Toshiba officially bows out of next-gen format war
by Jem Alexander 
{ Feb 19th 2008 at 10:00AM }
We suspect we'll hear from Universal and Paramount before too long regarding their schedule for Blu-Ray releases. Finally we can expect to see films like Serenity and TV shows like Heroes on our favourite Hi-Def medium. Obviously, we'll keep you up to date with any announcements these studios make. The "war" is finally, officially, over. How does that make you feel?
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Michael @ Feb 19th 2008 10:10AM
i just want to know if i can buy Transformers on Blu-Ray now. Rumors are that it is coming but i want a date.
Tim Parsons @ Feb 19th 2008 10:17AM
of course it is now that HD-DVD is Officially DEAD , hopefully soon.
SSG @ Feb 19th 2008 1:26PM
maybe I should buy a ps3
mji245 @ Feb 20th 2008 6:03AM
could this day get any better wow ps3 reaches 10.5 million units sold universal are bringing their titles blu-ray and toshiba drops hd dvd but guys digital downloads are u kidding me why should i waste my whole broadband on 1 movie do u know a hd movie takes atleast 14 gb?lol rent a blu-ray film for just $5 blu-ray is awesome everyday lots of ppl buy a blu-ray player and yes the future is blu like it or not hd dvd fans u lost we won
Taz @ Feb 19th 2008 10:15AM
Finally one HD format remains.
Maybe now the real challenge will start as Blu Ray starts to make inroads into the DVD market.
Luckily I bought a PS3 because it seemed to offer a good balance of features in one box. My fix of HD films have been rented so far, maybe time to start collecting.
The Aggie CEO @ Feb 19th 2008 1:44PM
not quite.........
stil have HD Downloads..........
but most people will pick Blu-ray over that because of HDD sizes, BD is more stable than a HDD, and more features.....
The Aggie CEO @ Feb 19th 2008 4:17PM
not quite.........
stil have HD Downloads..........
but most people will pick Blu-ray over that because of HDD sizes, BD is more stable than a HDD, and more features.....
Redhawk @ Feb 19th 2008 10:15AM
I Want Serenity on Blu-Ray now!:D also.. transformers, but not as much=D
Skemo @ Feb 19th 2008 10:46AM
Serenity on Blu-Ray would be pure win
Phizzy @ Feb 19th 2008 4:12PM
This one agrees.
watcher @ Feb 19th 2008 10:16AM
Good to see Toshiba taking a real look at the situation. It's over. Let's move on and enjoy our Blu-ray movies. Sony took a huge gamble molding blu-ray drives into the PS3 and now it's about to pay off.
I know lots of people who bought a PS2 because it was a game system and Dvd player. I expect more of the same for the PS3. I feel bad for those who invested in HD-Dvd though. Business is a gamble. Someone wins, someone loses every time.
Tim Parsons @ Feb 19th 2008 10:19AM
About time, now we can all pont & laugh like that kid on Simpsons at people who actually went with HD-DVD. And to think some people thought it would come back or even survive 2008 LMAO
Matt B @ Feb 19th 2008 10:19AM
Bring on the Matrix trilogy and the LOTR trilogy also.
MikeG @ Feb 19th 2008 6:44PM
LOTR, definitely!
NATO_Duke @ Feb 19th 2008 10:21AM
So we can all finally rest knowing that HD-VHS will be on its way soon right?
davebo @ Feb 19th 2008 12:02PM
Actually, D-VHS already came and went before bluray and hd-dvd even hit the scene. It wasn't a terrible format, but the whole "rewinding" thing is so 80's at this point.
Nate @ Feb 19th 2008 10:33AM
Yes the superior format has won. Now once blu-ray technology catches up to what hd-dvd was, we will be in business.
Ishimaru @ Feb 19th 2008 10:38AM
'Bout damn time, this "war" was getting ridiculous...
