Now that it seems that HD DVD’s time is running short, Disney is running a rebate program on a good amount of its Blu-ray titles.
In a few titles, such as ‘The Rock,’ ‘Crimson Tide’ and ‘Con Air’, there is an included insert that offers a $10 USD rebate for consumers who’ve purchased both the standard-def DVD edition and the Blu-ray edition of the same title.
For the rebate to work, buyers must send in both UPC codes, the original insert, as well as a copy of the original receipt before December 31st 2008.
When asked about whether the program would be expanded, Disney said “that the studio does not comment on sales initiatives or strategies.”
Result for: DVD
First reported by the Japanese public broadcaster NHK and later confirmed by Toshiba itself, the next-gen format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray is finally over, with Toshiba planning on stopping production of HD DVD players.
The battle, which has raged on for the last couple of years, has often been compared to the Betamax-VHS battle of the MID 1980’s and has slowed down the development of what movie studios hope will become a multi-billion dollar industry over the next decade.
The final blow to HD DVD and Toshiba took place yesterday when the mammoth retailer Wal-Mart announced they would go Blu-ray exclusive beginning in June. Other recent news, such as Best Buy and Netflix’s decisions to support Blu-ray must have also weighed heavily on Toshiba’s decision.
“We have entered the final stage of planning to make our exit from the next generation DVD business,” said a Toshiba source, who also added that an official announcement could come as early as next week.
We will keep you updated on any word from Microsoft, Paramount, or Universal as to this latest word from Toshiba but for now it seems that all that can be said is R.I.P HD DVD.
Result for: DVD
Despite rampant speculation and rumor, it seems that Toshiba is not dropping HD DVD, or at least not for the time being.
The corporation has released a brief press release this morning in an effort to put a damper on the rumors that have been spreading since the giant retailer Wal-Mart decided to go Blu-ray exclusive beginning in June.
“The media reported that Toshiba will discontinue its HD DVD business. Toshiba has not made any announcement concerning this. Although Toshiba is currently assessing its business strategies, no decision has been made at this moment,” read the complete statement.
This latest statement could simply be a way to stall before the decision to drop the failing format is officially made, but for now HD DVD fans still have some hope.
