Blu-ray DVD format may not dominate for years

Blu-ray stomped HD DVD to become the standard format for high-definition movie discs, but years may pass before it can claim victory over the good old DVD.

6

2

Analyst: HD DVD demise hasn't meant scramble for Blu-ray

Sales of Blu-ray disc players haven't been helped by maker Toshiba's capitulation over producing the rival HD DVD format, research firm NPD Group said Wednesday.

1

2

Toshiba's net profit plunges

Japanese electronics maker Toshiba said Friday its net profit plummeted a staggering 95 percent in the January-March quarter due to losses related to its exit from the next-generation video HD DVD business.

1

1

Toshiba Losing Money in HD DVD Business

Toshiba lowered its earnings forecast for this fiscal year on Wednesday, blaming the reduction in part on 45 billion yen ($460 million) in costs associated with pulling the plug on its HD DVD next-generation video business.

0

0

Circuit City Extends HD DVD Return Time

Circuit City Stores Inc. is getting on the Blu-ray digital video format bandwagon by tripling the period in which customers who purchased a rival HD DVD player can return them.

0

0

Paramount to End HD DVD Releases

In a further sign that Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray has won the high-definition format war, Paramount Pictures home entertainment unit said Friday it will release its last HD DVD titles on Tuesday.

6

3

Microsoft Pulls Plug on HD DVD Players

Microsoft Corp. said it will stop making HD DVD players for its Xbox 360 video game system after Toshiba Corp. ceded the high-definition video format battle to Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray.

5

0

Blu-Ray Wins After HD DVD Is Scuttled

The HD DVD is now the Highly Dead DVD.

10

1

Toshiba Quits HD DVD Business

Toshiba's decision to no longer develop, make or market high-definition HD DVD players and recorders will mean consumers can start feeling more confident about buying the victorious rival technology — a Blu-ray disc player.

8

2

Sony's Blu-Ray DVD Format Could Prevail

Sony's Blu-ray technology is emerging as the likely winner in the format battle for the next generation of DVD players after Toshiba appeared ready to ditch its HD DVD business.

8

7

Report: Toshiba May End HD DVD Format

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

2

3

Wal-Mart Picks Blu-Ray Over HD DVD

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has picked Blu-ray over HD DVD in the market battle for the format of high-definition video.

13

25

Toshiba Cuts Prices on HD DVD Players

Toshiba Corp. on Monday announced an aggressive campaign to bolster its HD DVD movie disc format against Sony-backed Blu-ray technology, cutting prices on players to as low as $149.99.

5

2

Toshiba Defiant After HD DVD Setback

Toshiba Corp. executives had a tough moment Sunday, when they had to face reporters just two days after its HD DVD movie disc format was dealt a potentially fatal blow by the defection of Warner Bros. Entertainment to a rival technology.

0

0

Warner Bros. Picks Blu-Ray Over HD-DVD

Warner Bros. Entertainment said Friday it will release movie discs only in the Blu-ray format, becoming the latest studio to reject the rival HD DVD technology and further complicating the high-definition landscape for consumers.

20

21

Sony CEO Sees 'Stalemate' in Disc Fight

The head of Sony Corp., Howard Stringer, said Thursday that the Blu-ray disc format the company has developed as the successor to the DVD is in a "stalemate" with the competing HD DVD format, chiefly backed by Toshiba Corp. and Microsoft Corp.

1

2

HD DVD to Launch Online Shopping Feature

Just watched "Evan Almighty"? Did its environmental message make you want to buy ecologically sound toilet paper?

0

0

Paramount to Drop Blu-Ray High-Def DVDs

Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. will offer next-generation DVDs in the HD DVD format and drop support for Blu-ray, further complicating the race between the competing technologies.

12

6

Consumers Urged to Pick New DVD Format

People who own an HD DVD player can forget about watching "Spider-Man 3" in high definition when it goes on sale during the holiday season. The movie from Sony Pictures will only be available in the Blu-ray DVD format. Likewise, people with Blu-ray players won't be able to enjoy the action-thriller "The Bourne Ultimatum," which Universal Pictures will release only in HD DVD.

3

1

Amazon.com to Sell Indie Films on Demand

Amazon.com Inc. will begin selling high-definition independent films in the HD DVD format through its on-demand DVD printing service, the company said late Sunday.

1

1

AP: Blockbuster to Favor Blu-Ray HD Disc

Blockbuster Inc. will rent high-definition DVDs only in the Blu-ray format in 1,450 stores when it expands its high-def offerings next month, dealing a major blow to the rival HD DVD format.

6

3

Column: How HD DVD and Blu-Ray Differ

Q. I'm confused about the format war for next-generation DVDs. Should I get HD DVD or Blu-ray, or should I stick with regular DVDs for now?

1

1

Invention: Triple-standard DVD

The electronics industry is in a fine mess, with two blue-laser disc standards (Blu-ray and HD-DVD) competing to succeed ordinary red-laser DVDs.

2

1

Review: Toshiba HD DVD Needs Fine-Tuning

Consumers looking to upgrade their home theaters can now choose between two types of high-definition DVD players — the confusing result of a long-running format war involving Hollywood studios and technology companies.

2

1

Toshiba Delays Sale of 1st HD DVD Recorder

Toshiba Corp. said Thursday it will postpone the sale of the world's first HD DVD recorder because of a production delay.

4

4

Fresh off its new trade-in store for video games, the mammoth online retailer now says it'll buy your used DVDs, Blu-rays, or even (a few) HD DVDs for store credit.

0

0

Blu-ray is in a death spiral. 12 months from now Blu-ray will be a videophile niche, not a mass market product.

2

1

Consumers are unimpressed with Blu-ray players, preferring to stick with their less expensive standard DVD players, a market researcher said Friday.

4

0

Looks like the final winner of the DVD format war was not Blu-ray after all, but standard DVD, with stats indicating that the sales excluding PS3 units grew a meager 2% since the demise of the HD DVD format. Also, PS3 players account for 85% of the Blue-ray hardware market.

1

0

Digitimes yesterday reported that drive manufacturer Lite-On will begin shipping XBox 360 Blu-ray BD-ROM drives in the second half of this year. But a Microsoft spokesman yesterday told the web site Tech Radar that "Lite-On is not manufacturing Blu-ray drives for Xbox 360....

4

1

Here at ThinkGeek, we fully grok that digital convergence is all the rage. We've been stocking cassette and vinyl and other analog to digital media converters for years now. And for some reason you keep buying. But we felt like we were leaving out some folks.

3

3

This year is shaping up to be a year of technology battles-Microsoft vs. Google, iPhone vs. Android-but just last month, we saw the end to a momentous tech showdown. On Feb. 19, the high-definition disc format war was finally over.

1

1

Is Hillary the HD DVD of this election?

I like analogies. I like them a lot. Those of you who have seen me comment around the 'Vine over the last couple years have probably seen me make my own fair share of analogies when discussing complex issues.

17

26

Earlier this week Best Buy announced that it would offer $50 gift cards to any of its customers that purchased HD DVD players. Apparently Amazon wanted in on the good PR and has come up with its own way to hook up its HD DVD customers.

0

0

No sooner has the battle for the next-generation high-definition DVD format ended, with Blu-ray triumphing over HD DVD, than a new contender has emerged.

2

0

Following its brief campaign to support the doomed HD DVD format, Microsoft has now apparently entered into talks with Sony to bring Blu-ray disc technology to the Xbox 360.

8

3

Microsoft Corp. said it will stop making HD DVD players for its Xbox 360 video game system after Toshiba Corp.

1

1

Let there be no more speculation about Microsoft's stance on HD-DVD. The company issued a statement today that it would no longer manufacture the Xbox 360 add-on following Toshiba's decision to bail out on the high definition disc format.

2

1

I thought it was pretty funny. I mean, the Betamax adopters at least had a few years to nag their VHS friends about the better picture quality, before the format died a slow death. But HD-DVD -- they just took it out back and shot it! I think that's what's so striking about this.

4

3

Such is the lack of interest in Toshiba's HD DVD players these days that retailers are going to extreme lengths to shift stock.

2

0

If you're an early adopter who got burned by Blu-Ray's victory over HD DVD, Wired's How-To Wiki details how to convert your old-and-busted HD DVDs to the victorious Blu-Ray format.

9

6

So how do Apple's HD movie downloads compare with DVDs, Blu-Ray Discs, and currently available HD video on demand content? We did a direct comparison to help you see the differences.

8

9

TOSHIBA Australia has ruled out refunds or compensation to customers and retailers with HD DVD players.

3

9

In a strange move, LG has said it will continue to back, develop and offer HD DVD players.

2

0

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp (6502.T) is planning to give up on its HD DVD format for high definition DVDs, conceding defeat to the competing Blu-Ray technology backed by Sony Corp (6758.T), a company source said on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENT

4

3

Getting a brand new high-definition TV should be an enjoyable experience, but when you open up that big box you could also be opening up a frustrating can of worms. HDTVs are complicated gadgets.

4

1

On Friday, rumor spread fast that Toshiba was about to bail on HD DVD, following a string of unhappy news for the HD DVD camp, beginning with Netflix and Best Buy's decisions to throw their weight behind Blu-ray earlier in the week.

3

0

Toshiba put HD-DVD out of its misery today. Reuters confirmed this afternoon that it will cease manufacturing HD-DVD equipment, following earlier reports from Japan's NHK public broadcasting network.

8

8

Well, that's it. Toshiba appears to be pulling the plug on HD DVD. Toshiba has not commented publicly, but a report on Japan's NHK says Toshiba has made the decision to withdraw from next generation high-definition DVD production.

1

2

Toshiba Corp is planning to give up on its HD DVD format for high-definition video, conceding defeat to the competing Blu-Ray technology backed by Sony Corp, a company source said on Saturday.

10

11