DMeisterJ @ Feb 19th 2008 10:41AM
PS3 sales can only go up from here. Good.
mgroves @ Feb 19th 2008 11:11AM
The "war" isn't over...just HD-DVD is no longer in it. If you think Blu-Ray has no competition left, you are wrong, sir.
ryan @ Feb 20th 2008 5:41PM
if you are talking about digital downloads, spare me. i wouldn't wait a week to download something i could easily buy in a few minutes. music, sure i'll give you that. Hi-Def Blu-Ray? gimme a break.
Tim Parsons @ Feb 19th 2008 11:23AM
oh of course how could we forget about the mighty VHS comeback HD-VHS LMAO BLu-Ray has no competition not that it ever had any and never will
gibson335 @ Feb 19th 2008 11:27AM
Good lord but the haters will hate won't they? Hugs and kisses, mgroves....and go buy a Blu-ray player and boost my SNE stock.
Duscrom @ Feb 19th 2008 11:30AM
Uhm... Compitition, DVD.. It's not beating that any time soon.
Jove @ Feb 19th 2008 1:33PM
yeah, and toyota is in danger because the car industry is under constant threat... the cities of the future will be vertical and self contained and goverments are pushing for mass transit and subways so the smart thing for them to do is help end the mobility war and either stay and dominate the car market or join bombardier and alstom and help creat trains because they ARE the future... just like the internet will eventually kill good ol fashioned mail... eventually we will get to the moon so we should scrap the space station all together and forget about the moon station because its a waste of time, we all know wer going to innevitably colonize mars... yeah i totaly agree with you!
Wonderflex @ Feb 19th 2008 1:14PM
Digital download is a no-go for now. Poor infrastructure for the bandwidth needed to download true HD content. Also, no way to trade, sell, loan, products.
Next, if you mean DVD, you are still wrong. DVD is not in competition with Blu-ray. DVD is the winning format for those without HD televisions. Blu-ray is now the winning format for those with HD televisions. Now that I have a HD tv I rarely purchase a movie in SD, even if it is a comedy. The "war" will be won when HD television sales increase.
mgroves @ Feb 19th 2008 2:31PM
Apparently some of you don't understand what the term "competition" means. Blu-Ray beat HD-DVD, that's a fact, but it still has to contend with digital downloads, DVD, streaming content, PPV, Netflix, Joost, etc etc. In the very small, small market of high-def disc formats, yes Blu-Ray is all that exists. But even if everyone who owns an HDTV right now bought a Blu-Ray player, that's still not very many people.
I'm not even knocking Blu-Ray, or saying that it will lose to something else or ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I'm just saying...the "war" is far from over and Blu-Ray is not 'automatically' the "next DVD."
Wonderflex @ Feb 19th 2008 11:03AM
Matrix? Lord of the Rings? Transformers? Psha - Where is my, "Hotrod," and "Blades of Glory?"
Semi @ Feb 19th 2008 11:10AM
and when PS Home is released wii and the 360 will give up the fight...
NATO_Duke @ Feb 19th 2008 11:32AM
Obviously spoken by someone who has not tried Home as of yet. if you had you wouldn't make such a dumb comment.
Lilinka @ Feb 19th 2008 12:41PM
Let the poor man dream, will you?
LJ @ Feb 19th 2008 7:17PM
As far as Matrix and LotR, i guess they'll be out sooner coz WB and New Line Cinema jumped to the BD wagon a while ago.. so dont hold your breath for too long.. but expect it coz they are all coming, some sooner than others!
Jason Axelrod @ Feb 19th 2008 11:28AM
Where's my Battlestar Galactica?!
Tru-blu @ Feb 19th 2008 11:29AM
Makes me feel good that my investing in the PS3 resulted in a victorious win for the HD format that was embedded within the PS3.
As others, I can't wait for Serenity, Heroes, and Transformers to come out on Blu-ray.
