no decision had been made but acknowledged it had started a review of its strategy. The comments followed a flurry of weekend media reports in Japan that the company was close to pulling the plug on the HD DVD business. Both formats deliver crisp, clear high-definition pictures and sound, but they are incompatible with each other, and neither plays on older DVD players. HD DVD was touted as being cheaper because it was more similar to previous video technology, while Blu-ray boasted bigger recording capacity. Both formats play on high-definition TVs. Only one video format has been expected to emerge as the victor, much like VHS trumped Betamax in the video format battle of the 1980s. This time, however, it appears Tokyo-based Sony will end up on the winning side after being the loser with Betamax. Blu-ray disc technology has won the support of Matsu(I'm trying to say a bad word but can't)a Electric Industrial Co., which makes Panasonic brand products, as well as five major Hollywood movie studios and several leading retailers, including Wal-Mart and Target. The reasons behind Blu-ray's apparent triumph are complex, analysts said, as marketing, management maneuvers and other factors are believed to have played into the shift to Blu-ray's favor that became more decisive during the recent holiday shopping season. Breese said he could see HD DVD losing ground when Toshiba slashed its price and started adding up to seven free DVDs with a purchase. Meanwhile, strong demand has made it increasingly difficult to keep Blu-ray in stock, he said. "Blu-ray was definitely winning the battle." Ciaraldi said people familiar with the battle watched the movie studios such as Walt Disney, Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros. line up behind Blu-ray and predicted the outcome. "There was no doubt in my mind Blu-ray was going to prevail," he said. "There was just more content available on Blu-ray." Breese said HD DVD owners can still enjoy their product. The Toshiba machines can play standard DVDs and will improve the quality of the picture, he said. Meanwhile, the HD DVD movies will likely start selling at bargain prices until the inventory is gone. Since I have PS3 (that also serves as a Blu-ray DVD player) this is great news!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kor37 9 Posted February 19, 2008 I felt like Indiana Jones choosing a chalice when I went to buy a hi-def dvd player a few months ago. Apparently........I have chosen wisely..... :P Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VaBeachGuy 12 Posted February 19, 2008 Yep, I saw this coming. In fact I got my Blu Ray DVD burner yesterday. I'm building a new computer just for Blu Ray burning. Of course if anyone wants an HD-DVD player you can get them for under $100 now... http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDeta...=k9470&mid= If they'd done that 6 months ago HD might have won... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
A l t e r E g o 9 Posted February 19, 2008 I wonder if/how this will affect future Star Trek Remastered sets, a rumor I heard says they've been cancelled. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wishfire 2 Posted February 19, 2008 The winner was obvious once the PS3 came out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
