Toshiba to withdraw from HD-DVD production

MozartMan wrote on 2/16/2008, 8:02 AM
UPDATE

Official HD DVD obituary a matter of days, not weeks

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We've reached out to a few sources to find out what's going on. Here's what we know, starting with the most recent information gleaned from a source close to the HD DVD camp. Surprisingly, our source tells us that exit plans for HD DVD were already in the works before the Netflix announcement this past week. The loss of Warner Brothers demoralized the HD DVD camp, and when it was clear that deep price cuts weren't going to give HD DVD a second wind, the writing was on the wall. The only question, pre-Netflix announcement, was how to gracefully shutdown while liquidating existing product. Now that retailers and rental joints have turned their back publicly on the format, there's nothing graceful about the shutdown plans. There's little face to save on the consumer side.
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Arstechnica article

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Toshiba plans to withdraw from HD-DVD production

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Toshiba Corporation has decided to withdraw from next generation high-definition DVD production.

Toshiba has been struggling with its version of the next generation DVD format, as support for Blu-ray technology has spread among US retailers.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSL1627196120080216

Comments

bsuratt wrote on 2/16/2008, 8:35 AM
Well, that leaves HD delivery in a fine mess! We had two companies attempting to create a method of delivery for HD content, one with no standard specifications set as yet and continuing to produce players which may or may not work with future DVDs, and one which had a standard and good products but would not even provide a workable PC burner for their format. At least we had some competitive impetus to keep development going.

Now we are left with products with no set standards produced by a company which suffers from severe paranoia vis a vie DRM efforts and has clearly become more interested in protecting it's movie/music business than creating stellar electronic products.

And now that company has no competitive reason to improve its products.

What a mess!
blink3times wrote on 2/16/2008, 8:38 AM
Well, that leaves HD delivery in a fine mess! We had two companies attempting to create a method of delivery for HD content,

Well... give BD another year to pull it together.... MAYBE they'll have it by then. Don't have much choice now anyway.

Of course this says nothing about the fact that there is no set standard and they're free to change anything at any time. I HOPE this doesn't happen.... I'm quite nervous none the less.
blink3times wrote on 2/16/2008, 8:39 AM
Sorry... double post
Houston Haynes wrote on 2/16/2008, 1:00 PM
Holy Poopinstacks that was fast.
MozartMan wrote on 2/16/2008, 1:41 PM
Paramount's Transformers showing up in Blu-ray attire?

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Nevertheless, an eagle-eyed Circuit City employee has apparently located Transformers in its internal database completely doused in Blu. You heard right -- a Blu-ray 2-disc edition of the Michael Bay flick is reportedly showing up with a UPC code different than the HD DVD version. 'Course, this really isn't quite as surprising today as it would've been yesterday -- you know, considering that BD and HD VMD are really the only options left for studios to run to -- but feel free to make of it what you will.
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http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/16/paramounts-transformers-showing-up-in-blu-ray-attire/

blink3times wrote on 2/16/2008, 1:53 PM
"Paramount's Transformers showing up in Blu-ray attire?"

If you can pick it up on sale then go for it... but if you gotta pay full price then forget it... it's not worth the full price. I got it on HD DVD and I'm a little sorry I threw the money away on it.
bStro wrote on 2/16/2008, 2:05 PM
I'm more intrigued by the listing for Trading Places. I mean, sure, awesome movie -- but do we need it in high def?

Rob
Chienworks wrote on 2/16/2008, 2:34 PM
Not me. I'm still doing the vast majority of my movie watching in 320x240, still purchasing SD at an average of less than $7 per disc, still enjoying them immensely.

HD? what a waste of money.
Houston Haynes wrote on 2/16/2008, 3:35 PM
Uh - "Lawrence of Arabia" in HD will change your mind. Immediately.
Kennymusicman wrote on 2/16/2008, 3:39 PM
Lol. I watched Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves earlier - and it was 1.85:1 within a 4:3 frame, so it was small, and very grainy..
Watched a new film prior to that, which used up most of my screen [being correct aspect ratio] - and it looked really nice (both watched on 1080p screen).
Makes me think about how DVD has become better over the years, and source material being better too. When HD has "grown up" I think it's going to be really spectacular. But a-la Kelly, I'm enjoying buying films at a respectable price for a change....
blink3times wrote on 2/16/2008, 4:08 PM
Makes me think about how DVD has become better over the years, and source material being better too.

Ditto.
If you get a good dvd player/upscaler like the Oppo, and it'll make hidef (for Hollywood movies anyway) almost not worth the price.
JJKizak wrote on 2/16/2008, 4:13 PM
Geez, I thought the HD-A35 was the best upconverter and its cheaper than the OPPO.
JJK
blink3times wrote on 2/16/2008, 4:18 PM
It is. Toshiba HD DVD players are about the best upscalers you can get... I'm just trying to be a bit conservative.
JJKizak wrote on 2/16/2008, 4:27 PM
B & H Photo has it lsted for $249.00 plus 5 HD-DVD movies for rebate.
JJK
bsuratt wrote on 2/16/2008, 6:48 PM
<<Toshiba HD DVD players are about the best upscalers you can get>>

You are absolutely correct... my XA2 was worth the price just as an excellent upconverting SD DVD player.... (I previously used the Oppo 981 but the Toshiba is better!)

