Toshiba to drop HD DVD, sources say

[Peter Parker]

I think that teamerickson's comments about FUD were tongue in cheek. As for whether we should be surprised---well they haven't actually made an announcement yet. But if it does come in the next day or two it will be something that i did not suspect till this weekend. So i guess I am saying that I might be proven wrong.

 

[JoeSp]

That's about right. 25% of 110M= 27.5M

About 25 percent of U.S. households own HDTVs, HD confusion continues, researcher says

S~

Thank you teachsac!:

 

[teachsac]

Thank you teachsac!:

No Prob. I knew I posted it somewhere. I had to dig. That's where I found TE's comment about Mr. Bean.

S~

 

[nonrev]

That's about right. 25% of 110M= 27.5M

About 25 percent of U.S. households own HDTVs, HD confusion continues, researcher says

S~

Thank you teachsac!:

Joe you seem to thank tech sack for providing a link that proves my point and discounts your statement that the format war is causing people from buying HDM. I can't understand for the life of me why you don't think the 75% of homes that don't have HDTV is the main reason hurting HDM. The format war is way down the list. Possibly not even in the top 5.

 

[diogen]

HDTV penetration numbers for the US are all over the place:

Nielsen in October last year claimed 13.7% of US households have HDTVs and HD tuners
Nielsen Gives Fuzzy Picture of HDTV Penetration - 10/30/2007 7:18:00 PM - Broadcasting & Cable;

Park Associates claimed 35-38% this month
Parks Associates: HDTV Penetration and Sales Figures;

CEA Study in June 2007 claimed 30%
HDTV Penetration hits 30% - AVS Forum
(but less than half have HD programming).

My guess would be that total number of HDTV's sold is not something to go by:
people that do buy into the hidef vision often own more than one hidef set.

Diogen.

 

[vurbano]

Toshiba is pulling the plug on HD-DVD per this Crave article.

Read it here

Another article from Reuters

Thats the same stuff from unofficial sources thats been out for the last 2-3 days.

 

[vurbano]

Vurbano, one of the reasons that HDM on disc has not taken off is because there were two formats. After one subsides and the consumer can see there is only one format pushing HDM then you will get the high volume sales that will push competing CE manufacturers to improve their product and to push their prices down to get market share. This could not of happened as long as their were two formats competing.

I am not sorry that HD-DVD lost because it was the smaller spec'd format of the two competing formats. I wish that the BDA had started their format with a 2.0 requirement of all players from the first one offered and then some of your objections would not be valid. But I truely believe that within the next 18 months BD will be fully spec'd , widely supported, and at a priced point where you and others would be comfortable supporting and enjoying the format.

Back to the point from which you strayed. There is no market share big enough at this time to make standalone prices go down. They only reason they dropped was competition and that is gone. Sony will most certainly stop decreasing the price of standalone. 2% of the optical disc market just isnt enough to affect anything.

 

[navychop]

Millions of players offers an economy of scale.

 

[teachsac]

HDTV penetration numbers for the US are all over the place:

Nielsen in October last year claimed 13.7% of US households have HDTVs and HD tuners
Nielsen Gives Fuzzy Picture of HDTV Penetration - 10/30/2007 7:18:00 PM - Broadcasting & Cable;

Park Associates claimed 35-38% this month
Parks Associates: HDTV Penetration and Sales Figures;

CEA Study in June 2007 claimed 30%
HDTV Penetration hits 30% - AVS Forum
(but less than half have HD programming).

My guess would be that total number of HDTV's sold is not something to go by:
people that do buy into the hidef vision often own more than one hidef set.

Diogen.

From the article:

Nielsen found that only 13.7% of TV households in the United States -- or roughly 15.5 million out of 112.8 million total U.S. TV households -- are equipped with HD televisions and HD tuners capable of receiving HDTV signals, a status Nielsen described as “HD Capable.”

