Wal-Mart Kills HD DVD

[Mels_Smileys45]

Taps for HD DVD as Wal-Mart Backs Blu-ray

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1508/hddvd4ph4.gif




SAN FRANCISCO — HD DVD, the beloved format of Toshiba and three Hollywood studios, died Friday after a brief illness. The cause of death was determined to be the decision by Wal-Mart to stock only high-definition DVDs and players using the Blu-ray format.

There are no funeral plans, but retailers and industry analysts are already writing the obituary for HD DVD.

The announcement by Wal-Mart Stores, the nation’s largest retailer of DVDs, that it would stop selling the discs and machines in June when supplies are depleted comes after decisions this week by Best Buy, the largest electronics retailer, to promote Blu-ray as its preferred format and Netflix, the DVD-rental service, to stock only Blu-ray movies, phasing out HD DVD by the end of this year.

Last year, Target, one of the top sellers of electronics, discontinued selling HD DVD players in its stores, but continued to sell them online.


“The fat lady has sung,” said Rob Enderle, a technology industry analyst in Silicon Valley. “Wal-Mart is the biggest player in the DVD market. If it says HD DVD is done, you can take that as a fact.”

Toshiba executives did not return calls asking for comment. Analysts do not expect the company to take the product off the market but the format war is over. Toshiba had been fighting for more than two years to establish the dominance of the format it developed over Blu-ray, developed by Sony.

The combined weight of the decisions this week, but particularly the heft of Wal-Mart, signals the end of a format war that has confounded and frustrated consumers and that had grown increasingly costly for the consumer electronics industry — from hardware makers and studios to retailers.

Andy Parsons, a spokesman for the Blu-ray Disc Association, an industry trade group, said retailers and movie studios had incentives to resolve the issue quickly because it was costly for them to devote shelf space and technology to two formats. Besides, he noted, many consumers have sat on the sidelines and not purchased either version because they did not want to invest in a technology that could become obsolete.

Thus far, consumers have purchased about one million Blu-ray players, though there are another three million in the market that are integrated into the PlayStation 3 consoles of Sony, said Richard Doherty, research director of Envisioneering, a technology assessment firm. About one million HD DVD players have been sold.

Evenly matched by Blu-ray through 2007, HD DVD experienced a marked reversal in fortune in early January when Warner Brothers studio, a unit of Time Warner, announced it would manufacture and distribute movies only in Blu-ray. With the Warner decision, the Blu-ray coalition controlled around 75 percent of the high-definition content from the major movie and TV studios. The coalition includes Sharp, Panasonic and Philips as well as Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox studios.

Universal, Paramount and the DreamWorks Animation studios still back HD DVD; none of those studios responded to requests for comment Friday.

“It’s pretty clear that retailers consumers trust the most have concluded that the format war is all but over,” Mr. Parsons said. “Toshiba fought a very good battle, but the industry is ready to move on and go with a single format.”

Because movie and entertainment technology has become integrated into a range of consumer electronics, the high-definition movie format war has created unusually wide-ranging alliances. The battle included, for example, video game companies; Microsoft has backed the HD DVD standard and sold a compatible player to accompany its Xbox 360 video game console.

Sony has pushed vigorously for the Blu-ray standard, not just because it is a patent holder of the technology, but also because it has integrated the standard into PlayStation 3. Sony has argued that consumers will gravitate to the PlayStation 3 because of the high-definition movie player.

Any celebration over the victory may be tempered by concerns that the DVD — of any format — may be doomed by electronic delivery of movies over the Internet. The longer HD DVD battled Blu-ray, the more the consumer market has had an opportunity to gravitate to downloading movies. Such a move, coupled with the growth of technology that makes such downloading easier and cheaper, has threatened to cut into the long-term sales of physical movies in the DVD format.



Read the rst here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/16/technology/16toshiba.html?ref=technology

[Excrement_Cranium]

Fuck. Finally.

I didn't care which format one, so long as it finally settled on one. I'm one of those sideline-consumers.

[Mels_Smileys45]

I would like to see a cheap HD DVDR drive for my pc. They could still do well on the pc IMO.

[northwest stew]

Sweet I have a ps3 so all is good ,but yea in no time they will come out with super high maxi lite blu-ray or some other format and will have too shell out more money for the players and what not .:icon_scra

[DigitalJunkie]

There are combo drive for both HD DVD & Blu-ray format already, however we still need to wait until cheap & mass produced blank disks to be available. You would still have a long wait!!

