News
Now Netflix abandons HD-DVD
Ben Parfitt Feb 11 2008, 4:24pm
Comments (4)
Leading North American rental service the latest to pitch its loyalties in Blu-Ray camp
In a further blow to Toshiba’s beleaguered HD-DVD hi-def disc format, giant US DVD rental service Netflix has announced that it to phase out the format this year in favour of Sony’s Blu-Ray format.
Tech blog Engadget says the mail rental service cites the dissipating studio support of HD-DVD as the main reason. Netflix will continue to carry HD-DVD titles until stock is phased out toward the end of the year.
It seems that barely a day passes without another piece of bad news for Toshiba’s high-capacity disc.
The year started badly for the firm, with the news that Warner (who at the time was HD-DVD’s most high profile supporter) is to cease production of the discs, instead shifting its focus to Blu-Ray.
More recently, UK retailer Woolworths declared that it was to stop stocking HD-DVD. And considering Blockbuster has already pledged its allegiance to Blu-Ray, it’s becoming harder and harder to see a way back for it.
Last week Microsoft announced that it had slashed the price of its HD-DVD Xbox 360 add-on in North America, mirroring Toshiba’s price cuts on its standalone HD-DVD player range.
Comments
“Fanning the flames...”
Posted by: LtCm_Data - Feb 11, 4:32pm
It's only a matter of time until the fanboys roll in to comment on this now. Question is, can they get here before HD-DVD dies for good? RUN, QUICK RUN!!!!!!
“Re: Fanning the flames...”
Posted by: _-MrT-_ - Feb 11, 4:38pm
And to think, I nearly bought the 360 HD-DVD add-on. WHO DA FOOL?
“Re: Fanning the flames...”
Posted by: jmmm - Feb 11, 11:54pm
Im still gonna get it when the add on becomes cheap, theres some good HD DVD's sure they will reach blu-ray but by the time everyone will have them on sale and I will become the winner there (I already got blu-ray on ps3 so I dont really care and Im an owner of all 3 machines so im not a fan boy)
“Re: Fanning the flames...”
Posted: Feb 12, 2:10pm
@3 - That's a crazy thing to do. So you're prepared to spend a few quid on a HD-DVD drive just to save a bit on the movies!? What if the drive price goes no lower than £70, and the disks themselves sell only for a fiver less than Blu-Ray? You'll have to buy 14 movies on HD-DVD instead of BR just to justify the cost of buying the drive.
I'm making these figures up of course, but why not just let HD-DVD die very quickly? Then BR will pick up momentum, more shops will stock the films on BR as they won't be cagey about backing one format over the other, and then you'll see the BR prices tumble when the demand is higher and they are being mass produced. Then supermarkets will join in and start selling them at rock bottom prices. This is how DVDs became so cheap. We need shops competing on prices in order to get the best prices. They won't do that if they have to stock two formats knowing that one won't last.