Toshiba claims "no decision" on HD DVD strategy as desertions continue
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Feb 18th 2008 8:16AM
posted Feb 18th 2008 8:16AM
Toshiba made a formal announcement today with regard to the state of HD DVD. Unfortunately, it wasn't the white-flag surrender we had hoped would bring a swift end to the format war. In a statement made by a Toshiba spokesman, the firm said, "Toshiba has not made any announcement or decision. We are currently assessing our business strategies, but nothing has been decided at the moment." This came as its stock soared under investor speculation that Toshiba was ready to pre-empt future losses and bring the battle with Blu-ray to a conclusive end. Nevertheless, a multi-format disc pressing plant for indie films by the name of Blue Ray Technologies (BRT) announced the closure of its HD DVD stamping lines. According to BRT's founder Erick Hansen, there's no need to wait for the formal announcement, "HD-DVD is dead, all that is left is the burial." Ouch. Read -- Toshiba statement
Read -- BRT press release
I for one mourn in your loss Toshiba. I thought you would be smarter.
I agree. Toshiba, listen to your investors and stock holders. It isn't just bloggers, geeks and fanboys who are urging you to just cut your losses.
I'm waiting to see George W Bush land on an aircraft carrier to announce the end of all major combat operations in this format war.
BLU RAY DISK VICTORIOUS !
dude that would be HD-DVD victorious..........iraq is still more or less a gone case for now. Thw onlt thing holding it together is the BRAVE TROOPS not bush.
@guerilla779
Off topic anyone?
i know SORRY GUYS...........anyways HD-DVD is dead.
I am most sad that this girl will be out of a job:
http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-14911-CEATEC+07+%E2%80%93+Babes.html
except for the poor suckers who bought into HD-DVD, the war was kind of a win for consumers, if sony had owned this from the start there is now way we would be looking at $250 players in 2008.
Good christ, pull the plug Toshiba! It's just embarrassing now.
This is why regular Joe's can't win in the stock market. Who would have thought admitting failure was enough to move a stock up?
Yawn.
One side of me is yawning, but the other side is impatient to see this war cleaned up at last. I really am sick of it.
How come no one has mentioned the porn industry's backing of HD DVD (rim shot)
you my friend are a strange man
because they switched to blu-ray unfortunatley..
Because anyone who actually buys their porn instead of downloading it is a fool.
What kind of 'rim shot' ?
Obviously my attempts at comic relief failed. ::Backs away slowly::
Good lord Toshiba give it up already!
GO HD DVD GO!
yay! hd-dvd represent!
I'm as sick and bored with this “format war” as anyone, and I'd really like to see some sort of resolution for the good of everyone.
BUT...
There is still no chance I'll buy anything with a Blue Ray logo on it, not anytime soon anyway. Maybe... and that a big maybe... I'll buy a player when its under $99.
I still don't understand why people actually support Blu-Ray. While it is superior in storage, HD DVD is superior still as it is completely region free and extremely affordable! Let alone the fact that it is backed by the Official DVD Forum and the some of the largest companies in the world including Microsoft. I really don't know what you people see in Blu-Ray. However, all discs are dead thanks to the new Apple TV. Downloads are the way forward.
woooo!!
stick it to the blu-ray man!
hd-dvd 4evah!
Blu-ray Disc Association is as legal as DVD Forum. Just made up of different sets of backers many of whom are some of the largest technology companies in the world like Sony, Dell, HP, Hitachi, LG, Panasonic, Philips (with Sony, the co-creator of CD), Sharp, Samsung, Sun, TDK etc.
Like I mentioned before, downloads are the future. But not yet. It needs a connection that can reliably stream 20GB HD films before it takes off.
You know that Apple, maker of the Apple TV, backs the Blue Ray format?
yo TOM OLIVER:
sony just told u to stick hd-dvd up ur ass as well as toshibas by becoming the next gen format.
@netgem
If those huge companies backing HD-DVD made movies then perhaps there would be no reason to move over to the BD camp. However all that backing means nothing when there's no content to press on the discs.
The Blu-Ray Fanboys have spoken... I'm not a brand whore so I do realise that Apple is involved with Blu-Ray but that doesn't require me to have a Blu-Ray player. Consumer Choice is what it's called. And, I never said anything about legalities - I was just saying that the DVD forum support HD DVD. i.e. it is the natural successor for DVD.
You do realize that most of the founding members of the DVD Forum (Consortium at the time) are actually members of the BDA? So speaking in terms of legacy, BD is more accurately the "natural successor to DVD." But yeah, meaningless proclamations by a group that had to have its votes stuffed to "officially" support a format are the be-all-end-all.
yeah baby! go HD-DVD! still in the game!
It must be the end of HD DVD from Toshiba. Circuit City is giving 7 free HD DVD movies with the purchase of any of the two lower priced Toshiba HD DVD players in their Sunday ad and they have 5 free HD DVD movies with any of the three Toshiba players on their web site.