[Boomer The Dog]

If they only plan for Blu-Ray, Wal-woof-Mart should take HD-DVD equipment off of the shelves right now and send it to the dump. That's because some people are not going to know and they will be fooled into buying obsolete junk for 4 months!

[mfgbypooter]

Wal-Mart sucks donkey balls by selling nothing but obsolete inferior junk anyways.

*

[Mels_Smileys45]

Update



Report: Toshiba May End HD DVD Format


TOKYO (AP) — Japanese electronics maker Toshiba might withdraw its HD DVD next-generation video format, Kyodo News agency reported Saturday.

The report cited unidentified individuals from the industry as saying Toshiba Corp. is reviewing its operations, with the timing of the withdrawal to be decided later, depending on U.S. demand for its HD DVD products and other factors.

Calls went unanswered at Toshiba Corp.'s Tokyo office, which was closed for the weekend.

HD DVD has been competing against the Blu-ray technology, backed by Sony Corp., other makers and five major Hollywood movie studios.

Recently the Blu-ray disc format has been gaining market share, while Toshiba has been forced to slash prices to sell its HD DVD machines. A Toshiba pullout would signal the almost certain defeat of HD DVD to Blu-ray.

On Friday, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the largest U.S. retailer, said it will sell only Blu-ray DVDs and hardware and no longer carry HD DVD offerings.

The announcement came five days after Netflix Inc. said it will cease carrying rentals in HD DVD. Several major U.S. retailers have made similar decisions, including Target Corp. and Blockbuster Inc.

Last month, Warner Bros. Entertainment decided to release movie discs only in the Blu-ray format, becoming the latest studio to reject HD DVD.

Warner Bros., owned by Time Warner Inc., had been the only remaining Hollywood studio releasing high-definition DVDs in both formats.

Both formats deliver crisp, clear high-definition pictures and sound, but they are incompatible with each other, and neither plays on older DVD players.

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


http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iTHHXJdHiSuq8n1753HbYdPYHbKwD8URS5400

[evilmegaman]

It's sad, but blue ray's cooler cuz the only cost effective player is also the best and it even plays video games and other stuff like browse the internet. seriously you can't beat that. I wish I had a betamax player lol

[Excrement_Cranium]

It's sad, but blue ray's cooler cuz the only cost effective player is also the best and it even plays video games and other stuff like browse the internet. seriously you can't beat that. I wish I had a betamax player lol



When I was a kid, and after Betamax bit the dust, there was a video store in town where you could rent a player for $1 and the movies were also $1 each.


Made for fun weekends of Betamax horror movies.


That, and we were too poor to afford our own VHS.

[evilmegaman]

that's hardcore (hxc)

[Mels_Smileys45]

It's sad, but blue ray's cooler cuz the only cost effective player is also the best and it even plays video games and other stuff like browse the internet. seriously you can't beat that. I wish I had a betamax player lol



Are you trying to be funny? Blu Ray has nothing to do with Videogames. Sure Sony uses it in their POS3 (just kidding) but the storage media doesnt mean the games will be better. With slower seek times I would expect it to be worse unless you like download times. OH Wait, you WERE trying to be funny! I see. Damn it, I fail to see the humor!

It sure isnt cost effective! Not by a long shot! I see this as a hollow victory for Blu Ray. Neither format sells very well because not many people care enough to upgrade. With the VHS/Betamax battle we didnt have the "downloads" wildcard. We did have the Laserdisc card but that huge piece of tech failed to because, WHY CLASS? It was too EXPENSIVE and did not offer enough of an upgrade to make people not want to keep using VHS. Plus you could tape over VHS and it was cheap. Hmmmmmmmm, sorta like DVD's!!! WOW! If you really think about it, even Blu Ray doesnt have a snowballs chance in HELL! Its not easy to pirate, BIG downfall! The Pirate factor helped cement DVD as a platform. When DVD's first came out no one wanted them because they were too expensive and people loved VHS because it was easy to record and copy. When DVD's became cheap and easy to copy people dove in head first! Blu Ray is impossible to copy and they promise to keep it that way. Keeping the blank media expensive could be key. Some people have ripped Blu Ray movies to PC but its still not practical. Having to transfer such HUGE files over the net and getting the "crack" is a real pain in the ass too.


Both Formats are too rushed. Its the wrong tech at the wrong time. Digital downloads are going to win the war and thats all there is to it. Mels has spoken so BOTH sides can suck something.........