Grasp @ Feb 19th 2008 11:38AM
Actually D-VHS already exists... Check it HD on VHS - 1920x1080 or 1280x720 running up to 28MB/S
Introduced in 1998... and yes, it was a sucky idea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-VHS
Blu-Ray... now that was a good idea!
Semi @ Feb 19th 2008 11:41AM
"Obviously spoken by someone who has not tried Home as of yet. if you had you wouldn't make such a dumb comment. "
you arnt a fanboy..... its a joke you fucken moron!
NATO_Duke @ Feb 19th 2008 12:06PM
A little angry today aren't we? Just pointing out that Home is a disappointment as of now. Either way, you need to take some lithium. (See how I did that without swearing and calling you names?)
whoiscraig @ Feb 19th 2008 11:41AM
Hurray. Maybe Criterion can start releasing their great transfers on BD-ROM. Maybe a good remaster of Hard Boiled and The Killer (the DVDs, Laserdiscs, and Stranglehold versions suck).
Eddie @ Feb 19th 2008 11:53AM
Pwned!
Abortimus Prime @ Feb 19th 2008 11:57AM
HD was never a BAD format, it was just by far the lesser of the two, and only idiots would choose it over Blu-Ray.
And now that Toshiba's officially backed out of the fight, their players and movies will be dirt-cheap, and I'll have no guilt buying them, because there's not much you can do to bring a dead format back to life.
Going to pick up the first $50 player and $10 disc I find :D
I feel like an Allied soldier pillaging German treasures after D-Day.
Chris Rah Osiris @ Feb 19th 2008 11:58AM
Dud is DEAD!!!!
adam @ Feb 19th 2008 12:01PM
Yeah tot he guy that said he could go to the store and buy it in minutes "a movie"
I got a 20mbps download speed via fios i can download blurays via utorrent for free.
hmm 8 hours 12gb download free movie without taking up shelf space and streaming to 360 or 30 dollars out my pocket for a quick fix of a movie im gonna get sick of anyways?
hmmmm
ill go with downloads.
Ed @ Feb 19th 2008 2:36PM
Your stealing movies? And your proud enough of that fact? Otherwise I call BS on your thread.
Michael @ Feb 19th 2008 12:05PM
I also want to know if they will update the movie with more then the standard 5.1 like a high-res audio track. I know that the hd-dvd has it's own limitations.
Popfrogs @ Feb 19th 2008 5:09PM
There are some movies that support 6.1 and 7.1, even on DVD format.
DirtnSky @ Feb 19th 2008 12:13PM
Now since the Official announcement was made by Toshiba, I'm wondering if they gave notice to those sucke- errr companies (Uni~, Para~, Dream~...) well ahead in time so they can themselves dig out (of which most willingly did dug into) of the hole the HD-DuD now sits in? Or will we hear screams of panic as they scramble about like decapitated chickens trying to save face and quickly tell the world that they all had B-Disc in the back-room just now to be set out to the populations soon forth. Anyway, B-Disc! Get off your arse and finalize the damn disc to 2.whatever.!!
Strykar @ Feb 20th 2008 10:38AM
Actually, Paramount should have Blu movies sitting in warehouses ready to go. Don't forget that they went to DuD on the eve of releasing Blades of Glory, cancelling shipments and forcing retailers to cancel pre-orders. They certainly didn't have a big Blu bonfire dance party with those disks, that would have been further insanity.
Of course, the issue there is what becomes of their 18 month exclusiviity contract?
Semi @ Feb 19th 2008 12:13PM
"A little angry today aren't we? Just pointing out that Home is a disappointment as of now. Either way, you need to take some lithium. (See how I did that without swearing and calling you names?)"
why cant i reply to replies? IE suck?
as for you mofo, i aint angry, i just like calling people names...
NATO_Duke @ Feb 19th 2008 1:39PM
You = Genius on show for the masses. /sarcasm
TripleTags @ Feb 19th 2008 12:22PM
LAST POST!!!