Toshiba gearing up to drop HD DVD?

We're not exactly sure what's going on in Toshiba land, but shortly after not-exactly-believable whispers made the rounds of the firm suddenly deciding to try its hand at making a Blu-ray player, we're now seeing reports stating that it will pull the plug on its beloved format "in the coming weeks." Citing unnamed industry "sources," The Hollywood Reporter is suggesting that the end may be nigh for the HD DVD format. Jodi Sally, VP of marketing for Toshiba America Consumer Products, was quoted as saying that "given the market developments in the past month, Toshiba will continue to study the market impact and the value proposition for consumers, particularly in light of its recent price reductions on all HD DVD players." Of course, we aren't exactly equating said statement to waving the white flag or anything, but whatever the case, it seems the death watch is in full effect.

[Via Home Media Magazine, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[echoelman @ Feb 14th 2008 8:38PM]

Also, 81/19 Nielson numbers.

"B-but the attach rates!"

[Austin @ Feb 14th 2008 9:40PM]

"I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of two little formats don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy mixed up world. Someday you'll understand that."

[3rdsun @ Feb 15th 2008 2:40PM]

Say it ain't so Sam......The End

[eidorian @ Feb 14th 2008 8:38PM]

just finish hd-dvd already! no body cares about it anymore

[Darrol @ Feb 14th 2008 8:39PM]

I am sure Toshiba cares as well as Universal and Paramount.

[mike @ Feb 14th 2008 9:32PM]

I care.

I'm afraid that sony might do something sneaky on bluray given its history on music cds.

[ScareyJ @ Feb 14th 2008 10:39PM]

Without HD, how many years from now do you expect a $120 BluRay player? or lower disc prices?

Lowering prices is easy, raising them is hard. While Toshiba was slashing prices to the $120 range, Sony didn't aggressively move the bar. They avoided big price slashing by offering deals like free PS3s with a TV purchase (heck I got 3 BluRay movies for buying any brand HD TV -- and anyone wonders why media sales numbers are so high for BluRay). If Sony isn't willing to price slash to compete, they sure as hell aren't going to without competition.

(yeah, I'm a hater of both camps now ... upscaling and downloads for me)

[Backlin @ Feb 14th 2008 10:56PM]

@ Mike, Bingo! I had one of my old computers slow to a crawl due to a rootkit exploit.

[Sam Winter @ Feb 15th 2008 12:37AM]

@ScareyJ

Apparently you weren't around when DVD came out. You think we all payed $120 for a DVD player a year or two from when it came out ?? Are you crazy? The fact is, Toshiba was selling their low-quality component based HD-DVD players at or below cost to try and compete with Blu-Ray. That is not sustainable as a business model to make a profit. Ever wondered why Toshiba was the manufacturer of 95% of HD-DVD players sold versus Blu-ray which has 8 manufacturers? You guys need to just get over it... talk about cheap asses. Early adopters wining about paying $300 for a next gen player? Do you have any idea how expensive the early adopter fee has been in the past??

[Mojo_Yugen @ Feb 15th 2008 7:43AM]

Well since more than one company is making Blu-ray players what will drive down the price of the players is good old fashioned competition! Competition just wont be able to drive the cost down below the cost of manufacturing them, just like everything else.
And now that HD-DVD is dead (yes, it's dead folks) there will be more manufacturers willing to jump into making players, thereby more competition, thereby prices lowering faster.

[Jeebus @ Feb 15th 2008 3:36PM]

@ScareyJ

Sears has Samsung Blu-ray players right now for $93 and $149.

[Shane @ Feb 14th 2008 8:38PM]

It's the FINAL final nail in the HD-DVD coffin!

[Tony @ Feb 14th 2008 9:17PM]

how many more times will someone say its the final nail in the coffin ? :) keep going HD-DVD dont let blu-ray off the hook :)

[Shane @ Feb 14th 2008 9:27PM]

@Tony--

There have been MANY "final" nails in the HD-DVD coffin over the past month or so. Toshiba backing out would have to be the last straw.

Personally, I'm sad to see the recent HD-DVD developments but at least now maybe we can settle on a format once and for all. I actually bought an HD-DVD player and will probably buy a Blu-Ray player when the prices come down to the $99 point.

