Toshiba Axes HD DVD Business

WAYNE, February 19: Sony’s
Blu-ray has won out in the high-definition DVD format war, with Toshiba
announcing today that is discontinuing the sale of HD DVD players.

Toshiba America Consumer
Products said the decision was made “as a result of recent market
developments.” Warner Bros. had thrown its weight behind Blu-ray, leaving only
Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios as the sole remaining majors in the HD
DVD camp. Meanwhile, online rental service Netflix recently announced that it
would only stock Blu-ray releases. Sony’s DVD standard has benefited
tremendously by PlayStation 3, which is capable of playing Blu-ray discs.

"While we continue to
believe HD DVD is the best format for consumers, based on its technological
advancements and the value and quality inherent in our player offerings, recent
market developments have led us to the decision to choose new and different
paths," said Yoshi Uchiyama, the group VP of Toshiba's Digital A/V Marketing
Group.

A Toshiba statement said
that the company would “shift its resources into the creation of new business
strategies that leverage the vast technological resources of Toshiba.”

—By Mansha Daswani