Sony & Toshiba Should Aid HD DVD Owners
HD DVD's exit will leave a bad taste in the mouths of millions.
By Swanni
Toshiba, the leading company behind the HD DVD format, announced last week that it would exit the high-def disc business by the end of March, ceding victory to rival Blu-ray.
The decision means that current HD DVD players will soon be nearly obsolete; yes, they will still 'upconvert' standard-def DVDs, but the studios will stop releasing titles in the HD DVD format in the coming weeks.
Asked at a press conference last week about the current HD DVD audience, Toshiba officials basically shrugged their shoulders and said buyers knew what they were getting into -- a high-def format war that would likely produce a loser.
However, that is unacceptable. HD DVD owners committed their hard earned dollars on a brand new technology, giving Toshiba an opportunity to succeed in the war. But Toshiba seems too broken up with its own misfortune to consider the plight of their customers.
At the least, Toshiba should offer HD DVD owners discounts on related Toshiba products, such as high-def sets.
Likewise, Sony, the company behind Blu-ray, has a responsibility here as well because its participation prolonged the format war, leading to more people buying HD DVD players.
In my view, Sony should offer HD DVD owners a discount on Blu-ray players. This would not only be the right thing to do -- but it would keep a sizable number of high-def disc enthusiasts happy.
It would also send a signal to consumers that investing in a unproven technology is a shared risk, that people will not be left holding the bag.
If Toshiba and Sony fail to act, consumers may think twice -- or three times -- the next time they're asked to buy a new electronics product.
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Swanni (Phillip Swann) is
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