Latest Articles

Alexander McCall-Smith Engages Web 2.0

The Daily Telegraph is in the middle of a 20-week serialisation of an online book created by author Alexander McCall-Smith, his first such project. New Media Knowledge caught up with the organisers to discuss ‘Corduroy Mansions’.

more

Business Brief: Video Advertising Looks to Future

Google has announced it will incentivise advertisers on its video properties as well as launching research programmes into how Web users consume Internet video material. New Media Knowledge spoke to a number of industry players to gauge their views on where the video advertising market is going.

more

‘Virtual Home’ for Ex-Pats in London Established

A social network aimed at providing information for ex-pats living in London has been established. New Media Knowledge met the site’s co-founder to find out more.

more

• Rough Guide to: Social Media and the Law
• Record Visits for UK Blog Sites
• Clearing Congestion
• Rough Guide to: Pay-Per-Click Advertising
• Opinion: What Happens to Newspapers?
• LinkedIn Adds Business Applications
• What Happens to Newspapers?

Related Articles

• Business Brief: Video Advertising Looks to Future

  Google has announced it will incentivise advertisers on its video properties as well as launching research programmes into how Web users consume Internet video material. New Media Knowledge spoke to a number of industry players to gauge their views on where the video advertising market is going. more

• Record Visits for UK Blog Sites

  Nearly half of the UK’s online population visited at least one blog during August, according to a survey. Yet one recent report said blogging’s day has passed, so what’s the true reflection? New Media Knowledge spoke to three prominent bloggers for their take. more

• Opinion: What Happens to Newspapers?

  The University of Westminster's Geoffrey Davies responds to issues raised at the recent NMK panel event on the subject. more

• What Happens to Newspapers?

  With print circulations down and online advertising revenues not matching up to what has been lost in print formats, can the UK's newspapers weather the coming storm? Leading industry figures met at NMK's event on October 28, 2008 to debate the best way forward. Event chaired by Nico MacDonald. more

• Tourism 2.0

  African nations were urged this week to engage with new media to attract more visitors. New Media Knowledge looked for examples of new media success in the travel sector. more

Blu-Ray Wins High Definition War

Toshiba has announced that it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. Tim Hoang reports.

Toshiba has announced that it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. Tim Hoang reports.

Following news earlier this week that supermarket giant, Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer had announced that it would no longer stock Toshiba’s HD DVD titles, Toshiba has announced that it will no longer produce the technology.

Wal-Mart said that customers had shown a clear preference for Blu-ray, developed by Sony, and followed similar moves by film rental services Blockbuster and Netflix.

The increased storage capacity of the DVDs were expected to improve the picture quality and overall customer experience and contribute to revitalising the global DVD market, worth $24billion. But, like the Betamax-VHS battle in the 1980s, having two DVD standards has hindered the sales of both as consumers waited to see which format would come out on top. Toshiba’s initial reaction was to slash the price of HD DVD players, but this week the comapny conceded defeat and announced its intention to exit the race.

In a company statement, the Japanese electronics giant underlined how it would pull out because the format wars were detrimental to the development of the market.

"We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called ‘next-generation format war’ and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality."

Toshiba aims to halt the manufacture and distribution of all HD DVD players by March 2008, though hopes to continue playing a large role in the development of the DVD industry as a member of the DVD forum.

Ken Warren of Cryptography Research Inc. - which designed the Blu-ray’s disc security technology - believes that Toshiba’s announcement would have a positive effect on the high definition DVD industry.

"Such a quick decision/clarification can only be a good thing for the industry and for Toshiba. For Toshiba it is evidence of decisive decision making by senior management, recognising business realities and not lingering on emotional attachment to a technology it has invested in heavily.

"For Blu-ray it is obviously excellent news. However, for the industry as a whole, the clear benefit is that the format war is over - this will unblock the indecision for consumers who were delaying purchases in case they invested in the ‘loosing’ format. Equipment manufactures can now focus on a single format and should also result in better end user pricing as the market and competition matures," he said.

According to Warren, the positioning of Hollywood film studios has been a major driver in Blu-ray’s triumph.

"Perhaps the most significant factor has been the availability of the content, shaped by the positioning of the major Hollywood studios. The decision by Blu-ray to include CRI security technology to provide renewable security was, we believe, a very important factor for some of the most influential Hollywood players to back the Blu-ray format at an early stage and so shape the content availability landscape," he said.