[evilmegaman]

are you kidding me? it's the most cost effective player. when blu ray upgrades to a new standard (currently 2.0), you can just update your PS3. It's definitely the most cost effective because almost all HD players are 200+. So if you're looking for a blu ray player, you absolutely can't beat the PS3 right now.

[XKS]

So if you're looking for a blu ray player, you absolutely can't beat the PS3 right now.

Yeah, it's very well rated as well: the picture quality is superb.

[Mels_Smileys45]

are you kidding me? it's the most cost effective player. when blu ray upgrades to a new standard (currently 2.0), you can just update your PS3. It's definitely the most cost effective because almost all HD players are 200+. So if you're looking for a blu ray player, you absolutely can't beat the PS3 right now.


WTF are you still talking about VIDEOGAMES? Say I want to only watch some movies? Thats some expensive movies! Especially when I can download a 4.5 gig High Def movie for free, no player needed other than my pc hooked up to my Hi Def TV monitor! In fact, I have a few on tap right now!

Are you brainwashed by the Blu Ray Fairy? If I buy a PS3 it will be because I want to play some games and not because I want an expensive movie playing device!


Its like you think every cheap Blu Ray player is coming with a free PS3. Consumers want to buy a device that does either or, not a wonder device that costs too much and does many things. If people want videgames they buy a console, a cheap one! Look at the Wii. If consumers want to watch movies they buy a movie watching device. A CHEAP one! Look at Divx players!


Im seeing many digital devices on Ebay that play downloads on your PC or your hi def TV set. You can either simply hook your external Hard drive to the device or use the internal hard drive on the movie viewing device to store your Hi def movies......and they cost around $100. This is the futre, not Blew Ray!

[Lord_of_the_Dense]

great...and Transformers only came out in the HD-DVD format. Smooth move, Dreamworks.

[Krell]

BestBuy.com DVD deals: Select titles each + $2 s&h

BestBuy.com offers over 30 DVD movies (http://dealnews.com/lw/artclick.html?2,213702,563991) for $3.99 each. It's the best deal we've seen for most of these titles. Add $1.99 each for shipping, or order online for in-store pickup. Sales tax is added where applicable. Available titles include Requiem for a Dream, Reservoir Dogs, Dirty Dancing, The Punisher, The Running Man, and more. Sale ends February 23.



.

[mfgbypooter]

You can find Transformers: 2 Disc Special Edition (http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?userid=99366203489878&item_id=1364768&searchID=252354)(both DVD9 discs) on Usenet.

*

[Krell]

You can find Transformers: 2 Disc Special Edition (http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?userid=99366203489878&item_id=1364768&searchID=252354)(both DVD9 discs) on Usenet.

*

LMAO of course we can, which is why we're here!


.

[mfgbypooter]

yeppers and I'd imagine you can find the DVD9's as a torrent somewhere too, eh?

(I wouldn't know I'm mostly a Usenet guy)

*

[evilmegaman]

WTF are you still talking about VIDEOGAMES? Say I want to only watch some movies? Thats some expensive movies! Especially when I can download a 4.5 gig High Def movie for free, no player needed other than my pc hooked up to my Hi Def TV monitor! In fact, I have a few on tap right now!

Are you brainwashed by the Blu Ray Fairy? If I buy a PS3 it will be because I want to play some games and not because I want an expensive movie playing device!


Its like you think every cheap Blu Ray player is coming with a free PS3. Consumers want to buy a device that does either or, not a wonder device that costs too much and does many things. If people want videgames they buy a console, a cheap one! Look at the Wii. If consumers want to watch movies they buy a movie watching device. A CHEAP one! Look at Divx players!


Im seeing many digital devices on Ebay that play downloads on your PC or your hi def TV set. You can either simply hook your external Hard drive to the device or use the internal hard drive on the movie viewing device to store your Hi def movies......and they cost around $100. This is the futre, not Blew Ray!


you're on a COMPLETELY different point than I am. First off, for those who DO want hi def DVD's, yes, The PS3 is best choice. WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT VIDEO GAMES? do your homework.

I never said I LIKE blu ray. or anything. But Look at the other options. I am not talking about downloads or anything. are you fucking retarded or are you completely wasted?

The ps3 is just the most viable choice if you have to choose a Hi def player. I have one for the games, but it's a nice side. Plus I play lots of burned dvd's on it.

