HD DVD Backers Should Call It A Day

[dustin410]

Thomas K. Arnold of Home Media Magazine writes: Is the future of Hollywood in the grasp of two computer companies? Sadly, it is so. If this format war continues on much longer, we could be in repeat of what happened in the music industry. We saw two next-generation formats, Super CD and DVD-Audio, battle it out, and in the end neither won-leaving the tired, old CD to fend for itself in an increasingly electronic environment.

Toshiba and Microsoft, by stubbornly continuing to back HD DVD at a point where it is clear that the format cannot longer win, are threatening to derail the entire home entertainment packaged-media business - Hollywood's primary cash cow, and as such, a vital bloodline to the creation of new movies.

Toshiba needs to swallow its pride and do the right thing for our industry - and, in the long term if not the short term, its own corporate shareholders. The same goes for Microsoft, which at least has opened the door to Blu-ray in a series of cryptic statements issued just after Warner made the announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that it would exclusively support Blu-Ray Disc. If Microsoft goes Blu - or atleast issues a Blu-ray add-on for its Xbox 360, as it has for HD DVD -then Toshiba will likely cave as well.

Hopefully one or both companies will see the light before it gets dark for all of us.


At the top where it says contents, the left side of the page, this news is on page seven.

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/questex/hom012708/

Sorry if this is old. The date says it's from today, but you never know around here. Speedy posters and all.