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Author Topic: The death of HD DVD?  (Read 37347 times)

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Offline John Kelly

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #75 on: February 15, 2008, 01:23:37 PM »
Meh, I'm keeping mine.  I'll definitely still watch BSG and Heroes in HD, especially since there's no timetable on when a BD release will happen. 
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Offline drewloo

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #76 on: February 16, 2008, 09:39:58 PM »
This is the end.  My only friend, the end...

Toshiba to give up on HD DVD, end format war: source
Sat Feb 16, 2008

By Mayumi Negishi and Kentaro Hamada  http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USL1643184420080216

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp is planning to give up on its HD DVD format for high definition DVDs, conceding defeat to the competing Blu-Ray technology backed by Sony Corp, a company source said on Saturday.

The move will likely put an end to a battle that has gone on for several years between consortiums led by Toshiba and Sony vying to set the standard for the next-generation DVD and compatible video equipment.

The format war, often compared to the Betamax-VHS battle in the 1980s, has confused consumers unsure of which DVD or player to buy, slowing the development what is expected to be a multibillion dollar high definition DVD industry.

Toshiba's cause has suffered several setbacks in recent weeks including Friday's announcement by U.S. retailing giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) that it would abandon the HD DVD format and only stock its shelves with Blu-ray movies.

A source at Toshiba confirmed an earlier report by public broadcaster NHK that it was getting ready to pull the plug.

"We have entered the final stage of planning to make our exit from the next generation DVD business," said the source, who asked not to be identified. He added that an official announcement could come as early as next week.

Offline OFOTD

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #77 on: February 18, 2008, 12:57:15 PM »
http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Gaming/Console/J7L7H2R4?page=1

Blu-ray Xbox 360 Planned By Microsoft

By David Richards | Monday | 18/02/2008

Rumours were circulating today that Microsoft is set to dump HD DVD and bring out a Blu ray Xbox 360 by as early as May 2008. The move will allow the Company to go head to head with the Sony PS3 gaming console which has been credited with being one of the main reasons that retailers have preferred Blu-ray over Toshiba’s HD DVD.

Insiders at Microsoft in the USA have told SmartHouse that Microsoft has already configured a standalone Blu-ray player that can be connected into an Xbox 360 and that subject to internal marketing and sales approvals the model could be on sale within 3 months.

The Company has also been working on a built in Blu-ray player however insiders are claiming that Microsoft see the HD format battle moving online with consumers offered 1080p movie and content files as a download as opposed to having to buy a HD DVD or Blu-ray disc.

Both Intel and Microsoft have been supporters of the HD DVD format that is set to be killed off this week.

The Company has also held discussions with several OEM manufacturers of media centres with nearly all of them telling the software Company that they are set to move to Blu-ray configured Media Centres within the next month.

Late last week US Media Centre maker Niveus dumped HD DVD in favour of Blu-ray.

The Company VP of marketing Brian Paper said that Niveus had received support from Microsoft and Intel when implementing HD DVD. The format wasn't pushed on Niveus, he said, adding that the commitment in both Intel and Microsoft "isn't religious for HD DVD".

Michael Ephraim the Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment said: "We would welcome Microsoft to the Blu-ray stable. In fact it is quite logical for them as the PS3 has been very succesful in driving consumers to Blu-ray. In fact we believe that it has done more to win the format war than traditional Blu-ray player".

When asked whether Sony would grant Microsoft a Blu-ray licence he said: "That is up to Sony Corporate but I see no reason why they would not do it".

During CES 2006 the then Microsoft's Xbox corporate VP of worldwide marketing and publishing Peter Moore told Japanese site ITmedia that a Blu-ray Xbox 360 peripheral could appear for the system if the need arises. Moore admitted that Microsoft isn't sure of the next-generation format war's outcome, with the worst-case scenario being a repeat of the Beta vs. VHS war of the '80s.

However, he suggested that whatever the outcome of the HD-DVD/Blu-ray war, the Xbox 360 can adopt the dominant format since its uses an external drive.