Here, this basically explains my point:

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9864122-1.html


I would bet 1000 bucks that if nintendo took wii sports out of the wii package, it would have died long ago. I have never met anyone who owns a wii aside from my nerdy friends who own anything aside from wii sports. in fact a few people didn't know other games existed. they essentially payed 250 for one game. nice.


just so you know, less than 1% of the population would even understand how to work bittorrent to effectively watch movies on their hi def tv.



hell most people think downloading is the sole reason for getting viruses. MOST people think when a program crashes, their computer has a virus.



90% of the population is stupid. God save the 10% left. (YES ALL THE NUMBERS CAME OUT OF MY ASS AND I DON'T CARE BECAUSE THE PEOPLE I MEET ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MATTER)

[mfgbypooter]

90% of the population is stupid. God save the 10% left. (YES ALL THE NUMBERS CAME OUT OF MY ASS AND I DON'T CARE BECAUSE THE PEOPLE I MEET ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MATTER)

"YES ALL THE NUMBERS CAME OUT OF MY ASS AND I DON'T CARE"????

Really Emm you need to care because that's the Beauty of Maths!

*

[evilmegaman]

"YES ALL THE NUMBERS CAME OUT OF MY ASS AND I DON'T CARE"????

Really Emm you need to care because that's the Beauty of Maths!

*



lolmaths 10chars

[Mels_Smileys45]

WTF ever. Now you have no choice but to buy into Sony. Expect prices to stay high as fuck. Enjoy.


Call me retarded again and I'll expose your gay PM's you keep sending me. BTW, your post was gay and retarded. Look at your post and tell me....who is really wasted? None of the points you made make me think Blu Ray is the correct direction of the HD market. You fall back on insults.... WHY?


I see DVD staying its ground for years to come. By the time Blu Ray takes off (when it becomes very cheap) the PS3 will be history. Playstation spells toy to most adults and this is why, in my opinion, video game consoles should not try to be a do it all system. Its nearly crushed PS3's Gen race, but it did help them crush the HD competition. They also sold their product for less than cost. Most companies would get in trouble for this. Its not good for the consumer and In the end it could backfire on Sony.



BTW< your friends sound gay and retarded too.

[Excrement_Cranium]

WTF ever. Now you have no choice but to buy into Sony. Expect prices to stay high as fuck. Enjoy.


Call me retarded again and I'll expose your gay PM's you keep sending me. BTW, your post was gay and retarded. Look at your post and tell me....who is really wasted? None of the points you made make me think Blu Ray is the correct direction of the HD market. You fall back on insults.... WHY?


I see DVD staying its ground for years to come. By the time Blu Ray takes off (when it becomes very cheap) the PS3 will be history. Playstation spells toy to most adults and this is why, in my opinion, video game consoles should not try to be a do it all system. Its nearly crushed PS3's Gen race, but it did help them crush the HD competition. They also sold their product for less than cost. Most companies would get in trouble for this. Its not good for the consumer and In the end it could backfire on Sony.



BTW< your friends sound gay and retarded too.



BERSERKER BARRAGE!!!

http://www.resindog.com/resindog/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/Wolverine/wolverine07.gif



Sales will lower the cost eventually, much like DVD.


3 months after I spent $200 for my first DVD player, you could get them for $20.

[Mels_Smileys45]

There is more to the HD picture than a new player. There are services on the net to stream HD content, there is HD cable on demand and there is the fact that most people need to buy an 1080p TV before they even think about a Blu Ray. Its not a done deal, the war will be long and its too early to call a winner. Yes a PS# is a good buy if you want video games, and HD content to go with your new TV. Plus, I think its the only player that will still work after the upgrade. How many people will be turned off of Blu Ray when their very expensive players no longer support new movies?

With streaming content becoming very cheap, I see this as the future and then even further down the road, a hard format taking a big home market share. This is NOT beta vs vhs as many have related. There are many other factors in this digital era.



"My love for you is like a truck, BESERKER!
Would you like to suck my cock? BESERKER!"


I dont like being called retarded. Make a note of it.

[Excrement_Cranium]

There is more to the HD picture than a new player. There are services on the net to stream HD content, there is HD cable on demand and there is the fact that most people need to buy an 1080p TV before they even think about a Blu Ray. Its not a done deal, the war will be long and its too early to call a winner. Yes a PS# is a good buy if you want video games, and HD content to go with your new TV. Plus, I think its the only player that will still work after the upgrade. How many people will be turned off of Blu Ray when their very expensive players no longer support new movies?

