Toshiba launched the world’s first HD DVD player in March 2006, entering a high-definition format war against Blu-ray. On February 19, 2008, Toshiba announced it would stop developing, manufacturing, and marketing HD DVD players and recorders, with the business scheduled to end by March.
The format delivered sharper movies and blurrier purchasing decisions. A January 2008 photo captured a boxed HD DVD player on deep discount beneath the shelf label “When it’s gone it’s gone.” The retailer had written the obituary before Toshiba issued the press release.
Sources: Toshiba Review, November 2006; Toshiba discontinuation announcement, February 19, 2008.
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