[caleb @ Feb 14th 2008 9:28PM]

@Tony,
I imagine they'll keep it up as long as they can keep getting a rise out of the HD-DVD apologists.

[Wolfticket @ Feb 14th 2008 10:54PM]

LOL at "apologists". You make it sound like HD-DVD is a terrorist organisation.

As for the format war (huh, what is it good for?). Since blueray and HD-DVD use the same form factor, anything other than a win for dual format players (ala DVD-/+R) is crap for loads of consumers, which ever way it goes.

[Jeremy @ Feb 15th 2008 12:13AM]

Cleary you don't understand that HD-DVD has now become an HD-zombie. Just one final nail is not enough. You have to double-kill it, put in the final nail, remove the last straw, and shoot it in the face. It's basic science.

[caleb @ Feb 15th 2008 12:34AM]

I wasn't being inflamitory:
a·pol·o·gist (ə-pŏl'ə-jĭst)
n.
A person who argues in defense or justification of something

Sounds apropos to me.

And just in case:
ap·ro·pos (ăp'rə-pō')
adj.
Being at once opportune and to the point.

[Wolfticket @ Feb 15th 2008 1:03PM]

Apologist is commonly used to describe someone who speaks in defence of a faith or cause. For this reason I found your use of the word supererogatory when used in this context.

Poo, arse, bum.

[Blacksheep @ Feb 14th 2008 8:39PM]

Thank god, now I can finally buy I high def player without fear of being obsolete.

Before the inevitable comments, yes, I'm aware profile 2.0 is coming out and 1.1 players will be obsolete. I will either buy a PS3 or simply wait a few months.

The point is that it's finally over and I will soon be able to use my TV to its full potential.

[Gremlin @ Feb 14th 2008 8:43PM]

HOORAY!

[Sam @ Feb 14th 2008 8:44PM]

meh, hd dvd provided more features, was setup from the get-go to have firmware updates and now its going to die. just what we need is sony controlling the entire HD disc industry. yay...

[Darrol @ Feb 14th 2008 8:53PM]

I agree Sam.

[Dennis Forbes @ Feb 15th 2008 9:43AM]

When the BD+ on that new disc (root kits are now built in: It's a feature!) decides that you've played the disc a few too many times, or that it already phoned home and "activated" as played on another player, think back to the promise that was HD-DVD, smashed by the brilliant conniving of the media empire called Sony/Disney.

Walt will be controlling your brain.

[Sam @ Feb 14th 2008 9:20PM]

oh yeah, what I don't understand, well from what I've been hearing on these tech blogs, is that all the movies currently on HD-DVD or Blu-Ray are on their rival formats overseas. Is this entirely accurate? If it is, if HD-DVD fails in the US but lives on around the world, doesn't that still make it not exactly out of the game? You could, theoretically, get a cheap HD-DVD player and then just keep buying all the Blu-Ray movies on the other format in like the UK or something? yes? no? anybody?

[Gremlin @ Feb 14th 2008 9:50PM]

That's funny, but... no! I don't know where you've been hearing this stuff, but its definitely the exception - not the rule.

If Toshiba pulls out of HD-DVD, it won't be limited to America. Blu-ray has enjoyed just as much (if not more) success in Europe as it has in America since the PS3's sales are greater there relative to the market size. Plus the six major American film studios are also the six largest international film studios.

The point is if Toshiba drops HD-DVD, then the format will cease to exist in America and internationally moreover. Sure, your old media will still play, but thats about it.

[Eh @ Feb 15th 2008 12:21AM]

And what makes Toshiba such a better company to control the HD industry? Last I checked they both opted for DRM and neither are known for saving starving babies in Africa.

[Sam @ Feb 15th 2008 1:06AM]

@Gremlin, um..i've been hear this on engadget and gizmodo. And they do sell HD DVD version of blu ray movies overseas. Do research before you start shooting your mouth off.

[Curtis the Claw Game Master @ Feb 15th 2008 4:16PM]

@ Sam

Show us your "research" that they sell HD-DVD movies on Blu-Ray and viceversa overseas.