From my links it also states that of that number only 40-60% have an HD source. Let's just take an avg. of the 27-36 mill for ease.

40%-60 % of 31.5M = 12.6 to 18.9M households are "HD Capable" TV and Source.

Works out about the same.

S~

 

[MagicNinja17]

people just need to stop being cheap!!!!!!!

 

[teachsac]

people just need to stop being cheap!!!!!!!

But, but, but.... it's the American way

S~

 

[JoeSp]

But, but, but.... it's the American way

S~

:up:up

 

[JoeSp]

Guys, guys, my point was that on an average (we are not being exact to a household here) that there are about 75% of households with an HDTV that would be the target market for BD in its fight to overtake DVD. That is millons of BD players and if you don't think the CE manufacturers are going to take a dive for that group once HD-DVD is out of the way then I guess you don't believe in HDM. You don't spend thousands of dollars for your HDTV and Home Theater and not purchase a HDM player -- especially once you know that the format is going to be around a long time. This is not goiing to happen overnight but it will happen. Most folks thought DVD was way too expensive when it first came out and doubted it would overtake VHS. Last time I checked -- most of the world was in love with new tech and they quickly discard old tech for new tech as soon as they can. I don't see this being any differant with BD over DVD -- given time the consumer will choose BD over DVD.

 

[berck]

Thats the same stuff from unofficial sources thats been out for the last 2-3 days.

Well, it sounds like an announcement is coming tomorrow...

Toshiba to halt HD DVD by March?

 

[teachsac]

NIKKEI NETi“úŒoƒlƒbƒgjFŽå—vƒjƒ…[ƒX|Še•ª–ì‚Ìd—vƒjƒ…[ƒX‚ðŒfÚ

Basically says it is too difficult to judge the future and are planning an extensive withdrawl. Probably to take place by the end of March. Basically up to HP to stop burner construction for the comp, but they will be out of the player business.

S~

 

[seminole2001]

The War Is Over Today 5pm Tokyo Time!

Japanese news site Nikkei.net has just announced that Toshiba's plan is to immediately stop manufacturing all HD-DVD products (both players and recorders), and to stop selling them at end of March. The official announcement will happen at the press conference set for 5 PM Tokyo time. We'll be back with Toshiba's official statement as soon as it comes in.

Thanks to Keiko S. for the translation and links. Stay tuned...

The Digital Bits - Celebrating Film in the Digital Age

Toshiba, HD - DVD development production extensive stop present withdrawal announcement

Toshiba on set the policy of stopping the development production of the new generation DVD product which is based "HD - DVD" standard extensively. It is the direction where also product sale discontinues the end of March in aim. It examined also the reduction plan which is squeezed in for the player (re-gray fabric) and Europe, but that in the circumstance which cannot anticipate future software spread also support of the customer profit is difficult it judged, decided withdrawal extensively. Because of this, SONY and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. recommend the new generation DVD market which two standards dispute in "the blue ray disk (BD)" it is unified.

19th in the afternoon, President thick Satoru Nisida interviews, the reporter adjusts to the construction of the semiconductor new factory and announces. As for development production of player and recorder (video recording re-gray fabric) instantaneously stop. Passing such as American Hewlett Packard (HP) the conference of principal customer concerning the recorder for the personal computer, it decides, but Toshiba is the thought of conveying the intention of production stop same as the player et. al.. (07:02)

NIKKEI NETi“úŒoƒlƒbƒgjFŽå—vƒjƒ…[ƒX|Še•ª–ì‚Ìd—vƒjƒ…[ƒX‚ðŒfÚ

(Translation Above)

 

[teachsac]

Already posted in the sticky Toshiba's dead thread.

S~

 

[ozzy1028]

It's about time someone gave up. Maybe now we'll start getting blu-rays by the bunches.

 

[JAG72]

If Toshiba does drop HD-DVD does that mean that Universal and Paramount are immediately out of their exclusive contract?

 

[mike123abc]

This is what 4am Eastern?