Toshiba Australia has said it was “quite surprised by Warner Bros.’ decision to abandon HD DVD in favour of Blu-ray”.
Digital Retailer attempted to contact a Toshiba representative directly, but was told all company spokespeople were in Las Vegas this week at the CES. However, the local Toshiba arm put out the following release that echoed earlier remarks from the company’s Tokyo head office:
“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.”