Posted on Sunday, February 17 2008 @ 21:28 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck
Reuters
claims Toshiba has give up on HD DVD.
The move will likely put an end to a battle that has gone on for several years between consortiums led by Toshiba and Sony vying to set the standard for the next-generation DVD and compatible video equipment.
The format war, often compared to the Betamax-VHS battle in the 1980s, has confused consumers unsure of which DVD or player to buy, slowing the development what is expected to be a multibillion dollar high definition DVD industry.
Toshiba's cause has suffered several setbacks in recent weeks including Friday's announcement by U.S. retailing giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) that it would abandon the HD DVD format and only stock its shelves with Blu-ray movies.
A source at Toshiba confirmed an earlier report by public broadcaster NHK that it was getting ready to pull the plug.
"We have entered the final stage of planning to make our exit from the next generation DVD business," said the source, who asked not to be identified. He added that an official announcement could come as early as next week.
No one answered the phone at Toshiba's public relations office in Tokyo.
The withdrawal from the next-gen DVD market will cost Toshiba hundreds of millions of dollars.
