The Dying Breath of HD-DVD
Lee Celano / Brodeur Worldwide via WireImage.com
Toshiba just won’t give up. After the recent announcement from Warner Bros. of exclusive support of Blu-Ray Disc, ending the studio’s format-neutral release strategy, HD-DVD player and software sales have plummetted. They now have limited studio support on top of mass retailer defections. Large sellers like Wal-Mart only have so much shelf space for the young high-def disc market, and it has become clear that Blu-Ray is the victor in the format war. Nonetheless, Toshiba refuses to relent, and instead of admitting defeat is launching a new marketing campaign for HD-DVD including buying a $2.7 million 30-second Super Bowl spot that will air with the Big Game this weekend.
This latest development seems more than bit irresponsible, especially to Toshiba shareholders. With the media firmly on Blu-Ray’s side, sales figures showing a massive decline, hardmare makers overwhelming in support of Blu, and the history lesson learned by the Beta-Max/VHS debacle of the early 1980s, it is crystal-clear to everyone but Toshiba that Blu-Ray will be the standard in high-definition disc. Even if the technology doesn’t catch on in the mainstream, there will never be room for two competing formats, and this only slows the eventual ascension of high-def disc and confuses consumers. Toshiba needs to throw in the towel and start making Blu-Ray players. The format war is hurting standard DVD sales as well.