Toshiba releases statement about WB announcement to go Blu

[macd23]

From Reuters:

http://www.reuters.com/article/press...08+PRN20080104

Toshiba's Comment on Announcement from Warner Bros. Entertainment of Its Exclusive...

Toshiba's Comment on Announcement from Warner Bros. Entertainment of Its
Exclusive Support for Blu-ray Disc Format

TOKYO, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba is quite surprised by Warner Bros.'
decision to abandon HD DVD in favor of Blu-ray, despite the fact that there
are various contracts in place between our companies concerning the support of
HD DVD. As central members of the DVD Forum, we have long maintained a close
partnership with Warner Bros. We worked closely together to help standardize the first-generation DVD format as well as to define and shape HD DVD as its next-generation successor.
We were particularly disappointed that this decision was made in spite of
the significant momentum HD DVD has gained in the US market as well as other regions in 2007. HD DVD players and PCs have outsold Blu-ray in the US market in 2007.
We will assess the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluate potential next steps. We remain firm in our belief that HD DVD is the format best suited to the wants and needs of the consumer.

Press Contact
Corporate Communications Office
Keisuke Ohmori
+81-3-3457-2105
www.toshiba.co.jp/contact/media.htm

SOURCE Toshiba

Keisuke Ohmori, Corporate Communications Office of Toshiba,

[mic]

Interesting. Thanks for posting this. I think they handled it pretty well, and it's no surprise that they are disappointed by the decision. It should be interesting to see what steps they take in light of Warner Bros' decision.

[pirates]

You know what sucks?

In Japanese culture, it's the WORST thing to lose in ANY way possible. I feel sorry for Toshiba. For a while, I thought they had the format war in their hands.

[TPoise]

Sounds like Toshiba wants a piece of that $450M pie that WB just got

[fenixrisingxl]

As an HD-DVD consumer, that statement just fills me with dread. If they are in fact courting any other studios to go neutral or HD-DVD exclusive (as has been mentioned in the main WB Blu-Ray exclusive announcement thread), you can't tell by that statement.
It reads as though they really have/had no plan of attack in place for this turn of events.

[drewsg]

The HD DVD group will always have the utmost respect from me. Never resorting to the tasteless tactics the BDA would resort too.

Almost had it, but in the end money talks.

[mic]

Originally Posted by pirates

You know what sucks?

In Japanese culture, it's the WORST thing to lose in ANY way possible. I feel sorry for Toshiba. For a while, I thought they had the format war in their hands.

You really do have to feel at least a little bad about it.

[oldslow]

So crappy to hear this...Prolly not gonna be good for consumers having an outfit like sony calling the shots!

[mic]

Originally Posted by drewsg

The HD DVD group will always have the utmost respect from me. Never resorting to the tasteless tactics the BDA would resort too.

Almost had it, but in the end money talks.

You must have selective amnesia. Did you forget about Paramount?

Both sides had their own interests at heart, and at the end of the day, it is all about money.

[pirates]

Originally Posted by mic

You really do have to feel at least a little bad about it.

I do which astonishes me because I don't really like Toshiba products at all. I know those CEOs at Toshiba worked their asses off trying to come up with marketing strategies and other plans. Everything they've worked towards has just come tumbling down. Toshiba is a very profitable company. I'm sure they won't dwell that much on this format war now since this has happened. I'm just really wondering what in the world is the HD-DVD Conference going to be about at CES 08.

[Gr00v3r]

Originally Posted by TPoise

Sounds like Toshiba wants a piece of that $450M pie that WB just got

Wow what a total BS statement.

It will be interesting to see what steps Toshiba and the others make and if they make some before CES starts.

[TheBrandon]

Originally Posted by mic

You really do have to feel at least a little bad about it.

Nah. Someone was going to get screwed eventually. Many more later on.

[SRFan]

I do feel bad for Toshiba, they are a decent company who gave us DVD. I have a feeling they got suckered in to supporting HD DVD instead of compromising with the BDA by Microsoft. I hope this sells millions of PS3's and while Sony and Toshiba make money off of it, MS loses many more billions for its crap software and hardware.

[The Round Peg]

I personally would like to see how Microsoft would respond.

[kyzer1978]

Originally Posted by drewsg

The HD DVD group will always have the utmost respect from me. Never resorting to the tasteless tactics the BDA would resort too.

Almost had it, but in the end money talks.

Oh, please. I can't believe how some of you HD DVD supporters are trying to all of a sudden play the victim now. Geez, how quickly you guys forget about the 150 million that was thrown at Paramount and Dreamworks.