Toshiba Chief Hints At Launching Blu-Ray Disc Ops

[bluskiessmingatme]

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Toshiba Corp. (6502) President Atsutoshi Nishida did not rule out the possibility of selling DVD recorders using the Blu-ray Disc format when addressing shareholders at the firm's general meeting here Wednesday.

"It makes no sense to decide not to enter the Blu-Ray market simply because we lost the DVD-format war. We cannot change the fact that we lost, but we would like to keep our options open," he said.

Toshiba pushed for global adoption of its HD-DVD format, but failed to gain sufficient support from major U.S. movie studios. This prompted the firm to pull out of its HD-DVD operations in spring 2008, declaring at that time that it would not handle Blu-ray products.

But Nishida's latest remark appears to indicate that Toshiba is considering reversing that decision in light of the significant growth in the market for these products.

(The Nikkei June 24 evening edition)

http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/e/fr/tnk...24DA4J6246.htm

[tonyb]

..........

[bluskiessmingatme]

Originally Posted by tonyb

as if a few voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

Good one, Tony!

[Grubert]

Bu...bu... but Blu-ray is dead! I read it here!

[Philnerd]

Wow that's far and away the most positive official word to come out of Toshiba in regards to Blu-Ray. He's not exactly running out to embrace it, but he's not discounting it either. Good find.

<edit>
LOL good one Tony

[bluskiessmingatme]

Blu-ray.com has a piece on it with an extra line at the end not in the Nikkei report:

Toshiba President Hints at Supporting Blu-ray

At the annual shareholder meeting of Toshiba Corporation today, outgoing president Atsutoshi Nishida did not rule out the possibility of selling Blu-ray products. In a new pragmatic vein, Nishida said: "It makes no sense to decide not to enter the Blu-Ray market simply because we lost the DVD-format war. We cannot change the fact that we lost, but we would like to keep our options open."

Nishida said that BD recorders, in particular, appear to be a viable option. They are quite successful in Japan.

When Toshiba conceded defeat in the format war in February 2008, it said that it would not make any Blu-ray products and has reaffirmed that position several times since. But Nishida's latest remark appears to indicate that Toshiba is considering reversing that decision in light of the significant growth in the market for these products.

Nishida is to step down as President today. As expected, the shareholders approved the appointment of Corporate Senior Executive Vice President Norio Sasaki as the new chief executive.

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=2974

I wonder if he was asked to step down? Possibly because the shareholders wanted to go in the direction of Blu-ray? Anybody know? Whatever the situation, I think we will be hearing developing news from Toshiba about Blu-ray very soon and this was just the opening word about it.

[Rob71]

[bfellow]

I like how I see Red X's in people's posts.

[zaphod]

Originally Posted by tonyb

as if a few voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

[Lee Stewart]

Blu-ray Recorder Sales Hit Record Levels

http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messag...81/535351.html

The average sales price has begun to come down. In the first week of June 2008, the average sales price of Blu-ray disc recorders was between 110,000 -- 120,000 JPY. By the third week of October, it dropped to between 100,000 -- 110,000 JPY.

That's $1,049 to $1,154 in USD

Not too much of a stretch to understand why Toshiba would be interested in this market. And the UK is opening up as a market for these SAT HD DVR BD recorders also.

[bluskiessmingatme]

Originally Posted by Philnerd

Wow that's far and away the most positive official word to come out of Toshiba in regards to Blu-Ray. He's not exactly running out to embrace it, but he's not discounting it either. Good find.

Hmm, I wonder if we are going to see Toshiba entering the market very soon --- possibly they want in on time for Christmas sales?

[GizmoDVD]

I'm amazed that so many die-hard Blus really care that much about Toshiba making a Blu-ray player. I guess the five or so HD DVD holdouts we have here can make this a several page long thread.

[Lee Stewart]

Originally Posted by bluskiessmingatme

Hmm, I wonder if we are going to see Toshiba entering the market very soon --- possibly they want in on time for Christmas sales?

For what? Japanese SAT HD DVR's with BD recorders? Or maybe UK SAT HD DVR's with BD recorders?

Nishida said that BD recorders, in particular, appear to be a viable option. They are quite successful in Japan.

[tonyb]

..........

[michealo]

perhaps XDE (or whatever they are calling it this afternoon) isn't panning out.