Blue Wins!

I've been waiting, like most of the country. I almost went with the loser, so glad patience won out.

TOKYO (AP) -- Toshiba said Tuesday it will no longer develop, make or market HD DVD players and recorders, handing a victory to rival Blu-ray disc technology in the format battle for next-generation video.

"We concluded that a swift decision would be best," Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida told reporters at his company's Tokyo offices.

The move would make Blu-ray - backed by Sony Corp (SNE)., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which makes Panasonic brand products, and five major Hollywood movie studios - the winner in the battle over high-definition DVD formatting that began several years ago.

I've been enjoying my new toy since last July. My standard DVD player looks amazing on it as is. But the upgrade to HiDef DVDs has waited till the latest tech war was over. Now that it is, competition will begin, deck prices will drop, and the consumers will be the ultimate winners.

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