Toshiba throws in the towel
Posted by sebersole on February 18, 2008
Acknowledging the inevitable, Toshiba has withdrawn from the next-generation DVD race. Avoiding a protracted fight is probably a good thing…no sense in waging a war that they are almost certain to loose. The parallels drawn between the DVD format war and the VHS Betamax war of the late 70s are striking. This time Sony is coming out on top and their Blu-ray format appears destined to be the defacto standard for high-definition DVD recordings. While the VHS Betamax battle was largely won/lost over recording time and cost, this battle appears to be more about film studio and retail buy-in. Blu-ray was able to secure commitments from many of the leading Hollywood studios. In addition, retail and distribution outlets like Walmart and Netflix jumped on board the Blu-ray train. If you’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop before buying a DVD recorder/player…it looks like you now have one more consumer electronic gadget on which to spend your “economic stimulus” check!
February 22, 2008 at 11:43 am
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/blu-ray-won-the-battle-but-now-comes-the-war/?hp
April 24, 2008 at 3:22 am
I’m getting sick of all of these new “improved” video technologies. It seems like it was just yesterday that I had to
rebuy all of my favorite videos on DVD because VCR’s were obsolite. Now I’m gona have to buy blue ray discs just to keep up with the times. Sure blue ray has higher quality but is it worth it to buy all of your movies again?
April 28, 2008 at 5:48 am
It seems to me like Toshiba didn’t have a choice to stop production on their next-generation DVDs because their two main supporters, distribution outlets and Hollywood studios, have chosen to support the competition. Blu-ray DVDs is also a good invention that enhances DVD viewing. For right now I can’t think of any invention that brings the detail out of DVDs than the Blu-ray invention. I wasn’t around for the VHS Betamax battle, but I was around in the 90’s and I don’t recall ever seeing a Betamax so I know who won that battle. Competition between Sony and Toshiba puts the pressure on both companies to come out with their best inventions and the viewer will decide which of the two they prefer. The only way I can see Toshiba getting any of my money for their next-generation DVDs is if the cost is significantly lower than the Blu-ray DVD players. My only problem with the Blu-ray DVD invention is the cost of their DVD players and DVDs.
April 30, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Blue Ray was definitely going to win that battle. Any train that Walmart jumps on is sure to suceed simply because most of the country’s shoppers shop at Walmart. My main concern is, what now for DVD? will it just become obsolete like VHS? i hope not at least for a while because i have about 400 dvds im not too keen on re-buying.
April 30, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Wow in all honesty I feel as if I don’t know what’s going on in the world when it comes to technology and new and improved things. I never really understood what blue ray was until we discussed this topic in class. I mean to think they are going to be taking over all the TV and I never even knew that. The fight over DVD’s and High Definition is now over with blue Ray knocking out all the completion. I am pretty sure that within the next decade I think that they will come out with an even higher quality of TV and it will exceed what blue ray is doing at this moment.
April 30, 2008 at 10:37 pm
I agree this world and its technology is definitely improving at a fast paste. I also, wasn’t too aware to what blue ray was until we discussed it in class and I think that its crazy that they intent to take over that source of media, but most definitely with all the new developments arising now days, there will be high quality of everything.