SF Chronicle: HD DVD on verge of extinction

[jopemoro]

An advice column telling readers to just go with BD. HD DVD fans are already commenting, as you can imagine...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl.../BUSLUPSBV.DTL

Here's the excerpt:

Q: When I went shopping last week for a high-def DVD player, I was tempted to get a Toshiba HD DVD model because the price was so low - $150 versus nearly $400 for the cheapest Blu-ray player. However, the salesman advised me against it, saying that the HD DVD format is in danger of dying, and the Toshiba player can't play Blu-ray discs. Was he correct or just trying to make a higher commission by selling a more expensive device?

A: He was almost certainly correct. Until recently, the battle to set a standard for high-definition movies had no clear winner, with backers of the HD DVD format, led by Toshiba, putting up a good fight against the Blu-ray contingent, fronted by Sony. But in early January, Blu-ray scored a crucial victory when Warner Bros., which had promised to release movies in both formats, announced it was abandoning HD DVD. That gave Blu-ray five of the seven major Hollywood studios (Blu-ray discs have far outsold their HD DVD cousins), so Warner's move is being called the last nail in the HD DVD coffin.

Now the Blu-ray group has mounted a national television and print ad campaign trying for a knockout blow. If you can wait a few months, you'll get a better idea about whether HD DVD has a future. If you want to buy a high-def player in the meantime, I'd go with Blu-ray.