File this under ‘likely to fail’: Sony is being targeted in a lawsuit by California-based Orinda Intellectual Properties USA, who are claiming that the Japanese company has infringed one of their patents.

Why’s it likely to fail? Hit the jump for my reasoning.

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The decision to include a Blu-ray drive in its current-generation console ensured that Sony would be able to compete with Toshiba and its HD DVD technology (and ultimately defeat it). Basically, the PS3 acted as Sony’s Blu-ray Trojan horse. For now, it seems it was a wise decision. (though that could change if it fails to overtake standard DVD’s.)

Sure, it made the console more expensive. However, the Blu-ray enabled system gave Sony a significant edge in hi-def disc sales. This was despite the fact that the sales of HD-DVD standalone players outpaced those of their Blu-ray counterparts.

Unlike some PS3 owners, I never really saw my shiny beast as a movie player. In fact, I swore that I would never use my PS3 to play anything but games.

Learn why after the jump. (more…)

I’ve written about rumors many times before, dissecting how and why they get started, but Blu-ray on the Xbox 360 seems to be the Frankenstein of all rumors… pieced together from tidbits here and there, given a jolt back to life every once in a while. I am left scratching my head over this one though, I just don’t see an explanation other than… (more…)

As Toshiba announced their withdrawal from the HiDef wars, gamers have been watching Microsoft with great anticipation. The death of HD-DVD at the hands of Sony’s Blu-ray technology has left a gaping hole in the peripheral capabilities of the leading next-gen console. While many insiders have hinted at the unavoidable move to Blu-ray for the Xbox 360, the MS faithful have held on to the hope that the gaming giant had another trick up their sleeve. Today, at a press conference in Redmond, they got the news they were hoping for. Kind of. All the details, after the jump. (more…)

In this sad, twisted episode of the Sarcastic Gamer Podcast, the crew is joined by none other than our favorite Sony evangelist, Rothbart! We dove into a bunch of different issues, including PS3’s road to recovery. This episode features a first-ever 3 “reverse bells” all directed at ONE member of the show. All in 30 minutes. The complete rundown is as follows:

• Welcome Rothbart!
• PSP God of War Controversy
• SG News with Paul Christy
• PS3 Credit due? - (Article)
• Wireless GHIII guitar vs. Rock Band Guitar comparison
• Doc gets suckered in: Wal-Mart Censorship - (Article)
• Wii Fit is a Lie - (Article)
• Call of Duty 4 Patch - (Article)
• Gratituity
• DTUO
• Martini Time

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When you go against the grain because you feel you’re right, it can be an amazing feeling when everyone acknowledges your foresight and perseverance. To have a plan and stick to it even in the fact of likely failure can be considered confidence or foolhardiness; with the distinction being made once the final outcome has been determined. We seem to be one step closer to such a distinction with respect to the Playstation 3. (more…)

HD-DVD is dead for sure now. National Geographic’s new documentary hits video shelves on 4/9 (well before the June break-up date with Warner Bros) and apparently the train ain’t stoppin’ in HD-DVD town. So, what did that June date really mean? Not much, as the only Warner Brothers label still supporting both formats and honoring the dual-format agreement is the BBC.

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Source: Reuters

With the recent announcement of Warner abandoning HD-DVD, Microsoft can’t help but feel like they got punched in the gut just as hard as Toshiba, right?

Wrong.

Turns out Microsoft really wasn’t as invested in HD-DVD as everybody thought. While they may have dumped millions upon millions into supporting the now dying format, it has become quite clear that it was only because they didn’t want Sony to win a format war. Turns out that even Microsoft, who is the largest company backing the HD-DVD format, is willing to switch sides to Blu-ray if that ends up being the winning format.

This sure has been a rough week for Toshiba. Read the quote after the jump. (more…)

Source: Financial Times

Get ready to pronounce HD-DVD dead. Since Warner Brothers’ recently hopped off that HD-DVD gravy train, information has come to the surface regarding the exclusivity contract between HD-DVD and Paramount that was signed last summer.

Another low blow for HD-DVD? Could this spell the end of the format war, as we know it?

Find out the sordid details, after the jump!

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Source Bigscreen.com 

After last weekend’s fireworks, it’s back to business in the war for Hi-Def supremacy. I don’t foresee many weeks that HD-DVD will beat Blu-Ray. Then again, the underdog always has a shot, although after this weekend’s huge news, I don’t know how much longer I’ll be doing a HD-DVD round up…

Check out your Blu-Ray releases for the week of January 7, 2008 after the jump.

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If you followed engadget’s live coverage of the Philips CES presentation, there was a convenient tidbit of info “leaked”. According to Philips’ Stewart Miller, it looks like America’s second largest retailer Target is going Blu-ray exclusive… Now we’ve known for a while that they only sell Blu-ray players and they’ve preferred Blu-ray over HD-DVD when it came to prominent display space, but this would seem to be the first outright mention that Target’s going Blu-ray exclusive.

Newly updated, after the jump… (more…)

If you’ve been living under a low-def rock for the past year or so you may not realize the high-def video format war is in full swing right now. Those of us following (most of us from the sidelines, afraid to choose one format over the other in case one loses completely and our investment is made obsolete) have been waiting to see how this past holiday’s sales went for each camp. We’re only at January 4th and those sales results certainly haven’t been made public yet but a HUGE win for the Blu-ray camp came today as Warner Bros. (along with New Line Home Entertainment and HBO Video) announced their intention to exclusively support Blu-ray over HD-DVD as their high-def video format of choice. To add insult to injury, Warner Bros. said that until they cut off support cold turkey at the end of May ‘08, they’ll artificially delay any HD-DVD movies still in the pipeline so the DVD and Blu-ray versions hit the market first. Consider the screws twisted.

There’s a lot of interesting press going on right now, especially the early on knee-jerk reaction by Toshiba that literally seemed to be a “WTF did Warner just say?!” I’m fairly certain they were quite surprised by Warner’s move. This certainty is based squarely in the fact that their statement said “Toshiba is quite surprised by Warner Bros.’ decision to abandon HD DVD in favor of Blu-ray.” I mean I suppose I might have misinterpreted something in that quote but it really like an unpolished “OMG, we were so BFFs! I H8 U!”

Then as the evening progressed, we learned the CES HD-DVD press conference was literally cancelled. Now between you and me, if I were on Microsoft’s end of the recent “We’re about to make a ‘big announcement’ that may or may not be related to HD-DVD” buzz and I see the last dual format studio pick a side (not mine), Toshiba (one of HD-DVD’s biggest supporters) expressing public astonishment, and the entire HD-DVD event being outright canceled… well, let’s just say that I’d be a little concerned right about now.

Follow the jump for more imminent signs of the world (ok, really just the HD-DVD format) ending… (more…)

Source HiDefDigest and VideoBusiness

Breaking news has dictated that a Blu-Ray report be issued by Sarcastic Gamer on Fiction Friday. Just when you thought the trenches in the Hi Def war had turned into a quagmire, Blu-Ray takes a quick jab at HD-DVD, sending it reeling.

Warner Home Video has announced that they will back Blu-Ray and drop HD-DVD this year. The time between now and May will be painful for HD-DVD. Warner is delaying all HD-DVD releases a short time after the Blu-Ray and standard DVD release dates.
More after the jump. (more…)