It's official: The Format War is Over! Toshiba pulls the plug on HD DVD

GaryPen

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It's over.

Here is a poorly translated version of the latest NHK report:

Toshiba Therefore, the inferiority as to be too difficult, decided to withdraw from the business in the 19 directors of the extraordinary meeting to formally decide. Toshiba, for the time being continue to be sold over-the-counter policy, but the recording and playback machine to machine production stops and also cancel a new development policy.

Here's their latest video report:
NHK HD-DVD Report
 
And that's that.

http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2008_02/pr1903.htm

TOKYO--Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.
 
Not sure why my post was moved in here..here was the date and schedule on when they were announcing it, so I made my own thread stating HD-DVD is officially dead thread.
Not sure why it was moved to the schedule press conference...
 

The webpage loads slow so I will quote it:

[SIZE=+1]Company Remains Focused on Championing Consumer Access to High Definition Content [/SIZE]​
TOKYO--Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.
HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.
"We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality."
Toshiba will continue to lead innovation, in a wide range of technologies that will drive mass market access to high definition content. These include high capacity NAND flash memory, small form factor hard disk drives, next generation CPUs, visual processing, and wireless and encryption technologies. The company expects to make forthcoming announcements around strategic progress in these convergence technologies.
Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand.
This decision will not impact on Toshiba's commitment to standard DVD, and the company will continue to market conventional DVD players and recorders. Toshiba intends to continue to contribute to the development of the DVD industry, as a member of the DVD Forum, an international organization with some 200 member companies, committed to the discussion and defining of optimum optical disc formats for the consumer and the related industries.
Toshiba also intends to maintain collaborative relations with the companies who joined with Toshiba in working to build up the HD DVD market, including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation and major Japanese and European content providers on the entertainment side, as well as leaders in the IT industry, including Microsoft, Intel, and HP. Toshiba will study possible collaboration with these companies for future business opportunities, utilizing the many assets generated through the development of HD DVD.
 
I can Finally Say it, Blu-ray "officially" wins..Toshiba Press Release Inside

Toshiba has OFFICIALLY DROPPED HD-DVD. No blog source this time V, this is coming right from the horses mouth.

Toshiba Investor Relations : Toshiba to Boost Fab Capacity

"Tokyo—Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.

HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.

“We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop,” said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality.”

Toshiba will continue to lead innovation, in a wide range of technologies that will drive mass market access to high definition content. These include high capacity NAND flash memory, small form factor hard disk drives, next generation CPUs, visual processing, and wireless and encryption technologies. The company expects to make forthcoming announcements around strategic progress in these convergence technologies.

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand."
 
Well, this is it guys, the Format War is now officially over!

P.S. I have moved the posts about the official annoncement into a new thread and made it a sticky.
 
This sucks for us HDDVD fans, but i do believe that it was the right decision by toshiba.
 
So do you think that American Gangster will be on blu soon, or should I just buy it on HD DVD today?
 
Maybe Wagner did know something we didn't? With Toshiba ending all production by the end of March-- why March? That would give Universal, Paramount and Dreamworks about 6 to 8 weeks to ready a few of their big movies for release on BD. And if Toshiba has moved up their timeline on their BD player to July things would fall into place for a strong XMAS showing by the former HD-DVD players on BD. I wish they all success as they move over to BD.
 
So do you think that American Gangster will be on blu soon, or should I just buy it on HD DVD today?
I would probably go ahead and get it. Assuming that your player doesnt just totally quit, it isnt like the disc will be useless anytime soon
 
Sad. 2/19/08 HD DVD died and HDM in BD form is now on its path to DVHS status. Nothing but an obscure expensive niche product.
 
Don't forget the great upconversion of the HD-DVD players.:eek:

Afterall, most of the HD-DVD owners didn't really want true HD they only wanted to upconvert their regular DVD collection, because we all know there is so little difference between true HD Media and upconverted DVD, BullS&*t. Yeah OK, then why bother with a HD-DVD player as there are regular DVD players that upconvert. Many HD-DVD fanboys would post this and that, some equal to trying to tell us the sky is green.

When in doubt Deny, Deny, Deny. If that doesn't work then Spin, Spin, Spin. Toshiba has been spinning so much for the last 2 months that they finally realized they were Drilling their company into the ground.

John
 
Personally I am just relieved that it is over. Hopefully all but the most diehard HD DVD partisans will get over their disappointment in time.
 
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