According to reports, manufacturers based in Taiwan have decided to not support the rival CBHD format in China. Citing failures of previous China-based optical disc technologies (EVD) and non-Hollywood supported technology (FVD), they have decided to stick with only supporting Blu-ray, leaving questions as to how long the proprietary format will last.
The technology, which is based off the now defunct HD DVD format, was meant to be a rival high definition format that was owned by China. Since it launched, no Hollywood studios have supported the format, severly limiting the amount of titles available. Additionally, players retail for over $400, meaning that they cost significantly more that similarly featured Blu-ray players.
In other words, manufacturers aren't expecting a format war to break out in China.
Good to see Toshiba won't be getting any royalties. After the way they treated consumers like me who purchased an early HD-DVD player, I'd love to see them go under. I was format neutral until I had to deal with Toshiba's customer service. It's what pushed me into the wild Blu yonder.
Is Toshiba ever going to grow up and start making BD players?
I bet their TV sales are suffering (at least in my area). Every other brand of TV for sale (Samsung, Sony, Sharp, etc, etc) are giving away bonus BD players for free. Toshiba is basically the only one not. Makes them look bad....
Hey, this is what business or free enterprize is about; Toshiba failed but that doesn't mean th need to grow up or tv sales are going down. Business is based on competition and we in the U.S are not the only ones buying toshiba products so either way they would make revenue in different quaters. And I support any other country or company that want to create their own format. I hate being dependent on hollywood, they should not try to make other countries follow BD just because every one in the U.S is. There are other markets like in Africa who might in the future use the HD DVD technology so you can't tell.
Smart Move, they probably remember VCD, which is China inveted to counter DVD, is nothing more than a regular CD that can play video in certain player....
Actually, first, VCD standard is not invented by China. It is defined in CD White Book, created by Sony, Philips, Matsushita and JVC.
Second. It is not used to against DVD, instead, it is against VHS, while VCD failed in western because it is inferior to VHS because of its PQ, SQ and then lack of studio support. It prevailed in China and south east asia because there were no VHS ground there before. and VCD is cheaper, much convenient, so easy to be copied without degrade.
The format that China used to counter DVD is SVCD. And yes, you are right, it is still nothing more than regular CD that can play video in certain players, just better codec and bitrate than VCD. SVCD still had its niche in China market and torrent, unlike their EVD, FVD, CBHD siblings.
ranma posted pretty much what I wanted to say but here are a few more:
CBHD was introduced by the Chinese government not Toshiba.
SVCD was another Chinese invention so they wouldn't have to pay royalties to the DVD Forum.
Toshiba makes a variety of products,not only does it make consumer electronics but industrial products as well.
HD-DVD failed because of lack of studio support,the same thing happened to Betamax.
I can't believe the crap that some people post,reading is fundamental.
This is Blu-ray!!! Why would not go blu if this is what studios are supporting now? Blu is still an winner and i dont care what folks say about future downloads, i dont think disc will go anywhere yet because not everyone got High Speed Internet. Not everyone knows how to use computers and the internet, so lets the beginner buy more blu-rays. I cant wait to see the future will new movies fit on 100GB-500GB or 1TB spaces of a blank BD.
But VCD is actually quite successful. I see most major movies released in this format and many people still buy them as they are about half the price of a DVD even though you need a few disks for 1 movie. BD may do reasonable well with the growing middle class but still quite expensive for the majority in Asia. For them, VCD/DVD and pirated movies do well.
Wait, what? There was another format in China? Why the hell would anybody... What?
Ugh... whatever, my blu-ray following has obviously been decreasing a lot recently if there was a whole different format available in China and i didn't even know it.
Well, if it had anything to do with Toshiba - im glad it failed. Ill never buy a Toshiba or Microsoft product again in my life.
Mac for life.
I'm not sure why China and Toshiba are still trying to push a technology based on HD-DVD. We already had the format war and Blu-ray won. It seems like Toshiba is the worst sore looser of them all. Maybe Comunist China likes the red color used in HD-DVD packaging?
According to reports, manufacturers based in Taiwan have decided to not support the rival CBHD format in China. Citing failures of previous China-based optical disc technologies (EVD) and non-Hollywood supported technology (FVD), they have decided to stick with only supporting Blu-ray, leaving questions as to how long the proprietary format will last.
