Matti Robinson
15 Feb 2008 7:33
Media and analysts have speculated the future of HD DVD frequently since Warner turned Blu. During the last couple of weeks the emphasis of speculations has been on when HD DVD will lose, rather than will it lose the war. The most recent turn-ups were when Netflix and Best Buy announced support for Blu-ray, and Toshiba's reply to those was considered by some to be the last breath.
According to Hollywood Reporter, "reliable industry sources" claim that Toshiba will be abandoning its high-definition format. Officially there is no decision yet, "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," said the vice president of marketing for Toshiba America Consumer Products, Jodi Sally.
However, the future of HD DVD doesn't seem that solid even coming from Sally, "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."
Has Toshiba run out of aces? After the Warner news, Toshiba has used millions and millions into ads, one of which was the $2,7 million, 30-second Superbowl spot, marketed the HD DVD players as a better DVD player rather than the next-gen system, and cutting prices of HD DVD players down far from profitable.
Let's not put the last nail in the coffin just yet though. As Toshiba has been accustomed to say, the high-definition disc sales compared to DVD sales is just a drop in the ocean.