I would be hard pressed to spend the extra money on HD disks when the SD counterpart looks almost as good with the Toshiba HD-DVD player.

DJPadre wrote on 2/16/2008, 9:45 PM
Considering weve been watching Sony Patented technology and formats now for what 8-9 years (ie DVD) i dont see this being any different to that

To be honest, im glad the crap is over and studios can finally focus on delivering content.

BD IS a good format. as was HD DVD. However with this, u can blame the distribution houses and teh studios themselves in trying to make something out of nothing

The 2 formats COULD have survived side by side. But it was always the Anti Sony mentality which kept this wat going. Funny thign is, even on this board, with so many anti sony people raving on about this and that, they still use Vegas... go figure...

Irrespective of who bought the format out, that is beside the point. Why? Well if Sony didnt do it, someone else would have done it. If Pana bought out a format, im sure it would have been anti Pana

As it stands, peace is what we neded.
Maybe now, which this behind us, formats and standards can be put forward so as the everyday user and producer can view and/or deliver without worrying about any more bullshit

DJPadre wrote on 2/16/2008, 9:48 PM
"Paramount's Transformers showing up in Blu-ray attire?"

If you can pick it up on sale then go for it... but if you gotta pay full price then forget it... it's not worth the full price. I got it on HD DVD and I'm a little sorry I threw the money away on it."

Mate, your missing the point...
its not about whether or not a particular movie is worth it or to your taste.. it never has been.. the point is about the act that "Exclusive" releases for the particular format have been reverse engineered into other formats.

This was what i as trying to explain in the other post about HD DVD vs BD, but even then, the point was mised...
Houston Haynes wrote on 2/17/2008, 12:29 AM
I worked with a major post/prod house for a short stint, and part of the business workflow process I was working on included an H.264 encoder for a subsidiary's 2K/4K system - and the assets it generated allowed it to be agnostic to whether it was packaging for HD DVD or Blu Ray. I'd imagine most shops will be heading that way if they're not there already. So it's six of one, half dozen of anther, save for the fact that there are more opportunities for higher-res surround and other add-ons that can fit on Blu-Ray's footprint that HD DVD couldn't handle due to size constraints.
DGates wrote on 2/17/2008, 1:10 AM
Funny thing is, even on this board, with so many anti Sony people raving on about this and that, they still use Vegas... go figure...

Sony had nothing to do with the development of Vegas. They just wrote a check and made it theirs.
John_Cline wrote on 2/17/2008, 2:50 AM
Well, Sony had nothing to do with the birth of Vegas, but they have been solely in charge of its development ever since they bought the media software assets of Sonic Foundry. If Sony hadn't have bought them, we'd all be using Premiere or FCP.
blink3times wrote on 2/17/2008, 4:38 AM
Funny thing is, even on this board, with so many anti Sony people raving on about this and that, they still use Vegas... go figure...

Well... statements like this really irritate the crap out of me. Who said ANYTHING about being "anti Sony"??? This here is a prime example of people making asinine assumptions that they don't have the right to make.

I own more Sony devices than I EVER have Toshiba devices. I own Sony Cameras, Sony TV's, Sony AVR's, Sony Software...In fact, here's a statement I made in another thread on Sony Cameras...

I have the HC3, HC7 and the HV20. The HV20 certainly does give a good quality image.... but that's about all. The Sony cams I find are all round much better balanced in terms of quality and overall options. The image quality is slightly better with the canon but you really have to take a good strong look to notice the difference.


Now can you PLEASE show me where you see "anti Sony" ANYWHERE in that statement??? Of course now people will assume that I'm anti Canon right?? To the other extreme, the last Toshiba device I think I owned was back in college. In fact the last laptop that I bought was a HP because the Toshiba sitting beside it looked pretty cheap and badly designed in comparison. For me this was not about Sony or Toshiba... never has been.... never was. It was about the PRODUCT. Let me say that again for the hearing impaired... IT WAS ABOUT THE PRODUCT. And I STILL believe that Toshiba has the better one at this point in time.

And BTW... if I really wanted to, I could make the the same stupid statement in another direction:

Funny thing is, even on this board, with so many anti Microsoft people raving about this and that, they still use XP/Vista/Word/etc.... go figure....

Please don't make blind, blanket statements about people that you haven't the right to make.
blink3times wrote on 2/17/2008, 4:44 AM
"Paramount's Transformers showing up in Blu-ray attire?"

And yes DJ... I am well aware of the point that was being driven.... I was simply trying to be a nice guy in warning of a movie that does not carry its price tag.
TheHappyFriar wrote on 2/17/2008, 5:01 AM
if by "anti-sony" you mean most people here don't like the way they're handling BD (no affordable authoring software, no hard burning standards, keep changing things with the wind) I agree. I didn't get in to DVD's until player manufactures (sony being a big one) stopped NOT supporting burned discs for the most part.
blink3times wrote on 2/17/2008, 5:18 AM
if by "anti-sony" you mean most people here don't like the way they're handling BD (no affordable authoring software, no hard burning standards, keep changing things with the wind)

Hey, be careful...
Your thinking is much too objective, open minded, and logical.... you must be.... ANTI SONY!