[Sam @ Feb 15th 2008 4:26PM]

http://www.techradar.com/news/home-cinema/high-definition/paramount-now-backing-blu-ray-too-204640

[Curtis the Claw Game Master @ Feb 15th 2008 4:42PM]

Great research! Check out the article that they got it from on gizmodo.

http://gizmodo.com/347299/first-paramount-blu+ray-titles-spotted-in-amazon

All it's saying is that it's either an error or has to do with HD-DVD's death. Do research before you start shooting your mouth off.

[Rafer @ Feb 14th 2008 8:48PM]

Lets all go back to cartridges /BEGIN MOVEMENT.

[Blacksheep @ Feb 14th 2008 8:54PM]

BetaMax for teh win!

[Jesse S @ Feb 15th 2008 11:42AM]

Can't VHS technically do HD?

[Jeebus @ Feb 15th 2008 3:40PM]

@Jesse

It has for 10 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-VHS

[ian @ Feb 14th 2008 8:54PM]

goddamn do i feel bad for my friends that bought HD-DVD players and dvd's. and im glad i waited before i pick which side im going to

[JAmerican @ Feb 14th 2008 8:54PM]

It sucks to be an early adopter :(.

Luckily I am not one of them :D.

[Cunthor @ Feb 14th 2008 10:04PM]

Says a man with MBA avatar :)

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Feb 14th 2008 10:53PM]

It is really mcihael jordan, and hes from the NBA, and the abbreviation for the macbook air is MBA. Ha Ha! Coincedince.

[JAmerican @ Feb 14th 2008 11:15PM]

I have the avatar not because I own the MBA, its because I like the modified Jordan Logo! :)

[emjoi @ Feb 14th 2008 11:29PM]

But then the early adopters have had their Players and used them over the previous months, while everyone else has not.

No crisis in spending a couple of hundred bucks and buying another player. Early Adopters aren't doomed in any significant way.

[Skullfighter @ Feb 15th 2008 12:43AM]

No, early adopters aren't totally screwed. I own around 25 HD DVD discs, so I'll get some replay out of it. All of those are encoded in VC-1 too, no Mpeg2 on HD DVD.

The thing that pisses me off about BD is they released an underdeveloped product and claimed it was better. Over time they added (and are adding) features that weren't compatible with older players. I mean...come on. THAT is why I THOUGHT HD DVD would win... oh well.

[JAmerican @ Feb 15th 2008 12:48AM]

Personally I've been with Blu-ray since day one even though I do not own the hardware to prove it. Basically, the next-gen disks are large storage/backup mediums for me. The larger the theoretical limit, the better the format.

[oooaaa @ Feb 14th 2008 8:58PM]

Truth Teller:

As a loyal HD-DVD advocate for the last year, largely due to your unceasing wisdom and commentary, I cannot help but ask, does it hurt to be exposed as such an ass?

Thanks a lot, can I bill you for my player?

[Dave @ Feb 14th 2008 9:09PM]

maybe now we can get USB add-on xbox360 bluray players?

[ScooterDe @ Feb 15th 2008 2:45AM]

Engadget editors have little idea of what people will buy: the individual writers report what they like (or pretend to dislike for the sake of prompting interaction). Mostly it is about shiny new toys, little else. Don't look here for technical details, environmental awareness or a host of the other important factors that should influence your decisions.

[Kevin @ Feb 14th 2008 9:08PM]

NO... WAIT! Talk to Blu-Ray about combining them (the formats) together! So Blu-Ray can be played in a DVD player! Duh... People need the freedom to keep their DVD players while not buying a Blu-Ray Disc player! Seiously! Blu-Ray needs more types while HD-DVD format can be combined with Blu-Ray to make a new breed in HD! Yes I said "can"! :) while :(!

[Reader @ Feb 14th 2008 9:59PM]

What?

[w00t @ Feb 14th 2008 10:16PM]

What the hell are you blithering on about?

[insertAlias @ Feb 14th 2008 10:20PM]

@Kevin,
I think you have a fundamental misunderstanding here. HD DVD can't be played in regular DVD players either (unless you buy the dual-sided ones that have a regular dvd on one side). If people want HD on an optical media, they WILL have to update their player. And there are dual format players that can play both HD DVD and Blu-Ray disks.
The problem is, we don't need competing formats anymore, and no, they will not merge the technology. That would actually fragment the market even more. Then you would have HD DVD, Blu-Ray, and the hybrid competing for the same market share.