http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-15518-The+HD-DVD+is+Dead+%21+Officially+Official+%21+Report+the+Japanese+TV+NHK+%21.html

Umm, never mind Netflix and Best Buy, Walmart dropped it, the end.

No coming back from that, who else is going to flog those cheapo players.

Something we haven't discussed but should be clear as day. HD DVD failed because Microsoft backed it. That was why so many people wished it would die, why so many people reveled in it's failure.

You deal with Microsoft and they'll get you.

Having blue-ray as part of the PS3 platform met it's intentioned purpose of leveraging the format. I just wante d to mention this because I seem to recall a lot of skepticism about that feature. That and this may be the only win for Sony in the last three years.

The Format Wars (season 2006-2008) has a winner!

Seriously, though- this is a surprise. Normally the technically superior format disappears without a trace. It seems Sony has been learning from past mistakes!

Though I've no intention of buying an HDDVD/Bluray compatible device, its a pity the one with the stupid name won.

I was torn between rooting against the megalomaniac or the split personality/heavily neurotic company. Neurosis wins.

Maybe they can get around to build a cheap stable set top now, and I'll finally buy one and a burner in my computer so I can burn my downloaded tv episodes... unless somebody finally makes a good streaming media device.

@ the Microsoft effect

yes, that was probably a factor (but not the only one) in the demise of HD DVD. MS has a very bad history when it comes to intellectual property and standards. generally, any organization that gets too close to MS, that has something MS cares about, ends up getting absorbed, subverted, or destroyed.

because MS IP was embedded in HD DVD, that may have made some of the major players hesitate to support it. they do NOT want to create another 800-pound gorilla like iTunes.

it was the same with Passport, and many other technological solutions MS has offered. they have been the aggressive monopolist for so long, everyone now expects them to act that way every time. they'll have to start playing nice with others (the OOXML vote rigging is evidence to the contrary), and stay nice for quite some time, to change that perception.

i am not a fan of Sony, but they appear to have learned some small things from the rootkit fiasco, and have made some attempts to leverage standards, instead of subverting them (Memory Stick notwithstanding).

Lodef dvd, when large flat panel displays approach CRT prices for similar sized screens, and when they approach CRT reliability, then I'll get me one of those and then probably a Bluray. Unless of course there is another format war between ultra-violet laser based EHD-DVD and Cancer-Ray.

Efros

"Maybe they can get around to build a cheap stable set top now..."

Ha. Now that they've won, what motivation do they have to make anything cheap?

Instead of bashing Microsoft for no reason, you should congratulate Sony on finally being able to get one of their formats in a leadership position. The poor bastards have been trying to do it for 20+ years. Beta, MiniDisc, CyberStick, and a whole host of great technologies have been championed, and killed, by Sony. Good on them for finally pulling off a win.

Finally.

Lessons from this 'war'.

1) Sony learned from Betamax.

2) having the rest of the CE industry behind you helps.

3) having most of the content providers with you helps.

4) putting your player in your next major console product is a major plus.

5) having a technically superior format has some merit

6) Microsoft still haven't got a clue about consumer electronics

7) allying yourself with Microsoft is *always* a mistake

8) not putting your player in your partner's next major console product is a huge mistake.

9) paying out large sums of money from a slush fund doesn't always buy victory, nor does firesale pricing

and finally

10)the level of biased blog based blather and bluster supporting your format is not always an indicator of success.

I reckon the only reason Blu-ray won, is because it rolls off the tongue better than H.D.-D.V.D. I mean, try saying hd-dvd when you're drunk.

"Though I've no intention of buying an HDDVD/Bluray compatible device, its a pity the one with the stupid name won."

I don't know, at least it sounds like one you can pronounce. "Bluray" vs "Aitch Dee Dee-Vee-Dee". Seems to me like you're done pronouncing "Bluray" by the time the HD-DVD has just charged through the "HD" line and is regrouping for the final assault on "DVD" ;)

I remember the only CD from Sony that I bought for my computer. Remember them? Amazingly it was the only one I have ever had that could not supply data fast enough to rip my own CD's to MP3

Ah, I dunno if Sony is really neurotic. If I had to bet on a mental disease, my bet would be on schizophrenia in Sony's case. It even seems to get gradually worse, the longer it's left untreated, just like schizophrenia usually does.

That is, in addition to the already mentioned split personality.

....then R.I.P. HD-DVD

Sony stuck a Blu-ray player in every PS3, helping them to make a loss on every PS3 sold. They took a gamble on flooding the market with their new type of player, that enough people would buy the discs too. This time it paid off.

I know a fair few people who were waiting to see which came out on top before buying a High-Def player, so pretty soon they will likely also commit to buying a Blu-Ray player, if the story is to be believed.

Bingo!! Exact reason why I brought a Blu-Ray Player

If this really is the end, THANK GOD! Format wars are always a pain. Perhaps now we can get on with committing to one format, prices for it will come down, and I can engage smug mode for having chosen the right one.

What's nice about this format war is that the technically superior format won for once. If you take away the "OMFGZ0R EV1L S0NY!!!11!1!" argument and look at it rationally, I'd take Blu-Ray every time.

Well, despite owning the HD-DVD for the 360 (which is far too noisy to watch a film in peace with anyway), I'm actually glad this is all over.

It's been far too annoying for far too long. So despite the fact that I'll eventually buy a Blu-Ray player and consign the 360 kit to the cupboard, I'll at least be able to console (haha) myself that I wasn't one of the really early adopters who paid hundreds for their kit.

I'm sure that this experience is something everyone will remember next time the AV industry moves on a leap. The consumer gets screwed in the short term, but when the time comes, the manufacturere will get their's when they want us to open our wallets for the next big thing.

