While Toshiba was set to launch their DVD players later this month, unfortunately Warner recently decided to pull their original March 28th launch date due to technical problems. As Warner was the only major studio set to launch HD DVDs later this month, this means that if Toshiba launches their HD DVD players this month, there will be no HD DVD movies to play.
To avoid having HD DVD players on the market without titles to play on them, Toshiba is in the process of working with the studios and retailers to fix a launch date for their players such that it coincides with the time the HD DVD titles hit the shelves. As a result, Toshiba may delay its next generation DVD players for several weeks to help get the most out of the HD DVD launch.
Warner Home Video has already announced its new launch date of April 18th for its HD DVD movies, which could in-turn become the possible new launch date for Toshiba's HD DVD players. They expect that during the last quarter of this year, the sales of next-generation DVDs are set to reach as high as $750 million. Thanks to Hypnosis4U2NV for letting us know about the following news:
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Championed by Toshiba, HD DVD is one of two competing formats hoping to breath new life into the slowing $24 billion home video market. The rival format is Blu-ray, created by a group led by Sony Corp. (6758.T) In January, Toshiba America Consumer Products said it would in March ship its first players, the HD-XA1 and HD-A1, for $799 and $499, respectively. The full article can be read here. |
If Toshiba pushes the HD DVD launch date forward, in my opinion this could even make HD DVD worse off since consumers would have to buy the HD DVD players once the titles launch, whereas if Toshiba launches their HD DVD players this month, it would mean that consumers could start buying them in preparation for the launch of the HD DVD titles, much like how HDTV displays have been available long before HD broadcasts started up in the US.
Source: Yahoo Technology News
