Despite multiple attempts at amalgamation, talks between the principal backers of Sony and Toshiba had broken down spectacularly and both were working feverishly to bring their products to market first - which was thought to be key to their relative success or failure.

By mid 2006, the first Blu-ray discs had made their way to market, principally from Sony Pictures, including; 50 First Dates, The Fifth Element, Hitch, The House of Flying Daggers, Underworld Evolution, xXx and The Terminator. HD-DVD had beat them to the punch two months earlier by releasing a line-up which included The Last Samurai, Million Dollar Baby, and The Phantom of the Opera, a milestone achieved through that formats initially cheaper manufacturing process and higher yields compared to Blu-ray.



Link: Tweaktown