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Feb 17, 2008


In a near climax to the long-drawn war between rival Gen-Next video formats, HD DVD and Blu-ray, Japanese electronics giant and chief supporter of the HD DVD format has announced it may withdraw the format.

A Kyodo News Agency report said (quoting unidentified sources) that Toshiba is reviewing its operations, and will decide later on the exact time of withdrawal of the HD DVD format -- depending on US demand for its HD DVD products, among other factors.

Of late, Toshiba has had to slash prices of its HD DVD machines to be able to sell them in the US.

The HD DVD format has been steadily losing market share to rival Blu-ray which is supported by Sony Corp, along with other electronics makers, and five major Hollywood studios.

A couple of recent announcements have further succeeded in eroding consumer confidence in the HD DVD format.

Last month, Warner Bros Entertainment decided to release movie discs only in the Blu-ray format, becoming the latest Hollywood studio to reject HD DVD.

A few days ago, Netflix announced it will stop carrying rentals in HD DVD. Similar decisions were taken by major US retailers, including Target Corp and Blockbuster.

Last Friday, USA's largest retail chain, Wal-Mart Stores, announced it will sell only Blu-ray DVDs and hardware, and no longer carry HD DVD wares.

Add to this, Toshiba's decision to withdraw the format, marks its near-sure death...

Anyways, for as long as the war has lasted, analysts have been betting on Blu-ray as emerging the ultimate winner. The bias towards Blu-ray is almost reminiscent of the video format war of the 80s when VHS eventually got the better of Sony's Betamax format.