Sony,Toshiba officially end unfied format talks(new 08/23/05

**Nasty Gnasher** · 08-23-2005

Sony, Toshiba give up on unified DVD format-paper
Tuesday 23 August 2005, 8:07pm EST

TOKYO, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Groups headed by Toshiba Corp. (6502.T: Quote, Profile, Research) and Sony Corp. (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) offering competing technologies for next-generation DVDs have given up efforts to develop a unified format, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Tuesday.

For three years, the two groups have pushed to have their respective technology standards adopted to gain dominance in the multibillion-dollar markets for DVD players, PC drives and optical discs.

Toshiba, along with NEC Corp. (6701.T: Quote, Profile, Research) and Sanyo Electric Co. (6764.T: Quote, Profile, Research), has been promoting HD DVD, while Sony and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (6752.T: Quote, Profile, Research), the maker of Panasonic brand products, have been developing a technology known as Blu-ray.

The two groups have held negotiations on unifying their formats to persuade consumers to shift to advanced discs and to promote growth in the industry.

But negotiations fell through as neither side yielded, and time ran out to develop a format before the launch of new products from both groups, the paper said.

Officials at Toshiba and Sony were not immediately available for comment.

Sony's Blu-ray technology is also backed by Dell Inc. (DELL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. (005930.KS: Quote, Profile, Research).

At the core of both formats are blue lasers, which have a shorter wavelength than red lasers used in current DVD equipment, allowing discs to store data at higher densities needed for high-definition movies and television.

So all hopes have now been OFFICIALLY shattered.
The battle will once again (like betamax and vhs) b fought on the battlefied ... or shud i call it "battleshelves"

Ok, so who's supporting who now ?

**PS Party** · 08-23-2005

Call me a 'fanboy' all you like but my aliegence is with Blu-ray all the way.
In my book any software that can store more info (50+gig vs 30 gig) is always going to be the winner.And I bet the marority of consumers feel the same way.

**Goldfiinger** · 08-23-2005

Depends what the industry goes for but u'd have thought they'd be siding with Bly-Ray which looks to be the case. So hopfully it'll be simple.

**Steroyd** · 08-23-2005

the news comes to no surprise, Toshiba would never give in to their precious HD-DVD players.

**spiderman** · 08-23-2005

well HDDVD is losing support and BLU RAY is get lots so i don't think HDDVD can win

**Nasty Gnasher** · 08-23-2005

Isnt it odd ....
Sony's working with Toshiba with the Cell processor and at the same time its battling Toshiba over the HDDVD issue ... freaky ?
So when they say "keep ur friends close and ur enemies closer" .. how does it work in a situation like this

??

**Suicide Samurai** · 08-23-2005

As far as I can see, the only things that HD-DVD has over Blu-Ray is cheaper manufcturing and support from Warners Bros. And that's apparently waning too...

One thing I hope is that there will be a winner, and that the market won't remain divided so that we'll all have to buy HD-DVD players to be able to watch all the movies we want.

**Steroyd** · 08-23-2005

we'll see increasing support for the Blu-ray format, because the movie industries will see how popular Blu-ray is, just like the UMD format.

**Nasty Gnasher** · 08-23-2005

Originally Posted by Steroyd

we'll see increasing support for the Blu-ray format, because the movie industries will see how popular Blu-ray is, just like the UMD format.

Same here, I'm expecting more support now too ... now that these talks of a unified format have been officially announced "inconclusive".
Warner Bros. , Paramount mayb thinking about Blu-ray support just as i'm typing this post.

**Boogie Woogie** · 08-23-2005

Every week or so more companies jump on the blu-ray bandwagon . Toshiba is fighting a losing battle here . This next gen format war is already over before its begun -> PS3 . If you can't beat em , join em .

**Showdown** · 08-23-2005

So they were still negotiating that whole time? Jeez, if I had known that they were still negotiating I would have thought that Toshiba would have been starting to give in by now. They're loosing so much support it would be idiocy not to find some sort of agreement, sigh... I guess nothings going to sway them. We're in for the long haul now.

**stevefarfan** · 08-23-2005

It's probably not what you think, maybe the technologies are really just incompatible.

**Nasty Gnasher** · 08-23-2005

Originally Posted by stevefarfan

It's probably not what you think, maybe the technologies are really just incompatible.

Exactly .... the incompatibility was the reason to go for a hybrid disc.
Both camps spent millions (mayB 2 or 3 billion) on their technology ... they couldnt just go for one disc over the other ... another disc would have to b formed to take advantage from the software and/or hardware features of the HDDVD and Blu-ray.

