Hold-off on that high definition movie player - this could be a good reason to go Blu-Ray.
Rumours are flying that Toshiba will drop HD-DVD, putting a possible end to the high-def format wars.
Toshiba could announce its exit from HD-DVD as early as next week, according to reports by Reuters. One report on Japanese television claimed the company has already stopped producing new HD-DVD devices. Local representatives have yet to confirm the reports.
Despite Toshiba slashing the prices of its HD-DVD players in Australia, momentmum seems to be shifting in favour of Blu-Ray. Online movie rental business Netflix recently announced plans to switch to Blu-Ray discs exclusively, along with US retailer Wal-Mart.
If you've bought one of these players, or an HD-DVD notebook, don't despair - JB-HiFi is still listing a number of HD-DVD movies on its Web site. How many new movies appear on HD-DVD in the future is unclear though, given that Warner has sided with Blu-Ray.
It will be interesting to see whether the remaining HD-DVD backers stick with the format. Toshiba currently counts Paramount Pictures, Universal Home Video and DreamWorks in its camp.