Of course, the other reason I'm not buying a Blu-Ray player is the fact that there's no guarantee the player I buy today will work with the disks I buy tomorrow. You know, what with the standard not being set in stone etc.

Hmm. I wonder if any manufacturer sells a blu-ray equipped device, that can easily connect to the internet for updates for those troublesome discs ? You know, someone with some inside knowledge about blu-ray itself, the kind of manufacturer who really knows the system inside out? The kind of manufacturer who has shipped the most blu-ray units out there to date ? I mean, that would have to be the most compatible device out there, and thus you'd be guaranteed a smooth experience if you bought one of their players.

Or to put it another way - I guess any blu-ray manufacturers who aren't Sony can start getting concerned round about now...

Blu-Ray is easy, but this helpful lesson will teach you how to pronounce HD-DVD correctly, using a variety of usage-based scenarios...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EjH9cEoEup8

...Toshiba get their pound of corporate flesh from the two other hardware consortium members because for the last 6-9 months Tosh have been left totally on their own to push HD-DVD. (Lets ignore MS as we know they got involved to do nothing, so let us NOT debate the obvious!).

I know they have stumped up the lion's share of development and marketing costs, but Acer and HP have done little to nothing to push HD-DVD. The drives aren't in anything but the highest end consumer machines. As a developing partner you'd think they would be a little more proactive in shoving them in EVERY machine that rolled out the door.

You can bet Toshiba will be asking some very pointed questions of them behind closed doors.

'the other reason I'm not buying a Blu-Ray player is the fact that there's no guarantee the player I buy today will work with the disks I buy tomorrow.'

No, you ARE guaranteed to be able to play the movie, which let's face it is the important part. It's all the extras that may not be compatible.

'I guess any blu-ray manufacturers who aren't Sony can start getting concerned round about now'

Again, No. The blu-ray standards have to be available to ALL consortium members. This is not a sony owned proprietory format, lots of different companies are involved. When will people learn to read all the information that is given to them, instead of cherry picking only that which conforms to their world view?

for the influx of anti-Sony hate, and Blu-ray FUD, that a few vocal HD DVD owners are currently spouting on every internet forum they arn't yet banned from...

More on the minute by minute HD DVD car crash:

Pressing plants are dumping their HD DVD lines...

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2008/2/prweb704763.htm

Wow, Sony have actually managed to get a format accepted, I'm intrigued now to see what they do next, how will they handle this new fame and is their business model actually setup to cope with sucess?

It brings to mind a classic Road Runner episode where Coyote feeds him poison that has the odd side effect of making Road Runners grow absolutely huge in size.

He grabs it round the ankle, then steps back a momeny,looks up and then holds up a sign saying "Now what?"

Will Sonys new found power make them restrictive beyond reason (erm rootkit anyone?) or will they get all altruistic and actually allow consumer demand to drive the format?

I for one, don't care, I own both the HD-DVD for the Xbox and the Bluray you see, I believe in hedging.

One bonus side effect is that I hope that this costs Microsoft millions and millions.

The cost advantage of production etc wasn't enough, and MS didn't have them IN the XBOX360 from the start (could have been a head start advantage on the ps3.) The consoles were always going to be the leading edge of this battle and Toshiba/MS simply didn't get it right. Watch out for future generations of the XBOX360 with BD players on board, cos MS will have to do everything possible to limit the size of the gap between them and PS3 when their sales fall behind. That means having the ability to play hi def movies out of the box.

You really have a hardon for $ony / Bluray.

What's your story, Skid?

For me, this proves once more that a product name can never be underestimated. Blu-ray sounds so much snappier than the boring and lengthy H-D-D-V-D.

How does your reasoning apply to 'Betamax' vs 'VHS' then?

Only plus point on this is that finally all the Sony fanboys can finally give us peace about how much "better" Blu is despite it being EXACTLY the same. Extra storage means zip when you can't access it (i.e. extra features on films which most blu owners can't access) so there was never any actual benefit.

Personally I love my hd-dvd player and think its a crying shame its dying off. I would have bought blu if it wasn't so flippin expensive and may yet if they come down in price... BUT... does anyone for a minute think they'll come down in price now that theres zero competition? I doubt it. Sony have always overpriced their products and I can't see any reason they'd change now.

RE: suggesting Sony will fix the price of BR. B******S. Do you even KNOW who the BR manufacturing partners are?

http://www.blu-raydisc.com/general_information/Section-14009/Index.html

Pioneer, LG, Samsung and Pioneer, as well as Sony.

What do you think those four will say if Sony say "I know chaps lets keep the price artifically high"? The only one who would clap their hands in glee is Apple.

Ill informed, silly and entirely irrelevant comments on the situation.

That wouldn't be Tim would it posting as an AC?!

"'the other reason I'm not buying a Blu-Ray player is the fact that there's no guarantee the player I buy today will work with the disks I buy tomorrow.'

No, you ARE guaranteed to be able to play the movie, which let's face it is the important part. It's all the extras that may not be compatible."

Now who's cherry-picking ? If you're content to only have part of the product you paid for working, then good luck to you.

"'I guess any blu-ray manufacturers who aren't Sony can start getting concerned round about now'

Again, No. The blu-ray standards have to be available to ALL consortium members. This is not a sony owned proprietory format, lots of different companies are involved."

Yep, available to all. And since DVD was invented, we've seen that manufacturers just can't adhere to standards - remember when The Matrix wouldn't play on a fair few players? My point is that with a moving target (as people become more adept at BR authoring, they'll push to the latest standards - this has always been the way it works), this situation is likely to only get worse.