**stevefarfan** · 08-23-2005

Yeah, both camps really need to throw away their egos and create a single format. Everyone knows Blue-ray is winning, and that means the money is gonna go to them. If that company came up to you offering you what is essentially guaranteed money, wouldn't you jump instantly at the opportunity?

I understand it really sucks to say you've been researching something else for several years, and find that it might not work out. However, it's not smart to go down a road that won't work.

**unr3stricted** · 08-23-2005

Originally Posted by PS Party

Call me a 'fanboy' all you like but my aliegence is with Blu-ray all the way.
In my book any software that can store more info (50+gig vs 30 gig) is always going to be the winner.And I bet the marority of consumers feel the same way.

I don't see how that would be a "fanboy" issue. Blu-Ray is clearly the supperior product.

**Lefein** · 08-23-2005

I kind of look at it like HD-DVD would only be another half-step like the DVD was. I mean, when you think about it, the BlueRay is a real jump in storage technology and the DVD only lasted how long?

It's pretty obvious that we should be more forward thinking in our choice this time around, because it would be very uncool to have to keep jumping optical discs every five years. In that regard, it would be far better just to go with the biggest amount of storage possible. How long did the VHS last compared to the DVD? I mean, when you stop and think about it, the DVD was almost a pathetic little step in optical media like the eight track of disc technology. I'd rather not rehash it a little bit just to have to get something like BlueRay in another five years anyways just because movies and TVs will start going to 1280p or whatever.

I dont really care about the fact that BD-Rom is on the PS3 except it shows me that Sony is at least dedicated to the idea of making their consoles keep up with the technology curve, just like they did with the PS1 and CDs and the DVD player in the PS2. Between me and my girlfriend we have about four DVD players (two computers, an entertainment center, and a PS2). I just think that we should forget this hype about manufacturing costs and whatnot when it comes to the HD-DVD. Heaven knows that noone was able to re-tool a CD printer to make DVDs and yet the DVD industry was huge! Do you want to hang on to an old technology just because it makes some fat-cats at Hollywood happier? Do you want to come right back around to BD-Rom in five to ten years because the HD-DVD couldn't hold up? I don't.

**coolguy** · 08-23-2005

so what this means is that HD-DVD players are dead?
and the xbucks 360 will not have a HD-DVD player.
awsome news

**stevefarfan** · 08-24-2005

Yeah, in a world where things move too fast, it's good to have something that's stable for awhile. The best way to do it, is to take the biggest thing that is available until some new technology doesn't just inch past it, but severly beats it. Like the holographic cd.

**Showdown** · 08-24-2005

Originally Posted by coolguy

so what this means is that HD-DVD players are dead?
and the xbucks 360 will not have a HD-DVD player.
awsome news

Well not yet it isn't.

Rumor has it that the Premium version of the 360 will come with a HD-DVD but this is again just rumor for now.

**Damnit** · 08-24-2005

This wasn't a surprise at all. With HD-DVD taking pot shots at Blu-ray, this scenario was a given.

**Showdown** · 08-24-2005

Originally Posted by Damnit

This wasn't a surprise at all. With HD-DVD taking pot shots at Blu-ray, this scenario was a given.

Sadly so, but at least we had hope for a little while, now all we have is a guaranteed format war to deal with, all we can hope now is for it to be over with quickly.

**agentorange** · 08-24-2005

Iam fore the B-ray. Quality is more important than price. It is a better investment in the long run than Hd dvd which is just a upgrade of the dvd of today.

**ghost=unit2** · 08-24-2005

why dont thay just cut the stuff and stop acting like goof balls on a friday night...thay know blu-ray is better...just go with it man...go with the flow....blu-ray is better in my book

**Nasty Gnasher** · 08-24-2005

Originally Posted by ghost=unit2

why dont thay just cut the stuff and stop acting like goof balls on a friday night...thay know blu-ray is better...just go with it man...go with the flow....blu-ray is better in my book

I know !!
Im sure a few of the members at Toshiba must b feeling the same way ... "Go with blu-ray, we'r gonna lose anyway" ..
I dont see the point in Toshiba releasing the HDDVD now, its gonna lose even more money in marketing, production and all.
I'd b surprised if they do come up with a strategy to tackle Blu-ray ... if there's one left to strugge for

.

**coolguy** · 08-24-2005

In to days newspaper
it said that there will be 2 formats
for the public blue- ray and hd-dvd.
so there will be 2 kinds of next gen dvd playesr on the market,
blu ray and hd-dvd