Toshiba's (TSE:6502) hopes to be the first to launch the new HD-DVD -in competition with Blu-ray consortium over the next generation disc format- are fading away. They had initially planned to be first in Japan by the end of 2005. The company has, however, indicated that the Japan's ceremony might be delayed until the first quarter of 2006. It looks like they intend not to delay the launch in the USA, which was also scheduled for rthe first quarter of next year.
Toshiba states that this postponement is due to late problems regarding the copy protection program, dubbed AACS (Advanced Access Content System), and that they want to work them out before the final introduction. If this is true, such late minute problems don't appear to be that catastrophic, should they be able to stick to their US inauguration. After all, we're talking of several months only and everybody interested in the deadly game game that opposes the two consortiums is aware that copy protection capablity is one of the key demands of the content and distribution industry.
Yet, this sounds like a bad series for Toshiba, after successive rallying from most Hollywood majors to te Blu-ray consortium, although lately, because the battle is so fierce, and the outcome so uncertain, more and more market studios and distributors have decided to straddle the fence and give their word that they will offer content in both standards... until there's a clear winner. It must be repeated that all efforts to unify the formats have failed so far, while another potential contender has come with very strong arguments for a 300 GB disc (Inphase/Hitachi-Maxell).