HD DVD doomed?
Toshiba has already made the decision to stop pushing the HD DVD technology and will soon make that decision public, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
That announcement could come in a matter of weeks, the publication said, citing unnamed industry sources, and would leave Blu-ray as the lone standard for high-definition DVD content and players. The move would be a blow not only to Toshiba but also for key partners, including Microsoft - which has offered a version of the Xbox 360 with an HD DVD player - and Intel.
Toshiba may be holding out hope that price cuts will generate enough demand that studios would be convinced to add or keep HD DVD on the menu, In-Stat Analyst Brian O'Rourke told the E-Commerce Times. "If they can point to a critical mass of players going out the door, that would be a market the studios could sell to. But the price cuts also smacked of desperation."