Rumor: Toshiba gearing up to drop HD DVD
by Xav de Matos 
{ Feb 15th 2008 at 3:00PM }
Our friends at Engadget stumbled upon information that seems to mark the final nail in the HD DVD coffin. Citing unnamed industry sources, The Hollywood Reporter says they've been told the dying format will be buried in the next coming weeks. Jodi Sally, vp of marketing for Toshiba America Consumer Products insists that nothing has been confirmed for the future of HD DVD saying, "based on its technological advancements, we continue to believe HD DVD is the best format for consumers, given the value and consistent quality inherent in our player offerings."
While nothing has been set in stone for the format Sally did offer a hint that Toshiba is considering the exodus of the HD format. "Given the market developments in the past month," she said, "Toshiba will continue to study the market impact and the value proposition for consumers, particularly in light of our recent price reductions on all HD DVD players."
After the recent announcements of studios, retailers and rental companies ditching the format is anyone really surprised that HD DVD will go the way of the Betamax?
[via Engadget]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
itsburnsie @ Feb 15th 2008 3:04PM
R.I.P. HD-DVD.
In my eyes you were the better product, but tragically only the good die young.
/sob
Adam @ Feb 15th 2008 3:10PM
Its ok the idiots that bought bluray and supported it are the ones that will suffer as bluray movie prices climb and players hit the roof so sony can push the ps3 as a bluray player.The only reason shit was getting cheap was becuase of this war.I will stick with my free bluray downloads from utorrent and stream em to my 360 and out in hdmi goodness.
Digital Downloads ftw.
Jer @ Feb 15th 2008 3:20PM
Agreed, digital downloads are the next inevitable step. How much money did Sony throw into a format that isn't complete, let alone won't last?
The Sound @ Feb 15th 2008 5:28PM
Soooo.... DVD players and disc prices magically went UP in price once they knew it was the format of choice?
And HA, have fun waiting for a +25gb download, and downloads that aren't even full HD (yes, there is a difference).
Oh, and enjoy waiting. And waiting. And waiting. And waiting for it to download. And then what happens when your harddrive fails?
You're a moron, plain and simple. To think prices on players and movies are going to go up because it's the sole victor is just plain stupid. There's still a very large market to attach to, and raising prices won't help it.
Efeez1986 @ Feb 16th 2008 2:06AM
Blu Ray and Hd DVD movies have the same quality. Plus all Blu Ray on Amazon are the same price as regular dvd's. All my Blu Ray dvds cost between 15 and 20 dollars. Digital downloads have been around for a while and it's doing good from what i know, but digital downloads will never replace dvd's.
mattclarkie @ Feb 16th 2008 4:04AM
Once a format emerges, and hopefully it will be soon. Manufacturers of cheaper products, the no-names, will begin to make Blu-ray players. As as result the prices will fall quickly. At the moment only the big players make players, and that is why they are "expensive", although I think the prices are reasonable.
Showtime @ Feb 15th 2008 3:18PM
I love HD DVD...P.I.P. comentary from day one...ethernet port for updates and online disc use from day one...combo format (HD and DVD so they could be used on standard dvd players if used elsewhere) from day one...and the list goes on.
While I hate to see it go (I was an early adopter so I have a good collection of HD DVDs) it is nice to see this thing coming to an end. To see blu-ray win is a let down considering they are just barely getting into the P.I.P. and the online use and on top of that there is only ONE player with ethernet for updates *PS3* (which I do have just for blu-ray). They weren't the first to do anything they basically got everything from HD DVD. Alas, my blu-ray collection is strong and here's to a Toshiba HD DVD/Blu-ray combo player!
Toshiba...I know you are making this as we speak!
Tranando @ Feb 15th 2008 3:23PM
Where does this leave the under-spec'd, unreliable 360, with it's obsolete movie player?
J @ Feb 15th 2008 5:33PM
still in your living room and still getting more use than that PS3
Swede33 @ Feb 15th 2008 3:23PM
:( HD DVD is definatley the better format. Oh well. At least I can look forward to the firesale that is sure to come soon. Also, that picture is hilarious.
