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Toshiba To Halt HD-DVD Production

Posted by Soulskill on from the one-format-to-rule-them-all dept.

Multiple users have written to tell us that Toshiba is planning to halt production of devices related to HD-DVD. According to Japanese broadcasting network NHK, Toshiba will lose "hundreds of millions of dollars" as the format war finally draws to a close. Regardless, investors are pleased that Toshiba has made the decision to cut its losses. This comes after a last-ditch price cut was unable to prevent Wal-mart from throwing their lot in with Blu-ray, although some sources suggest that Wal-mart was already aware of Toshiba's plans to withdraw from fight.

22 of 494 comments (clear)

  1. whew, fewer syllables by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Blu-Ray is so much easier on the tongue than a mouthful of acronym(s).

    1. Re:whew, fewer syllables by ledow · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, they would have been much more accepted if they had pronounced it "Heidi DVD". :-)

      I always think the funniest acronym is PXE UNDI - it sounds like fairy knicker to me.

    2. Re:whew, fewer syllables by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hot Damn!

    3. Re:whew, fewer syllables by AvitarX · · Score: 4, Funny

      Imagine the confusion when Hard Disk camcorders became available.

      --
      Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
    4. Re:whew, fewer syllables by Tony+Hoyle · · Score: 4, Funny

      Blu-Ray is so much easier on the tongue than a mouthful of acronym(s).

      I'm not sure something that can be (and frequently is) pronounced 'Blurry' is a great name for an HD format either...

    5. Re:whew, fewer syllables by iamhassi · · Score: 1, Funny

      "Whatever happened to the glory days of Video Home System, Compact Disc, and Digital Versatile Disc?"

      Not to be a troll but... Sony actually won a format war?! This is big news! After all those years of trying to push Betamax, Digital Audio Tape (DAT), and Minidisc down our throats Sony actually won a format war!

      I don't know if I should congratulated Sony or ask if hell froze over.

      --
      my karma will be here long after I'm gone
    6. Re:whew, fewer syllables by The+Qube · · Score: 5, Funny

      Not to burst your bubble, but Sony has won pretty much every format war:
      3.5" Floppy Disc - today's format is based on Sony design
      Compact Disc - developed by Sony and Philips
      DVD - developed by Sony and Philips
      Digital Audio Tape - de-facto standard in the music and professional audio industry
      Beta - the standard tape format in the video industry for the past 20 years

      --

      "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

  2. Better luck next time by djupedal · · Score: 2, Funny

    Toshiba will think twice next time when it comes to forcing competing formats on consumers. Maybe other manufs. will also learn something and fight this stuff out in the labs rather than hope for luck by trying to confuse consumers again and again.

    Now if we can convince England to use the euro and drive on the right side of the road we can at least pretend to be a modern civilization :)

    1. Re:Better luck next time by Jafafa+Hots · · Score: 5, Funny

      Exactly. When will huge multinational corporations stop forcing competition down people's throats and realize that what consumers want is monopolies, lack of choice and the resulting high prices!

      --
      This space available.
    2. Re:Better luck next time by garlicbready · · Score: 3, Funny

      I've heard they're going to phase it in
      Heavy Goods Vehicles / Trucks for the first month on the right side
      then cars / bikes later on

    3. Re:Better luck next time by Charcharodon · · Score: 4, Funny
      Left, right it doesn't really matter. I took me all of two weeks to stop feeling weird driving on the left and a month to stop making random right lane errors.

      The only thing that I find unfamthomable is the use of some of the colors on the road.

      For example they only use white paint for the lines. In the States they use white and yellow. You can tell the difference real quick which lanes are for your direction of traffic (white) and which is the divider line (yellow). I've had more than a few moments of panic where I could not tell for the life of me which lanes were which.

      I take that back there are two things about driving in the UK, the second is do you people believe in F'ing street/road signs? Considering that the names of the streets change every 3 blocks and they don't run in a straight line more than 25 yards at a go, it would be simply amazing to have both the street and the cross street names on a sign, you are lucky just to even have a cross street that you can see from the road you are travelling on.

      I foresee a GPS in my immediate future.

    4. Re:Better luck next time by 0xdeadbeef · · Score: 4, Funny

      Toshiba will think twice next time when it comes to forcing competing formats on consumers.

      I bet you post comments on YouTube.

  3. Rest In Peace, HD-DVD by TheVelvetFlamebait · · Score: 3, Funny

    May there be a niche market of stupid rich guys waiting for you up in heaven.

    --
    You know, there is a difference between trolling and pointing out the flaws in your reasoning. Just saying.
  4. Sony won a format war... by beset · · Score: 5, Funny

    And in other news, satan is ice skating to work today.

    --
    1) Clever Sig 2) ????? 3) Profit!
    1. Re:Sony won a format war... by macrom · · Score: 2, Funny

      Actually, he skates for a living.

      http://www.nhl.com/players/8459534.html

  5. So... by VirexEye · · Score: 2, Funny

    Did Sony *finally* win a format war...?!

  6. Re:Refund? by Hanners1979 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, they now can't spend loads of money rebuying all their favourite movies on HD-DVD... Sounds like a relief to me.

  7. For Sale by PinkyDead · · Score: 4, Funny

    1 HD-DVD Player, never used. Best offer accepted.

    (Please...)

    --
    Genesis 1:32 And God typed :wq!
  8. Err. by Xenex · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes.

  9. PCMCIA by smittyoneeach · · Score: 5, Funny

    People Can't Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms.

    --
    Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
    1. Re:PCMCIA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
      T.echnology W.ithout A.n I.nteresting N.ame

      W.e w.ould h.ave g.otten i.t e.ven w.ithout t.he a.nnoying p.eriods.

  10. Re:and ISDN by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 2, Funny

    It was also intended that SCSI be pronounced "sexy".

    --
    Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?