With streaming content becoming very cheap, I see this as the future and then even further down the road, a hard format taking a big home market share. This is NOT beta vs vhs as many have related. There are many other factors in this digital era.



"My love for you is like a truck, BESERKER!
Would you like to suck my cock? BESERKER!"


I dont like being called retarded. Make a note of it.




The thing is, that there is finally a push into HD formats happening. This should have all been done long ago.


I would like to get the most out of my TV w/o having to pay extra for HD services, which is where things currently are.

[mfgbypooter]

I dont like being called retarded. Make a note of it.


Psycho: The name's Francis Sawyer, but everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I'll kill you.

Leon: Ooooooh.

Psycho: You just made the list, buddy. Also, I don't like no one touching my stuff. So just keep your meat-hooks off. If I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I'll kill you. And I don't like nobody touching me. Any of you homos touch me, and I'll kill you.

Sergeant Hulka: Lighten up, Francis.


*

[HelenaP]

Well, my my...wth happened here?
I mean, I've read the whole thread and I... nevermind.

[beatsme]

Only HD-DVD?

***

"This should have all been done long ago."


hope it getts cheaper too

[StormNinja]

It still galls me that Wal-Mart gets to decide for the World...that just plain sucks!

[mfgbypooter]

it's not Wal-Mart that decided, it was the Wal-Mart shoppers.

*

[evilmegaman]

it's not Wal-Mart that decided, it was the Wal-Mart shoppers.

*

How could anyone expect sales on ANY hi def movie when a hi def movie costs you 30 to 50 bucks. :-/

seriously though I don't understand that. I bought one once, I'm in no rush to try again. I don't know where the sales are coming from. I would like to know where most of the blu ray and HD DVD sales even come from.


also, mels, sorry for being so brash and out of line. I get mad when people miss the point and I need to work on my fuse. It's just the fact you seem like I am trying to convince you that blu ray is correct. I don't believe either are great choices.

Let me try this a little bit more civilized. blu ray = crap IMO. HD DVD = crap IMO.

if a friend were to ask me what should they get, I would say stick with their DVD player. If a friend was dead set on getting a blu ray player whether I like it or not. I would have to suggest PS3. at least for right now. That's all I am trying to say. I don't think I can be clearer than that.

So mels, I'm sorry, I really took things out of line. You know I love you (in a more or less not-too-gay way)

[Excrement_Cranium]

How could anyone expect sales on ANY hi def movie when a hi def movie costs you 30 to 50 bucks. :-/

seriously though I don't understand that. I bought one once, I'm in no rush to try again. I don't know where the sales are coming from. I would like to know where most of the blu ray and HD DVD sales even come from.


also, mels, sorry for being so brash and out of line. I get mad when people miss the point and I need to work on my fuse. It's just the fact you seem like I am trying to convince you that blu ray is correct. I don't believe either are great choices.

Let me try this a little bit more civilized. blu ray = crap IMO. HD DVD = crap IMO.

if a friend were to ask me what should they get, I would say stick with their DVD player. If a friend was dead set on getting a blu ray player whether I like it or not. I would have to suggest PS3. at least for right now. That's all I am trying to say. I don't think I can be clearer than that.

So mels, I'm sorry, I really took things out of line. You know I love you (in a more or less not-too-gay way)



The lowest-end Blu-ray at most electronics stores is the same price as the entry-level PS3, so it is a decent argument.

[evilmegaman]

The lowest-end Blu-ray at most electronics stores is the same price as the entry-level PS3, so it is a decent argument.

now that's the way I should Have put it in the first place. doh!

[Mels_Smileys45]

The lowest-end Blu-ray at most electronics stores is the same price as the entry-level PS3, so it is a decent argument.





Yes it is. Its just different demographics, IE grandma aint gonna buy a PS3 but she probably aint gonna buy a Blu Ray either for that matter. The sad truth is that the average consumer still doesnt understand Hi Def (720p, 1080i, 1080p) and will likely have one component and not another. Some will have the 1080p TV and think their DVD player is automatic Hi Def while others will buy the Blew Gay and think their TV set is now 1080p. It is all a bit confusing for the average shopperand the whole thing is a mess. Im betting most will buy a Blu Ray before they even have the right TV to take advantage of it and when they find out that a mid size 1080p plasma is going to cost 2 grand they will likely choke on a cow dick.


I would like to get the most out of my TV w/o having to pay extra for HD services, which is where things currently are.