Drachen77 @ Feb 15th 2008 3:32PM
I love my HDDVD's. "Transformers" is just awesome with the PIP and other features. My son watches it 2 times a day. I still can't believe Warner picked BluRay so fast this year. I think they should have given it some time. I mean, BluRay had a perfect storm set up. The PS3 was the best Blu player out there and it's a video game console. There were no games on it and BluRay kept getting all of the big releases. The PS3 owners probably felt they had to get BluRay's to justify thier purchase of a PS3. Now with more games availble, thier money and time will go to that. I'm not saying it would kill Blu, just have kept it more even keel with HD.
I have to admit that HD did a bad job of promotions though, which led to this. Blu had fancy slogans and commercials, and HD just kind of sat around. The HD supporters didn't really help either. Paramount could have released more than just Season One of Star Trek: The Original Series. Imagine The Next Generation on HD. They could have had great PIP's, schematics, info about aliens and planets. All kinds of stuff that Trekkies would love. Maybe it was in development but it just took too long.
I just believe that the wrong format won. People who bought early stand-alones could possibly be screwed with new profiles coming out. I just find that wrong.
Unfortunately my love of movies will eventually lead me to BluRay. However, I will wait until either Microsoft or Toshiba builds a player.
Adam @ Feb 15th 2008 3:33PM
under spec'd 360 lol.Its so underspec'd it plays it can play the majority of its cross platform titles in 60fps where as the almighty ps3 cant.
Don't give me the 360 had a year lead crap its been over a year for ps3 still no cigar.
Im gonna play sometunes in game while i invite my boys thru my in game buddy list all while using my free headset on my xbox 360.
yeah ps3 is so superior.
Angelfromjtown @ Feb 15th 2008 3:56PM
"Im gonna play sometunes in game while i invite my boys thru my in game buddy list all while using my free headset on my xbox 360."
your going to do all that inviting on a service you pay 50 dollars for per year, while i wait a little longer and can do it for free on ps3. Thank you.
Steve @ Feb 15th 2008 4:00PM
While you enjoy your free headset, the PS3 gamers enjoy their free PSN membership. Sure the PS3 isn't perfect but they're working on it.
I'm just happy to see a format win, regardless if its HDDVD or Blu-Ray. Now I can start my collection of HD movies.
Tranando @ Feb 15th 2008 4:44PM
Funny, I did all that just 5 minutes ago, whilst playing SuperStardustHD.
Ingame Music TICK
Ingame Buddylist TICK
Ingame Friends and Messagign TICK
Headset TICK (OK it' cost be $10 for a Bluetooth headset)
I think your information is over 12 months out of date..
As for no PS4, wake up. PS3 is selling quicker than the 360 and PS2, and only been beaten by the TickleMeWii..
Ian Murray @ Feb 15th 2008 9:52PM
Head over to RockBand.com and look at the people ranting on about how the PS3 version of the game lacks a bunch of features that are in the 360 version.
It turns out that Harmonix would actually have had to spend extra time coding features in for the PS3 that the 360 has right off the bat. I'm just saying, you get what you pay for.
VOS @ Feb 15th 2008 4:04PM
The better format always dies out. Its the ones that are bribed with (ie movie companies) and forced on consumers that prevail (ie PSTurd). Oh well, its not like I spent a lot on movies or the player. And pretty soon blu ray will die out thanks to DD and streaming.
@ 5/Tranny - So your telling me your happy with your expensive blu ray player with no games? Enjoy your last playstation system, PS4 won't be happening.
The Sound @ Feb 15th 2008 5:31PM
Sony's profit on the PS3 and the profits from over 230 million playstations (1,2,3) and accessories beg to differ.
David(Postal) @ Feb 15th 2008 4:06PM
great its over now. So when can I get that blu-ray attachment for my 360? I really don't want to buy a PS3...
Willie @ Feb 15th 2008 4:58PM
Just like Betamax format was better than the VHS... which format won? I think you know.
George Arauz @ Feb 15th 2008 4:36PM
It makes me laugh when people slam the 360 when something goes wrong with HD DVD. HD DVD is a movie format.. not a game format. I didnt buy my 360 to play HD DVD movies, i bought it to play games. Give it a rest.
mojojojo @ Feb 15th 2008 6:11PM
xbox playing normal dvd games,thats right,just like ps2 :D
DjDATZ @ Feb 15th 2008 4:31PM
Please? I want Blu-Ray on my 360.
mojojojo @ Feb 15th 2008 6:09PM
Blu-ray is sony's thing so you wont get blu-ray player in your xbox anytime soon lol,this is sad tho..