Offline John Kelly

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #78 on: February 18, 2008, 01:18:18 PM »
I like how this "Smarthouse" tries to make you think they have some sort of inside scoop at Microsoft.  In reality, Microsoft have said all along that they would make a Blu-Ray add-on if HD-DVD failed.  And it would only make sense that they would have an option in R&D even while the format war was going on.
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Offline OFOTD

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #79 on: February 18, 2008, 01:27:50 PM »
I like how this "Smarthouse" tries to make you think they have some sort of inside scoop at Microsoft.  In reality, Microsoft have said all along that they would make a Blu-Ray add-on if HD-DVD failed.  And it would only make sense that they would have an option in R&D even while the format war was going on.

In all fairness for some reason the Microsoft Australia folks seem to usually have the loosest lips when it come to inner-workings at Microsoft like this.

Whether or not this was a 'scoop' by Smarthouse is certainly up for debate they do seem to be the first to get these potential Microsoft plans out in the open.   

Offline OFOTD

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #80 on: February 19, 2008, 12:53:18 PM »
Looks to be official now.



Toshiba Quits HD DVD Business
Toshiba Quits HD DVD Business, Handing Victory in Format Battle to Blu-Ray Disc Technology
By YURI KAGEYAMA
The Associated Press

TOKYO

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.

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

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.

Nishida said last month's decision by Warner Bros. Entertainment to release movie discs only in the Blu-ray format made the move inevitable.

"That had tremendous impact," he said. "If we had continued, that would have created problems for consumers, and we simply had no chance to win."

Warner joined Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Co. and News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox in that move.

Nishida said his company had confidence in HD DVD as a technology and tried to assure the estimated 1 million people, including some 600,000 people in North America, who already bought HD DVD machines by promising that Toshiba will continue to provide product support for the technology.

Both HD DVD and Blu-ray deliver crisp, clear high-definition pictures and sound, which are more detailed and vivid than existing video technology. They are incompatible with each other, and neither plays on older DVD players. But both formats play on high-definition TVs.

HD DVD was touted as being cheaper because it was more similar to previous video technology, while Blu-ray boasted bigger recording capacity.

Only one video format has been expected to emerge as the victor, much like VHS trumped Sony's Betamax in the video format battle of the 1980s.

Nishida said it was still uncertain what will happen with the Hollywood studios that signed to produce HD DVD movies, including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation.

Toshiba's pulling the plug on the technology is expected to reduce the number of new high-definition movies that people will be able to watch on HD DVD machines. Toshiba Corp. said shipments of HD DVD machines to retailers will be reduced and will stop by end of March.

Sales in Blu-ray gadgets are now likely to pick up as consumers had held off in investing in the latest recorders and players because they didn't know which format would emerge dominant.

Despite being a possible blow to Toshiba's pride, the exit will probably lessen the potential damage in losses in HD DVD operations. Goldman Sachs has said pulling out would improve Toshiba's profitability between 40 billion yen and 50 billion yen ($370 million-$460 million) a year.

The reasons behind Blu-ray's triumph over HD DVD are complex, 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 critical holiday shopping season.

Once the balance starts tilting in favor of one in a format battle, then the domination tends to grow and become final, said Kazuharu Miura, an analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research in Tokyo.

"The trend became decisive I think this year," he said. "When Warner made its decision, it was basically over."

With movie studios increasingly lining up behind Blu-ray, retailers also began to stock more Blu-ray products.

Friday's decision by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the largest U.S. retailer, to sell only Blu-ray DVDs and hardware appeared to deal a final blow to the Toshiba format. Just five days earlier, Netflix Inc. said it will cease carrying rentals in HD DVD.

Several major American retailers had already made similar decisions, including Target Corp. and Blockbuster Inc.

Also adding to Blu-ray's momentum was the gradual increase in sales of Sony's PlayStation 3 home video-game console, which also works as a Blu-ray player. Sony has sold 10.5 million PS3 machines worldwide since the machine went on sale late 2006.

