It's official: Toshiba Quits HD DVD Business

[Shawn]

We knew it was coming. I always did favor Blu-Ray for its larger capacity, but HD DVD seemed to put more effort into the extras and such. RIP HD DVD.
---------------------------------
TOKYO (AP) -- Toshiba said Tuesday it will no longer develop, make or market HD DVD players and recorders, handing a victory to rival Blu-ray disc technology in the format battle for next-generation video.

The company said in a statement that the decision followed a thorough review of its overall strategy.

The move would make Blu-ray -- backed by Sony Corp., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which makes Panasonic brand products, and five major Hollywood movie studios -- the winner in the battle over high-definition DVD formatting that began several years ago.

"We concluded that a swift decision would be best," Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida told reporters at the company's offices in Tokyo.
linky

 

[Kristian Meller]

Alright then.

Now, where are the $10 HD DVD's?

 

[RAINBOW PONY]

My creditcard is locked and loaded for the firesale. Just ordered another A35 last night for a future backup machine.

 

[lithy]

My creditcard is locked and loaded for the firesale. Just ordered another A35 last night for a future backup machine.

A backup to play what exactly?

 

[Kristian Meller]

All those cheap ass HD DVD movies, and of course the ones already owned.

I'm not parting with mine, and I plan on spending every cent I can in the firesale.

 

[RAINBOW PONY]

A backup to play what exactly?

a backup player for my hddvds, broseph.

[All those cheap ass HD DVD movies, and of course the ones already owned.

I'm not parting with mine, and I plan on spending every cent I can in the firesale.

give it two years, and the collectors market will emerge for HDDVD, and we'll know what the real rare discs are... anyone selling now is a moron, you'll be lucky to get 10 dollars a disc, if that. deepdiscount has 12 dollar HDDVDs brand new, like 30 titles, i just ordered 100 dollars worth.

 

[Baseley09]

this is the best time to get into HD-DVD, if i had any money id get right on it.

 

[kobylka68]

Sales of the Players were shockingly Low

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/19/live-from-toshibas-hd-dvd-press-conference-in-tokyo/

Q: How many HD DVD players and recorders, exactly, did you sell?
A: 600,000 players in the US -- 300,000 of which were Xbox 360 HD DVD drives. 100,000 units were sold in Europe. And about 10,000 players and 20,000 recorders in Japan. So about 730,000 units worldwide.

Only 300,000 standalones sold in the US. OUCH.

 

[jamie666]

What will this mean within the Blu-Ray market? More titles and higher prices?

 

[smokehouse]

Well..I'm not 100% happy to see BR win out but at least the ball can get rolling with one format. I hope they soon get 100% backing. I'll be getting a BR player sooner or later and can now look forward to a complete library.






...with that said...let's get LotR, Fight Club and Star Wars released already!!!

 

[Magician]

So sad.

Guess I'll finally get around to moving my collection as I planned a couple weeks ago.

 

[SpamYouToDeath]

...with that said...let's get LotR, Fight Club and Star Wars released already!!!

At least now they can't use the Laserdisc master for their "original trilogy" releases.

 

[Kristian Meller]

What will this mean within the Blu-Ray market? More titles and higher prices?

More titles and LOWER prices.

 

[Sorwah]

Why lower prices?

I mean with no competition they can price however they want. With competition they'd certainly go as low as they could.

 

[Baseley09]

Lower prices to try and entice people away from DVD, its still early days for HD media so as more people get players, prices should come down as they did with DVD before it.

 

[marsteam]

Q: How many HD DVD players and recorders, exactly, did you sell?
A: 600,000 players in the US -- 300,000 of which were Xbox 360 HD DVD drives. 100,000 units were sold in Europe. And about 10,000 players and 20,000 recorders in Japan. So about 730,000 units worldwide.

Wow... HD-DVD really will be rarer than LD. I don't know the total sales figures for LaserDisc machines, but you have to believe its more than 360K.

730 thousand. That's IT?!? And only HALF of those are standalone players? Was there any doubt that movie studios and retailers saw the PlayStation 3's TEN MILLION userbase and knew what the score really was?

 

[DangerousK]

Forbidden Planet I think might be the rarest US HD DVD title.

I heard the sales on this were not good at all...I don't think they pressed a lot of these.

Well, it's better Toshiba got out now. Then we don't have to deal with anymore of this format war bullshit.

My only question really is how long before Paramount starts re-printing the BD's they put out before they jumped ship, and when does Universal plan on releasing on BD.

 

[Kristian Meller]

Why lower prices?

I mean with no competition they can price however they want. With competition they'd certainly go as low as they could.

Companies compete against each other for shares of the software and hardware markets and now that the war is over, Funai is ready to unleash their budget hardware, which will quickly bring out various $100 players, to really expand the market a lot. This will also force Sony, Philips, Samsung, Panasonic and so on to have players that are no more than $200. It won't remove the high end market (that certainly didn't happen with DVD), but it'll give people some cheaper options.

 

[Mushiki]

Sony Won.

 

[lithy]

LOL Out Loud...

Collectible?

Please.

 

[Rade K]

LOL Out Loud...

Collectible?

Please.

Some people like to take it to the bitter end.

 

[Buro Destruct]

Sony Won.

Man I thought you were done with the fanboism.

Anyway, glad to finally see a clear decision in this ridiculous "war".

PSTRIPLE IS ABAP BABY.

 

[Baseley09]

Wow... HD-DVD really will be rarer than LD. I don't know the total sales figures for LaserDisc machines, but you have to believe its more than 360K.

Laserdisc players were on sale for around 20 years from over 50 manufacturers, so I think its fair to say they sold a fair few more.

 

[Mushiki]

Man I thought you were done with the fanboism.

Just trying to piss people off

Especially the people that stated that Blu-ray = Sony.

 

[DangerousK]

Just trying to piss people off

Especially the people that stated that Blu-ray = Sony.

Here is the list of companies that make up the Blu-ray Disc Association....remember folks, contrary to what you want to believe, Sony is just one of many.

Apple Inc.
Dell Inc.
Hewlett-Packard Company
Hitachi, Ltd.
LG Electronics
Mitsubishi Electric
Panasonic (Matsushita Electric)
Pioneer Corporation
Royal Philips Electronics
Samsung Electronics
Sharp Corporation
Sony Corporation
Sun Microsystems
TDK Corporation
Thomson SA
Twentieth Century Fox
Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Warner Home Video Inc.