Brian @ Feb 15th 2008 5:21PM
I own both formats with about 60 titles of each, but 90% of my BD were $10 a piece of less on B1G1 deals. Does Sony think I'm going to pay $20+ per movie. haha. Yeah right! I just supported them cause I was getting HD content cheap. It's going to be funny when they realize, now why the heck are sales so much lower?
Adam @ Feb 15th 2008 4:51PM
Steve-While you enjoy your free headset, the PS3 gamers enjoy their free PSN membership. Sure the PS3 isn't perfect but they're working on it.
Yeah just like there working on the games lol.360 owners dont have to wait its all here JUMP IN.
Adam @ Feb 15th 2008 4:51PM
Funny, I did all that just 5 minutes ago, whilst playing SuperStardustHD.
Ingame Music TICK
Ingame Buddylist TICK
Ingame Friends and Messagign TICK
Tranando-Headset TICK (OK it' cost be $10 for a Bluetooth headset)
I think your information is over 12 months out of date..
As for no PS4, wake up. PS3 is selling quicker than the 360 and PS2, and only been beaten by the TickleMeWii..
12 months out of date?
so you have mgs4 now how is it?
you got that in game buddy list?
how bout that in game custom music?
And the free headset?
sounds to me your console is 5 years behind.
nonrandomhero @ Feb 15th 2008 4:52PM
so when is the HD-dvd / blu ray attachment coming out? i would buy it, and i already got the hd-dvd attachment, mainly because for the price it was a better option than any dvd player i was looking at.
as for XBL vs PSN. don't be a tard. XBL shatters it and that why i pay 40 bucks a year to play on it don't want your free crappy service id rather pay for the better service with way more features.
The Sound @ Feb 15th 2008 5:32PM
Too bad that $40 doesn't go to dedicated servers...
Just sayin'.
Zelli @ Feb 15th 2008 6:59PM
That would be nice, but i think a developer could set up servers for their games, ie halo3 and bungie, cod4 and IW.
nonrandomhero @ Feb 15th 2008 9:18PM
Too bad that $40 doesn't go to dedicated servers...
is that a PSN fanboy saying how xbox live should run their online service???
Gabriel @ Feb 15th 2008 6:01PM
I think one reason Sony is paying all these studios to go Blu-ray exclusive is that they know they'll kill the majority of their Blu-ray movie sales once they get a video marketplace set up to compete with the XBOX 360's video marketplace. The only way to really compete is to let people purchase and not just rent movies. Then again, Microsoft will start purchases as soon as Sony does that, so Sony screws Blu-ray either way unless they force HD-DVD out of the market. Informed buyers who have invested in standalone players have been choosing HD-DVD, but the PS3 has done well in acting as a trojan horse for Blu-ray. This is twofold. While HD-DVD has set standards for every player developed on the market, there are no standartds set for Blu-ray. This has led to the PS3 being one of the only Blu-ray players with the proper internet connectivity for the much-needed firmware updates. This will push people to buy PS3 when they're looking for a Blu-ray player. The better format is losing and we should support it until it's no longer available for us. Besides, our players and discs won't stop working just because the other format is declared as the winner. Blu-ray is an incomplete and inconsistent format. Don't give them your money for a standard without standards.
Zelli @ Feb 15th 2008 6:26PM
Even this doesnt make me want to buy a PS3
Adam @ Feb 15th 2008 6:15PM
The Sound said...
Too bad that $40 doesn't go to dedicated servers...
Just sayin'.
Depends on the game devs.frontlines got dedicated servers 360 exclusive by the way.We pay for service we can rely on.I cant count how many times i tried using psn with issues.I have had one bad experience with live that was over the holidays and i have been a live member for 5 years.The original ps2 online was swill and so is psn its so un user friendly it disgusts me.When loging into psn it seems a task the whole psn being like a webpage is a joke the 360 os blade system is far superior and easier to navigate.The os desktop on ps3 is unorganized garbage.
Oorang @ Feb 16th 2008 5:51AM
The average consumer is statisfied with standard DVDs so Blu Ray will never be a widespread 'standard'.
Its the same as minidisc which Sony created to downsize the cd...did that replace the cd? Nope...
DVDs are here to stay for the foreseeable future after which, to combat piracy, digital downloads will be the norm...music has gone down that path and so will movies.
R.I.P HDDVD