HD DVD supporters included Microsoft Corp., Intel Corp. and Japanese electronics maker NEC Corp.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 game machine can play HD DVD movies, but the drive had to be bought separately, and Nishida said about 300,000 people have those.

Worldwide sales of personal computers with HD DVD drives total about 300,000 worldwide, including 140,000 in North America and 130,000 in Europe, he said.

Recently, the Blu-ray disc format has been gaining market share, especially in Japan. A study on fourth quarter sales last year by market researcher BCN Inc. found that by unit volume, Blu-ray made up 96 percent of Japanese sales.

Sony said it did not have numbers on how many Blu-ray players had been sold globally.

Toshiba's stock slipped 0.6 percent Tuesday to 824 yen after jumping 5.7 percent Monday amid reports that a decision was imminent. Sony shares climbed 2.2 percent to 5,010 yen after rising 1 percent Monday.

Also Tuesday, Toshiba said it plans to spend more than 1.7 trillion yen ($15.7 billion) for two plants in Japan to produce sophisticated chips called NAND flash memory, which are used in portable music players and cell phones. Production there will start in 2010.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Offline Rusty M

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #81 on: February 21, 2008, 01:32:45 PM »
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/80109/with-hd-dvd-dead-will-blu-ray-prices-begin-to-fall

With HD DVD Dead, Will Blu-ray Prices Begin to Fall?
Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:38AM EST

See Comments (59)

With HD DVD officially dead (RIP February 19, 2008), cynics are beginning to wonder whether we're in for a long road of inflated Blu-ray equipment prices.

After all, Blu-ray began its life as the expensive high-def format and it remains so today, defying all expectations that consumers would naturally prefer the budget alternative format. But is it possible that Blu-ray prices might actually start to fall soon?

The conventional wisdom holds that Blu-ray no longer faces competition from HD DVD, so it will be better able to resist price pressure. Well, let's look at the facts: Months of HD DVD fire sales basically did nothing to trim Blu-ray prices so far. If the Blu-ray camp had been worried about being seen as too expensive, those price cuts should already have happened.

And besides, Blu-ray has never really competed with HD DVD.

Oh, sure, the two formats have struggled for dominance, but the real enemy has always been regular, standard-definition DVD. Executives have already been aiming their battle at the DVD world, where players can be had as cheaply as $30, so if price competition is really on Blu-ray developers' minds, we're going to have to see some far bigger cuts, far faster than we have before.

But most importantly by far, inter-format competition has historically been of little importance in price wars of the past. The original CD and DVD players cost thousands of dollars, but prices of both plummeted quickly as the technology to make them improved and overall sales have gone upward, even in the absence of a competing format. Without the distraction of HD DVD nibbling at its side, Blu-ray manufacturers should finally be able to focus on improving quality and decreasing prices instead of out-marketing and out-spending the competition on exclusive deals.

As well, with the format war over, more companies should now enter the market to produce Blu-ray gear and more consumers should sign up to buy said gear, further helping to depress prices as 2008 wears on.

The upshot is that, paradoxically, getting HD DVD out of the market could actually spur more innovation, increase production (as consumers finally get off the fence), and finally start pressuring down prices.

I could be wrong. This is a strange case where egos are involved, and Sony is so beat up by format wars of the past that it may be itching for a payoff this time around. Still, I'm still expecting big price cuts on Blu-ray for holiday 2008.
One shortcut to all this BS is simply to let anyone buy into the Medacare Program for $300 a month. 

Medacare is already set up, already has covered surgeries and procedures, and other than allowing Medacare to bargain collectively with Drug Companies, it is an off the shelf program.

exactly, so why do we need a new bill?

Offline willndmb

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #82 on: February 21, 2008, 01:49:19 PM »
someone actually thought they might get a refund on  ???
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/12764/blu-ray-trumps-hd-dvd-the-aftermath
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Offline Invisible

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #83 on: February 27, 2008, 01:17:40 PM »
I'm not so sure about the whole Microsoft/Blu Ray thing:

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10404412/1/blu-ray-victory-wont-budge-microsoft.html

Seems as if they want to go head to head with the PS3 without incorporating the player. Microsoft does not like to pay "royalties".




