Toshiba sent out this announcement today, I only wish I was making this up. “Mass Market Acceptance Confirms that HD DVD is the Consumer’s Choice for Next Generation High Def Entertainment” and it is dated today. The release cites strong Q4 sales and announces a beefed up marketing buy in the coming months.
It is almost funny. Any topic we’ve touched here at Gadgetell that even remotely took a side in the Blu-ray/HD-DVD format war (and yes it is a war, one will win, one will die -like a Mel Gibson movie) brings out the other teams haters in our comments. But here, the media has declared the winner and I believe most people would argue Warner Bros. leaving the HD-DVD camp was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. But is Toshiba listening?
“As Toshiba achieved the #1 sales volume in the next generation DVD category with an approximately 50 percent market share in 2007, HD DVD is proven to be the format of choice for consumers. Coupled with an 80 percent plus market share of all next generation DVD equipped notebooks for the 4th quarter 2007, the HD DVD format has already paved the way to a high definition digital AV solution by eliminating the boundaries between the consumer’s living room and on the go.”
Clearly, no, they are not listening. Pumped by the numbers, they defy the current believe the war is done. Perhaps as the selection of new movies for HD-DVD withers, then a winner will be declared. But until then, Toshiba carries the torch. Is there anyway Toshiba can turn this bus around?
Company site: [Toshiba HD-DVD]
And now it would appear that Toshiba has realized the error of their ways, announcing that they are cutting the prices on HD-DVD players 40-50%..
Too bad, really, because the consumer loses by Sony winning. Blu-Ray is just another example of Sony making another proprietary format that's incompatible with anything else, just because they can. (Betamax, MiniDisc, ProDuo memory, etc..)
Sony should buy their whole gaming division a cigar – were it not for the PS3, the tables would likely be turned the other way..
Not only that, but Blu-ray is much more expensive, so consumers get to pay more for the privilege of doing business with Sony. I guess they learned from the Betamax experience. The rich get richer.