Its far from over

vurbano

On Double Secret Probation
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Toshiba says HD DVD has not lost out to Blu-ray

Mon Jan 7, 2008 4:03am EST
By Franklin Paul and Mayumi Negishi

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp said on Sunday its HD DVD high-definition video format is not dead despite being dealt a big setback by Warner Bros studio's decision to exclusively back Sony Corp's rival Blu-ray technology.

Akiyo Ozaka, president of Toshiba America Consumer Products, told a briefing at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that HD DVD "has not lost."

Ozaka declined to comment on Toshiba's next steps, which he said Toshiba's HD DVD partners would have to discuss, after Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros, one of the world's largest film studios, said it would back Blu-ray, an optical disk format for storing high-definition video.

Toshiba's remarks were the latest salvo in a long-running battle over which format will dominate the next generation of technology for delivering high-definition movies to consumers.

The winner is expected to inherit a multibillion-dollar industry, although consumers so far have been confused by the standards war. Some analysts say they have also failed to see the attraction of high-definition.

Toshiba, the main backer of the HD DVD format, defended the technology on Sunday after the HD DVD consortium, a group of companies of which it is a part, cancelled plans to hold its own press conference at the Las Vegas trade show, the industry's largest U.S. gathering.

"We were very disappointed with Warner Brothers' announcement," Ozaka said. "Sales of HD DVD were very good last year, especially in October to December."

That was in contrast to the mood among Blu-ray technology promoters, who held their own reception at CES and congratulated themselves on the Warner decision.

The rivalry has been compared to the video-cassette-recorder format war of the late 1970s and early 1980s which ultimately Sony's Betamax lost and JVC's VHS won.

"To have one of the studios in its fold defect to the Blu-ray camp is a difficult challenge to overcome," said Ross Rubin, director of consumer technology analysis at NPD Group, adding that "studio support is really critical to the format".

Ozaka said North American sales of HD DVD players, including movie drives in Microsoft's Xbox 360, totaled 1 million in the last year helped by downloads of high-definition video onto personal computers equipped with the technology.

The technology debuted broadly in the United States in 2006 but has not become a big hit with consumers yet.

Toshiba marketing executive Jodi Sally told the audience HD DVD remained the best technology, but acknowledged the Warner Bros announcement on Friday took her by surprise.

"It's difficult for me to believe when all the pundits declare that HD DVD is dead," Sally said. "Clearly, the events of the last few days have led many of you to that conclusion. We have been declared dead before. The reality is we ended 2007 with a majority of the year-to-date market share."

Toshiba says HD DVD has not lost out to Blu-ray | Technology | Reuters
 
The reality is we ended 2007 with a majority of the year-to-date market share."

And that's based on what, exactly? What number could they possibly be looking at that has them ahead for 2007? And whatever that number is, what happens to it when you pull Warner out of it?

If HD-DVD's not dead yet, it's definitely on life-support...
 
And that's based on what, exactly? What number could they possibly be looking at that has them ahead for 2007? And whatever that number is, what happens to it when you pull Warner out of it?
I am curious about that myself
 
Well, I want HD DVD to continue myself, even for 1 more year only so the good deals continue on both format's media.

Overall, I really wish HD DVD would win outright
 
And that's based on what, exactly? What number could they possibly be looking at that has them ahead for 2007? And whatever that number is, what happens to it when you pull Warner out of it?

If HD-DVD's not dead yet, it's definitely on life-support...

It is finished !
 
"The reality is we ended 2007 with a majority of the year-to-date market share."

Yea....if you don't count the any of the PS3's that Sony sold.
 
Let's see. HD DVD is standing in the middle of a road, frozen. An onrushing vehicle is approaching straight on at high speed, and is only 10 feet away.

Right. It's not over. But we know what's about to happen!
 
Don't gloat over the so called victory. The reality is that both HD formats will lose to DVD and the next "Big Thing". BD was just the second to die an early death.
The war will continue until Universal/Paramount/Dreamworks go blu.

Quote:
"The HD DVD camp has always stuck to a simple set of principles," said Ken
Graffeo, executive vice president of HD strategic marketing for Universal
Studios Home Entertainment, and co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group.
"Give consumers who buy into HD DVD what they paid for. In fact, give them
more than they expected. Show them that quality and value go hand in hand
with HD DVD. Show them what advanced interactivity really means and how it
can enrich your favorite movies that you watch over and over."
 
Don't gloat over the so called victory. The reality is that both HD formats will lose to DVD and the next "Big Thing". BD was just the second to die an early death.
The war will continue until Universal/Paramount/Dreamworks go blu.

Quote:
"The HD DVD camp has always stuck to a simple set of principles," said Ken
Graffeo, executive vice president of HD strategic marketing for Universal
Studios Home Entertainment, and co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group.
"Give consumers who buy into HD DVD what they paid for. In fact, give them
more than they expected. Show them that quality and value go hand in hand
with HD DVD. Show them what advanced interactivity really means and how it
can enrich your favorite movies that you watch over and over."
:eek: An intelligent life form in a sea of Blu zealots
 
Don't gloat over the so called victory. The reality is that both HD formats will lose to DVD and the next "Big Thing". BD was just the second to die an early death.
The war will continue until Universal/Paramount/Dreamworks go blu.

"

Reality must be nice in your world ! :yikes
 
Once again, you prove your philosophy:

Anyone who agrees with Vurbano = Intelligent and an all-around good person
Anyone who disagrees with Vurbano = Troll/Shill/Zealot/Stupid
It has gotten worse over the past few days. Think vurb is mad about something?
 

My Thoughts On The Blu Ray Win

HD-DVD Advertising Being Pulled?

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