I like how this "Smarthouse" tries to make you think they have some sort of inside scoop at Microsoft.  In reality, Microsoft have said all along that they would make a Blu-Ray add-on if HD-DVD failed.  And it would only make sense that they would have an option in R&D even while the format war was going on.

Offline OFOTD

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #84 on: February 27, 2008, 01:43:18 PM »
I'm not so sure about the whole Microsoft/Blu Ray thing:

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10404412/1/blu-ray-victory-wont-budge-microsoft.html

Seems as if they want to go head to head with the PS3 without incorporating the player. Microsoft does not like to pay "royalties".




I like how this "Smarthouse" tries to make you think they have some sort of inside scoop at Microsoft.  In reality, Microsoft have said all along that they would make a Blu-Ray add-on if HD-DVD failed.  And it would only make sense that they would have an option in R&D even while the format war was going on.

Absolutely no new info in the article.    I think that Microsoft has been pretty consistent over the last couple of years that they believe digital distribution over the internet is where they think the future is. 

I believe that they only did HDDVD to keep up with the PS3's inclusion of a HD player (Blu-Ray) in this case.   As far as Microsoft not licensing technology I think for the most part their only problem with that concept is dealing with Sony (<-- a whole other thread).

If the Blu-Ray format truly is the next mass adopted format then its going to be a struggle for many manufactures to even want to deal with Sony.    Either way I think (John Kelly are you reading this) that the percentage of Microsoft HD-DVD players sold in comparison to the number of PS3's with the Blu-Ray is a tiny number.   Of the 10-12 friends I know with a 360 only one has the external HD_DVD drive whereas all of the PS3 owners have a Blu-Ray.



Offline John Kelly

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #85 on: February 27, 2008, 02:06:37 PM »
If the Blu-Ray format truly is the next mass adopted format then its going to be a struggle for many manufactures to even want to deal with Sony.    Either way I think (John Kelly are you reading this) that the percentage of Microsoft HD-DVD players sold in comparison to the number of PS3's with the Blu-Ray is a tiny number.   Of the 10-12 friends I know with a 360 only one has the external HD_DVD drive whereas all of the PS3 owners have a Blu-Ray.

I don't understand what you're getting at.  Why would any manufacturers need to deal with Sony?  They would deal with the BDA, and all the major consumer electronics manufacturers are already members.  Toshiba has already begun working with them buy buying their chip fabrication plant.  Even Microsoft would get over it quickly.

MS only sold 269,000 HD DVD add-ons.  What is Sony up to now, 4 million PS3s?   Edit - 4.3 in America, 10+ million world wide.
« Last Edit: February 27, 2008, 02:42:52 PM by John Kelly »
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Offline OFOTD

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #86 on: February 27, 2008, 02:38:19 PM »
And you don't have to think - MS only sold 269,000 HD DVD add-ons.  What is Sony up to now, 4 million PS3s?  Not sure why you'd need to point out the obvious...

What I was hoping you'd know.

Offline John Kelly

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #87 on: February 27, 2008, 02:40:11 PM »
I thought you were trying to rub it in or something like that. ;)

So hard to read tone online.  Edited my post to seem less hostile.
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Offline macdaddy

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #88 on: March 16, 2008, 06:13:03 AM »


man, m$ is putting all of their eggs in the download basket (which i think is not a wise idea at this point) - they just this week announced that they will NOT be making a blu drive  :o

i am so happy i went with the ps3 when i took the plunge last spring...

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Offline John Kelly

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Re: The death of HD DVD?
« Reply #89 on: March 16, 2008, 09:24:39 AM »


man, m$ is putting all of their eggs in the download basket (which i think is not a wise idea at this point) - they just this week announced that they will NOT be making a blu drive  :o

i am so happy i went with the ps3 when i took the plunge last spring...



Don't be swayed by their announcement.  They said the same thing before they came out with the HD DVD drive.  I bet we'll eventually see one anyway.
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