thenotman
4/20/2006, 01:51 PM
Market research firm ABI Research believes that Toshiba's HD DVD format will benefit from hitting the market months before Blu-ray but that over the long-term the combination of strong studio support and the inclusion of Blu-ray in the PS3 will enable Blu-ray to prevail. Microsoft says otherwise, however.
Yesterday Toshiba began shipping the very first HD DVD players in North America, with the initial support of movies from Warner Home Video and Universal Studios Home Entertainment. By getting its players to market now, Toshiba is beating its hi-def rival Blu-ray by about four months, but will that head start make a difference in the format war?
According to ABI Research, the answer is "yes," at least in the short term. ABI says that North America "represents by far the most important market for the new high-definition formats, accounting for more than 60% of all HDTVs that ABI Research expects will be shipped during 2006." By getting to market earlier and offering a lower price than Blu-ray, HD DVD can leverage the growing HDTV user base in the U.S.
LINK (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=12451&rp=49)
Yesterday Toshiba began shipping the very first HD DVD players in North America, with the initial support of movies from Warner Home Video and Universal Studios Home Entertainment. By getting its players to market now, Toshiba is beating its hi-def rival Blu-ray by about four months, but will that head start make a difference in the format war?
According to ABI Research, the answer is "yes," at least in the short term. ABI says that North America "represents by far the most important market for the new high-definition formats, accounting for more than 60% of all HDTVs that ABI Research expects will be shipped during 2006." By getting to market earlier and offering a lower price than Blu-ray, HD DVD can leverage the growing HDTV user base in the U.S.
LINK (http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=12451&rp=49)