Toshiba Blu-Ray on the way?
Today I heard a rumour that Toshiba may be looking to release their own Blu-Ray players this year. Even more surprising is the suggestion that they have actually been working on two machines for a while, with a September release in mind. Sources are suggesting that this release schedule has been brought forward with a July date now more likely due to the shifts in allegiances in the HD marketplace.
Toshiba, along with Universal, are the two biggest proponents of the HD DVD format. If either one of them shows any sign of switching to the rival Blu-Ray, that will almost certainly be the final nail in the coffin. We’ve heard suggestions that Universal’s exclusivity agreement has come to an end, but that has been flatly denied so far and now rumours of Toshiba moving some eggs out of the HD DVD basket are very interesting indeed.
Even if these are just rumours, they are now out there. With both sides grasping at anything to boost their chosen format’s reputation, any rumour could be enough to prevent take up of either one of the formats. Denials often just give the company involved the chance to make announcements in their own time. HD DVD’s days are numbered, and the quieter the HD DVD camp are, the more speculation there will be that one or more of the big supporters is looking to break away.
The big question isn’t whether Toshiba will release a Blu-Ray player, but when? and what other formats will it support? Could they be looking to boost HD DVDs chances by producing a dual-format player?