That's been the case for a while. Don't get out much?
Hahhahah that picture on the right is classic!
The saga continues...
You guys have to remember that average joe consumer doesn't care about 20GB downloads. That's not what wins the download battle. As long as it's semi-crisp and 16:9, it's "HD" to most people. That's how downloads will ultimately win the war. Just look at the success of cable On-Demand offerings. We're all the exception here. And most have forgotten that.
What cable on-demand? In this part of the world it isn't a success. The world does not revolve around what works for you.
My cable/On Demand service has continued and is continuing to offer more and more content in true HD, not just SD widescreen. In fact, in my area, Comcast (aka Comcrap, but I refuse to go Sat and FIOStv isn't close to coming to my town) cable boxes have been ALL HD boxes for the last couple years (at least for the DVRs, I've never owned a non-DVR box). I was surprised to see a new category added to the On Demand service in the last month; apparently Adult Swim is going HD since they had HD shows listed (and if you watch the newer episodes of ATHF or some other shows, you notice that they are wide-screen). I don't own a 360 yet (waiting until most problems are sorted out and I can get a unit that isn't a heater, has a good-sized HD and v1.3 HDMI support would be nice, but I'd settle for the current v1.2), but I read that their store has some Adult Swim shows online to rent/buy/whatever. Are any of those in HD? Just curious.
So while you still have to pay an extra 5$ or so for all the non-premium HD channels, I often find myself watching HBO HD instead of HBO so I can see a better + wide-screen picture, even on my SD tv (which will soon be going to goodwill as in 2 paychecks I will be bringing a 50"+ 1080p LCD TV into the hizzie, which I was surprised to find can be bought for under 2500$ now... I'll probably go Sony since they already own my soul).
- Tony R.
Wow, Jon...it's not all about what works for you either, buddy. In THIS part of the world, Comcast works very well for On-Demand services. I realize that's not the entire country...but then again, Blu-ray hasn't really taken hold of the Heartland either. You do know that HDM is a tiny, tiny fraction of the retail landscape, right?
After this "display", I will protest this whole fiasco by boycotting HD-DVD and Blu-Ray.
I'll stick with DVD and wait for the *NEXT-GEN* format. When I'm relaxing at home watching a football game on HD, this #$*& doesn't matter.
When I'm relaxing at home watching a DVD movie, or playing video games, again, who cares?
I believe this was just a hype-show for Blu-Ray/HD-DVD. Consider that Blu-Ray specs are all goofy; that HD-DVD works fine, there should be no complaints.
Yep... just a hype show. I smell clowns.
+1 buddy
ATSC FTW!
If HD DVD does die, then I will just stick with standard DVD until it dies. I am not going to go out and spend all that money on a Blu-Ray player only to have new titles released with a new profile that is not compatible with my player. I cannot believe that a company would release an incomplete product to the market and screw their customers over like that.....
Some of us are still using 6 and 8-year old Sony CRT TVs which have a better picture overall (blacks are black!) and don't give a rat's tush about HD, and my 6 year old Sony DVD player works just fine.
So many posts about something that has not yet happened. Engadget you need a feed without the hype.
Snore.
that was supposed to go to Gremlin...
Fix your darn reply system engadget
LOL. Now that HD DVD is shifted into deep /niche/, thought crossed my mind.
HD DVD due to its future lower market availability might make a perfect media for those companies seeking to build a proprietary disk formats.
Recall game disks from Nintendo which always tries hard to make them unreadable everywhere else.
well Toshiba paired up with Microsoft so a RROD for the red camp was imminent.
Please Toshiba just give it up - I still wont buy in to any HD format until I am 100% sure there is only one format. Swallow the pride and just beat Sony at making a great BD player that we all can own and love.
Ahhh, now this is what I call suspense!
Not. Toshiba, just give up already. You are making this even more painful for the consumers like me who lost on HD DVD, but its ok, just end the pain. Pull the plug, HD DVD would want this....
Toshiba just doesn't have the "we're done" press release ready so that's all they can say right now.
YOU BLUE RAY SUPPORTERS ARE IDIOTS
IDIOTS
YOU ARE SUPPORTING COLLUSION AND PRICE FIXING
READ ABOUT THE 1948 PARAMOUNT DECREE
YOU GUYS ARE IDIOTS FOR SUPPORTING PAYOLA
WHATS NEXT? SUPPORT THE RIAA TO HANDLE YOUR MUSIC?
Their not listening...
The sooner you give it up, the sooner you can move on and make a Blu-ray player.
Toshiba give it up already. The whole world realises it's over, apart from your it seems. It's embarrasing already...
Why does a company named "Blue Ray Technologies" even have an HD-DVD stamping line?
Way to hang in there Toshiba!
Toshiba Pulls Plug On HD DVD
By Greg Tarr
Tokyo – Toshiba officially said Tuesday that after a “thorough review of its overall strategy” it had decided to no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders.