TechRadar asked two AV magazine editors what they thought of the news that Toshiba has decided to embrace Blu-ray, 18 months after its much-publicised format war with Sony.
Rik Henderson, Deputy Editor of Home Cinema Choice magazine, felt the move was an inevitable but crucial one for the company, explaining: "While not exactly a massive surprise, Toshiba's announcement firmly ensconces Blu-ray as the high definition movie format of choice."
No surprises
Alastair Upham, Editor of DVD & Blu-ray Review, is in agreement, believing that: "Since the demise of HD DVD it was clear that if Toshiba wanted to remain in the HD game it would have to go Blu-ray.
"While they may have spent some time refocusing its business, it's no surprise that the company has decided to embrace the technology that was responsible for the company suffering heavy losses."
Mainstay of market
Both editors think that Toshiba's move to Blu-ray is a significant one for the format. "With all manufacturers now singing from the same hymn sheet, we can see BD making a major push for market dominance by Christmas," explained Henderson to TechRadar.
Upham was also of the same opinion, saying: "If anything, it's a sign that Blu-ray is building up some steam prior to Q4, a key period for the technology, and we can hope that with another manufacturer onboard BD will become a mainstay of the consumer market."