There is no way around that right now. It will be a long time before you do not have to pay extra, be it for TV, downloads, discs ect.


Sorry about the Beserker. But how was my song?

[Excrement_Cranium]

Yes it is. Its just different demographics, IE grandma aint gonna buy a PS3 but she probably aint gonna buy a Blu Ray either for that matter. The sad truth is that the average consumer still doesnt understand Hi Def (720p, 1080i, 1080p) and will likely have one component and not another. Some will have the 1080p TV and think their DVD player is automatic Hi Def while others will buy the Blew Gay and think their TV set is now 1080p. It is all a bit confusing for the average shopperand the whole thing is a mess. Im betting most will buy a Blu Ray before they even have the right TV to take advantage of it and when they find out that a mid size 1080p plasma is going to cost 2 grand they will likely choke on a cow dick.




There is no way around that right now. It will be a long time before you do not have to pay extra, be it for TV, downloads, discs ect.


Sorry about the Beserker. But how was my song?



Hehe.... I'm having fun catching people going nuts n finding comic references for them.

>.<


I can tell you the old folks in the retirement home at least have DVD/VHS combos. But the cheap ass place won't fix the big screen, and they are PISSED about watching movies on a 20".


I get a few movie channels in HD... and for the most part, the other available channels are really shit anyway.

Hell, I just wish I could get a package for just the movie channels, I have no time to schedule my life around TV shows, so I wait for seasons on DVD.

[DigitalJunkie]

I think sooner or later Microsoft will have to join the Blu-Ray crowd & package Blu-Ray player with their XBox 360 just to compete with PS3 combo pricing. Hi-Def will take-off, whether you like it or not! Even now, Sony already working on next generation of Hi-Def that will bring 4x resolution of current 1080p HD. Do we need 4x 1080p? Technology is changing fast!!

[Krell]

I think sooner or later Microsoft will have to join the Blu-Ray crowd & package Blu-Ray player with their XBox 360 just to compete with PS3 combo pricing.

They went deep in to making an interactive interface with Toshiba, and a sizable investment, I doubt they are free to chase Sony even if they wanted to.

Do we need 4x 1080p? Technology is changing fast!!

Don't under estimate the UHD vagina cam.


.

[DigitalJunkie]

Microsoft may have sizable investment in HD-DVD, but like their hope for proprietary DRM scheme to dominate the market. Does not look so bright anymore!

[Mels_Smileys45]

MS hasnt backed HD for awhile. Sure, it looked like they were but it was just a ruse. Some say that MS was only trying to cause conflict so they could get their own HD content ready. Toshiba noticed this too. Im starting to think, the more I read, that this flip flop has been in the card for awhile. Sony seems to have paid off Toshiba, sort of, at the least they made them an offer they can't refuse. Suddenly Toshiba is backing PS3 NOT the MS 360 even though Toshiba manufacturers several components for the 360! Strange huh!!? How fast of a turn around was that? If you blinked you may have missed it.

"Sony agreed to sell it microchip processing facilities in western Japan for approximately $835M USD. These facilities currently produce Cell processors and RSX graphic chips. Toshiba will enter the joint venture with Sony on April 1, 2008. "

Dailytech.com

Someone needs to file a consumer suit against these big boys. There is some shady business deals going down and no company should be allowed to corner the market by buying off the market from the consumer. HD DVD had loads more features than Blu Ray, its was cheaper, its was advancing at a good pace but now its dead.

I think I will buy one though. Its super cheap now, there are over 800 movies to be had and it has built it upscaling for my DVD collection. Hell, now its even cheaper than a good DVD upscaling unit.



As for HD TV. Ive been told cable HDTV is not true Hi Def. Is this true?

[Krell]

MS hasnt backed HD for awhile. Sure, it looked like they were but it was just a ruse. Some say that MS was only trying to cause conflict so they could get their own HD content ready. Toshiba noticed this too.

WTF are you talking about? I talked to the nappy headed bitch they hired from hollywood to develope the interface for Toshiba, I saw it ON a Toshiba HDTV and a Toshiba A-30 while the nappy head was going on and on about Toshiba. That's the one where I told her I already had Transformers in 720 and 1080 and she gasped *illegal* and I looked her straight in the face and said I wasnt in bed with Hollywood.

Then I said "good luck with that" and got a taco salad.

MS doesnt have HD content, they have HD content PROTECTION. Or at least they try.


.

[jcubed]

I love DVDs. I won't be switching for a very long time.