Don't Bug Me (article on Toshiba's HD DVD player)

[zombie]

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6332337.html

excerpt:

The question confronting Toshiba is whether it makes sense to ship more of the buggy A1s if, in fact, the second-generation models remain below the horizon.

Putting more dodgy players out there carries a serious risk of creating poor consumer experiences and damaging, perhaps permanently, the reputation of the format.

Without more players, however, Toshiba has no hope of bolstering the so-far anemic studio support for HD DVD.

Similarly, other would-be HD DVD hardware makers have little incentive to accelerate their own plans if the format’s principle backer doesn’t do more on its behalf.

Toshiba’s current dilemma underscores perhaps the most damaging aspect of the high-def format war.

In the race to gain first-mover advantage in the marketplace, both sides have rushed their development cycles and are bringing—or are at risk of bringing—players to market before the respective technologies are ready.