Toshiba is widely expected to pull the plug on its HD DVD format sometime in the coming weeks, reliable industry sources say, after a rash of retail defections that followed Warner Home Video's announcement in early January that it would support only the rival Blu-ray Disc format after May.

Toshiba, together with Microsoft was one of the biggest/leading supporters of the HD-DVD format.

Source: Toshiba to drop HD DVD, sources say

Edited February 16, 200818 yr by Richard-BKK

Wall mart dropping HD-DVD and pushing blu ray only also recently.. Thats mass america so another nail..

Well that sucks, now that I bought an HD DVD player back in December!

It's Ok though, it still plays regular DVDs and guess what else it also upconverts them to provide a sort of quasi Hi Def. Anyway I don't care that much about Hi Def, more interested in content, I don't even care if the movie is in black and white!

But it still sucks! ! !

Rumor has it Microsoft was just about to introduce a HD-DVD version of the 360 as well. Too bad, too late. It's good that the format war is finally over, it has been ridiculous.

Does anyone know why HD DVD suddenly lost?

One important reasons, every PS3 is a Blu-ray video player

Does anyone know why HD DVD suddenly lost?

I don't know what the official reason would be but I suspect it was nothing more than consumer demand. Sales of blu ray movies dominated the market.

Warner going Blu-Ray exclusive definitely turned the tide and everyone followed...I think it sucks, because it's definitely the more expensive, less user friendly format, like all of Sony's "standards".

Ah well, I just hope HD downloads will flourish and spell the death of all disc-based media.

I think the PS3 simply ended the battle without that it would have dragged on for another year. Well played by Sony.

I belief that Sony and Phillips played the competition professionals. Phillips and Sony have an agreement to support and develop consumer standards, and I guess it works as we accepted the compact cassette player, CD-Audio, DVD, and a few more as worldwide standards before all developed by Phillips a Dutch company..

The irony is that Phillips manufacturers the Blu-Ray drives for Sony PS3, and hold a few patents which are used in the HD-DVD drives.

The main mistake that Sony didn't make is refusing to license the technology to other manufacturers like when they released the Beta format. Beta was superior to VHS but because you had to buy a Sony player at a premium price the inferior format VHS buried Betamax. And it didn't hurt that the PS3 was released standard with a Blu-Ray player, whist the X-Box 360 offers an HD-DVD player as an option. I am admittedly a Sony fan-boy but I have not yet bought a player on principal. I can't stand the HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection). I have an early Sony HDTV set and it doesn't meet the HDCP standard and I really don't feel like spending $1000s more so I can play BD. Myself I go for x246 Hi Def format ran through my laptop to the TV.

Not to mention I really don't feel like repurchasing 600+ DVDs I already own.

When the players get below $100 and the BDs are $10-$20 a piece I'll consider it. And Universal Studios seriously needs to consider releasing in BD and quit this HD-DVD only B.S.

Funny this is in a Thai Expat forum considering the prevailing format is still VCD in LOS

Edited February 17, 200818 yr by gunnyd

Does anyone know why HD DVD suddenly lost?

Yes.

It lost due to the reliability issues of the xbox 360 which stands at 33% failure rate within the first year. With that track record, BD (Blueray Disc) emerged the victor.

And now it is official hd-dvd death, with this the HD-DVD format is death, no large manufacturer to produce HD-DVD drives. With this, other manufacturers who previous announced HD-DVD loyalty are now changing there sounds....

Edited February 18, 200818 yr by Richard-BKK