[official] HD DVD Confirmed News

[Boz]

Why would they decide to do this in Italy only? :s

Ahh Requim For A Dream - now THAT is a depressing movie :D

Requiem is definitely pretty shocking movie but worth it a lot. It's one of those movies you really don't want to watch again, but you just have to because it's so powerful.

[Boz]

Aussies rejoice.. HD DVD players hit all time low in Australia:

HD-E1 HD DVD Player

- Previously $599......NOW ONLY $299

- Bonus 4 x HD DVD titles

HD-EP10 HD DVD Player

- Previously $799......NOW ONLY $399

- Bonus 6 x HD DVD titles

HD-XE1 HD DVD Player

- Previously $1299......NOW ONLY $599

- Bonus 6 x HD DVD titles

[Boz]

Broadcom's Media PC Technology Enables Toshiba to Feature High Quality HD DVD Playback for Mid-Level Mobile Personal Computers

The HD DVD optical disc format offers new and exciting features for the gaming, storage and consumer entertainment markets such as high definition video at 1080p resolution, picture-in-picture, high definition multi-channel audio, 3D style graphics and user interactivity for games, trivia, web-enabled content, etc. Up until Broadcom's recently introduced media PC offerings, these new and exciting HD DVD capabilities required intensive CPU processing and additional components (such as discrete graphics processors with video hardware acceleration) that drove up the PC cost for this level of functionality. As a result, PCs or laptops capable of playing HD content have typically been very costly.

To address the growing consumer demand for high definition content playback on cost effective mainstream PCs, Broadcom recently announced a family of media PC products. Leveraging Broadcom's widely deployed and field proven technologies in the high definition set-top box and consumer media player markets, Broadcom's media PC technology provides the highest quality video playback of multi-format (VC-1, H.264 and MPEG-2) HD content for the mainstream PC market. With total power consumption of under 3 watts, Broadcom's media PC solutions help extend battery life on notebook PCs, enabling more movie playback time.

"We are very pleased to have selected Broadcom's new media PC solution whose capabilities and functionality is a good fit for our mainstream notebook computers that deliver HD DVD playback," said Tsukasa Matoba, Technology Executive at Toshiba Corporation Personal Computer & Network Company. "Broadcom's media PC technology has superior high definition video playback, real-time interactive content and longer battery life when playing full length HD DVD content on our new Satellite P205 Satellite A205 and Qosmio F45 notebook PC models that provides our customers with an exceptional, cost-effective user experience."

"Broadcom is pleased that Toshiba selected our media PC technology, leveraging our robust and proven HD video cores," said Allen Light, Director of Product Marketing for Broadcom's Media PC line of business. "In comparison to other solutions in the market, our media PC technology excels when system cost, power consumption, CPU utilization and fan noise are key factors and Toshiba's adoption of this technology will help to popularize HD playback among mid-level mobile PC platforms."

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories....=#linktopagetop

[Matrix XII]

Requiem!!!!!

Yessssss :D

I'm totally buying that.

[Berserk87]

that would be hillarious if HD-DVD's made a huge bouce back from the millions of people watching the super bowl...

"$100 FOR HD MOVIES!"

hd dvd has had close to no advertising, and there are still a LOT of people on the fence about it...this super bowl ad could possibly grab a decent sized portion.

unlikely but possible.

[Matrix XII]

That would be funny, but I hope HD DVD makes a comeback

[Boz]

that would be hillarious if HD-DVD's made a huge bouce back from the millions of people watching the super bowl...

"$100 FOR HD MOVIES!"

hd dvd has had close to no advertising, and there are still a LOT of people on the fence about it...this super bowl ad could possibly grab a decent sized portion.

unlikely but possible.

Just look at it this way.. it is estimated that this year around 100 million people will watch Super Bowl. Last year it was around 90 million. Toshiba comes out with nice TV spot showing some huge exclusive hits, HD features and slams the screen in the end with low $100s price.

Now let's say, this ad at least 10% of viewers finds appealing. That's 10 million people, 10 million potential customers and that's a very loose estimate you will see at least 1-2 million people go for it. That's a huge number. The price is right, the quality is there why not?

THE ONLY enemy for Toshiba is supply at that point. Of course, major chains such as Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's Electronics and many other smaller places and online sites will work overtime no doubt and play a crucial role. The restocking and ordering from these stores needs to be flawless in order to supply consumer who want it and in case any of these chains show any type of preference and purposely stopping the sales, BAM a lawsuit right away and investigation on why and who they are dealing with and why they are trying to sabotage the clear consumer demand.

I am very sure that the consumers will massively buy the players, there's no reason not too at prices such as current ones, especially since we are already seeing huge rise in sales with new pricing, imagine what it will do a Super Bowl commerical to it.

[Coldgunner]

Just look at it this way.. it is estimated that this year around 100 million people will watch Super Bowl. Last year it was around 90 million. Toshiba comes out with nice TV spot showing some huge exclusive hits, HD features and slams the screen in the end with low $100s price.

Now let's say, this ad at least 10% of viewers finds appealing. That's 10 million people, 10 million potential customers and that's a very loose estimate you will see at least 1-2 million people go for it. That's a huge number. The price is right, the quality is there why not?

THE ONLY enemy for Toshiba is supply at that point. Of course, major chains such as Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's Electronics and many other smaller places and online sites will work overtime no doubt and play a crucial role. The restocking and ordering from these stores needs to be flawless in order to supply consumer who want it and in case any of these chains show any type of preference and purposely stopping the sales, BAM a lawsuit right away and investigation on why and who they are dealing with and why they are trying to sabotage the clear consumer demand.

I am very sure that the consumers will massively buy the players, there's no reason not too at prices such as current ones, especially since we are already seeing huge rise in sales with new pricing, imagine what it will do a Super Bowl commerical to it.

