Andre Yoskowitz
6 Sep 2007 11:42
The HD DVD camp is putting on a smile at the current CEDIA and is more than happy to point out all the advantages that they hope will help them win the next-gen format war.
According to the HD DVD Promotional Group, despite lagging in disc sales and overall players (PlayStation 3 included), four of the top five PC notebook manufacturers are in support of HD DVD. Additionally, the group believes third generation players coming soon from Toshiba will give the format "undeniable momentum" going into the holiday season.
And they do have a point. The new high-end HD-A35, which will be released at $499 USD, will be as expensive as the lowest priced Blu-ray standalone player, the low-end Sony BDP-S300. There has even been reports that a Canadian manufacturer will begin selling $199 USD low-end HD DVD players before the holidays.
To help gain added momentum, HD DVD has recently signed a marketing agreement with NBC Universal which will place 30 second ads promoting the format on air during the very popular "Sunday Night Football" broadcasts.
The group also said 125 new titles were planned for the fourth quarter of 2007 and that it would be offering a firmware update to all second-generation player owners that would give them 1080/24p capabilities.
Source:
BetaNews