Toshiba Turns Tables on Sony's Blu-ray

For those who've recently heard that Blockbuster will be exclusively carrying Blu-ray discs, the high-def movie fight does look a bit bleak for HD-DVD.

However, just when Sony thought the high definition movie format war was over, Toshiba pulls a fast one. With Sony's Blu-ray shipping in each and every PlayStation 3 and new players slowly creeping lower in price, it was beginning to look as if the company had made up for its gaming console's rather miserable start.

Unfortunately for Sony, major HD-DVD backers Toshiba have recently announced their own PS3-like ploy, with each and every laptop from the company shipping with an HD-DVD player under the hood.

Although few can argue that the PlayStation 3 has been a success, it certainly has sold at a more rapid pace than Sony's stand-alone Blu-ray players. With the high definition format built-in for $599, the PS3 retails for less than most regular Blu-ray devices (that boast no gaming functionality). Although the PS3 has been thoroughly trounced by the Xbox 360 and Wii, it has shipped enough to help Blu-ray pick apart Toshiba's HD-DVD. (Source: eweek.com)

Compounding the problem is the recent announcement that a stand-alone Blu-ray player, the BDP-S300, will retail for just $499.

Turning the tables, however, are Toshiba's popular laptops. Far more attractive than the ill-supported PlayStation 3, the inclusion of HD-DVD as a standard option could mean significant sales increases for both Toshiba's machines and the movie format. (Source: theinquirer.net)

However, HD-DVD, which once led the next-gen movie format war, must garner more studio support if it wants to reclaim its early success. At this time, only Universal supports Toshiba's HD-DVD, exclusively.

It might also try wooing Blockbuster's competition.