More to the point, out of those 100 million, 95 million will be americans. getting just the US on board does not mean victory.

[Berserk87]

More to the point, out of those 100 million, 95 million will be americans. getting just the US on board does not mean victory.

means victory for me :p

saves me the extra $200 for the ps3 to watch blu ray when i wanted to upgrade my stuff.

and i find hd-dvd much more appealing.

[TruckWEB]

More than 100 HD-DVD movies on sale at Amazon.com at 50% off the price. Many movies at $14,95.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=...ocId=1000195491

[soniqstylz]

More to the point, out of those 100 million, 95 million will be americans. getting just the US on board does not mean victory.

No, it's 100 million US. Was closer to 150 million worldwide.

BTW, that HD-DVD commerical sucked, and all the HD fans have to know this. Toshiba would have been better served spending that $2.7 million on a one-day free player giveaway. Didn't even air in some markets, and was (ironically) in SD in most others. And at possibly the worst time, as well (right before half-time, when most people run to get more beer/chips/pizza/ go take a leak).

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Toshiba to exit HD DVD, end format war-NHK

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp is planning to stop production of equipment compatible with the HD DVD format for high-definition video, allowing the competing Blu-Ray camp a free run, public broadcaster NHK reported on Saturday.

Toshiba is expected to suffer losses amounting to tens of billions of yen (hundreds of millions of dollars) to scrap production of HD DVD players and recorders and other steps to exit the business, Japan's NHK said on its website.

No one at Toshiba could be reached for comment.

The format war between the Toshiba-backed HD DVD and Sony Corp's Blu-Ray, often compared to the Betamax-VHS battle in the 1980s, has slowed the development of what is expected to be a multibillion dollar high-definition DVD industry.

Toshiba was dealt a blow on Friday when Wal-Mart Stores Inc said it would abandon the HD DVD format, becoming the latest in a series of top retailers and movie studios to rally behind Blu-ray technology for high definition DVDs.

Toshiba plans to continue selling HD DVD equipment at stores for the time being but will not put resources into developing new devices, NHK said.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsume...627196120080216

[gunnerhkjp]

Well, that's that.

I wonder if Toshiba's Fujii will keep his promise to get on his knees and apologize if HDDVD lost. :laugh:

[RubberJabber]

I look forward to the cheap HD-DVD's now =)

[torrentthief]

this thread title says "confirmed news", it isnt "confirmed" that toshiba is dropping hd-dvd, they havent said so!

If they do i hope they refund people for their hd-dvd players and discs. Hope toshiba make some bluray players so that we can get prices of those down.

[Iamit2900]

It is now officially confirmed. Thank you MITI. The story was broken by NHK, which is in effect the same as the BBC breaking the news. Well it was a long war and a hard war, but in the end they both should have talked to each other to avoid this mess in the first place. Ja nai HD-DVD.

[+StevoFC MVC]

I look forward to the cheap HD-DVD's now =)

Me too. I'll end up buying a lot of them probably.

[giantpotato]

this thread title says "confirmed news", it isnt "confirmed" that toshiba is dropping hd-dvd, they havent said so!

If they do i hope they refund people for their hd-dvd players and discs. Hope toshiba make some bluray players so that we can get prices of those down.

Toshiba already lost hundreds of millions on HD DVD do you think they want to lose another few hundred million by giving everyone their money back? The only reason Toshiba HD DVD players were dirt cheap was because they were desperately trying to push HD DVD and selling the players below cost. When they come out with a Blu-Ray player it will probably be in the same price range as other players, since companies are usually in the business to make a profit.

[Boz]

Toshiba already lost hundreds of millions on HD DVD do you think they want to lose another few hundred million by giving everyone their money back? The only reason Toshiba HD DVD players were dirt cheap was because they were desperately trying to push HD DVD and selling the players below cost. When they come out with a Blu-Ray player it will probably be in the same price range as other players, since companies are usually in the business to make a profit.

Regardless, even though it is quite obvious that this might happen.. Reuters report is a SPECULATION as the offical word did not come from Toshiba.

So let's keep the news where it should be.. rumours and speculations thread for HD DVD.

[theyarecomingforyou]

Reuters report is a SPECULATION as the offical word did not come from Toshiba.

That is true, though the official announcement won't be long. All I can say is I'm glad the format war is over.

[Iamit2900]

Why is it hard to believe NHK? Granted it is not Toshiba directly, but it is a National broadcasting company. I don't think they would go on air with a rumour. The BBC basically doesn't do that, so why NHK would and confining it as Rumour and speculation is odd.

[Boz]

Previous one was unconfirmed, so it could be addressed as speculative, but it is official now:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080216/bs_nm/...Z1s_BfRNMcDW7oF

Toshiba says on Monday it's official.

[Mathachew Veteran]

Hooray! Now we can close all the HD threads and create a sub forum of the Media Room for anything HD related, not BD related. Congrats BD, you finally won. Makes me all the more glad that I didn't buy and HD DVD player when the prices dropped. Looks like I'll be getting a PS3 a lot sooner than I originally anticipated, though this Christmas will be the very earliest, and of that I have my doubts.

[rajputwarrior]

Me too. I'll end up buying a lot of them probably.

you arne't the only one, and if HD DVD dies... does boz die? (kidding...)

[Raa]

Toshiba says on Monday it's official.

Uhh.... Source?

The Yahoo link does NOT confirm that.

I quote from that article (emphasis mine)

Toshiba was in the final stages of planning to exit the HD DVD business and that an official decision would be made soon.

While I agree, they probably will exit the business, they havent confirmed they will yet. Who knows, they might make an annoucement saying they're releasing Blu-Ray drives... lol. (Hey, that'd be good)