The smaller processor uses around 40% less power than the current 65nm chip and generates proportionally less heat. It also costs substantially less to manufacture.

It would be lovely to think that Sony will pass these savings on to the consumer, but given the less than stellar sales of the PS3 we may just see a smaller, more slimline incarnation of the console at a similar price point.

Cell Processors to Go 45nm in '09; Smaller, Cheaper PS3s Likely to Follow [Gizmodo]

It's something we will examine from now, and there's nothing to announce at the moment.

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand.

This decision will not impact on Toshiba's commitment to standard DVD, and the company will continue to market conventional DVD players and recorders. Toshiba intends to continue to contribute to the development of the DVD industry, as a member of the DVD Forum, an international organization with some 200 member companies, committed to the discussion and defining of optimum optical disc formats for the consumer and the related industries.

Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses

19 February, 2008

Company Remains Focused on Championing Consumer Access to High Definition Content

TOKYO—Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.

HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.

"We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality."

Toshiba will continue to lead innovation, in a wide range of technologies that will drive mass market access to high definition content. These include high capacity NAND flash memory, small form factor hard disk drives, next generation CPUs, visual processing, and wireless and encryption technologies. The company expects to make forthcoming announcements around strategic progress in these convergence technologies.

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand.

This decision will not impact on Toshiba's commitment to standard DVD, and the company will continue to market conventional DVD players and recorders. Toshiba intends to continue to contribute to the development of the DVD industry, as a member of the DVD Forum, an international organization with some 200 member companies, committed to the discussion and defining of optimum optical disc formats for the consumer and the related industries.

Toshiba also intends to maintain collaborative relations with the companies who joined with Toshiba in working to build up the HD DVD market, including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation and major Japanese and European content providers on the entertainment side, as well as leaders in the IT industry, including Microsoft, Intel, and HP. Toshiba will study possible collaboration with these companies for future business opportunities, utilizing the many assets generated through the development of HD DVD.

The company said it will continue to sell HD-DVD products for a while but will stop further development of HD DVD. Meanwhile, it said its DVD factories in Aomori Prefecture, northern Japan, would be closed.

Market observers said that Toshiba could suffer a loss of hundreds of millions of US dollars.

Ouch, if it's true.

Toshiba plans to withdraw from HD-DVD production [NHK] and Toshiba to give up on HD DVD, end format war [Reuters]

The official Stuff site's version of the story, one that looks to have been properly copy edited, quotes the Toshiba rep differently. In this version of the half-denial, the PR mouth spewed "Toshiba has no comment to make on this matter. The Xbox 360 is not a Toshiba product."

Indeed. Hardly reads like a solid denial either way, does it? It's just a volleying of the rumor back to Microsoft's side of the court who most likely won't confirm such a product's existence until it's been on store shelves for at least a day or two.

What's that thing about Microsoft rumors again?

Toshiba says no to new Xbox 360 HD DVD rumour [Stuff]

- HD DVD
- 1080p w/HDMI (doesn't sound much different)
- Wireless Networking
- dual HD tuners with program guide (no dvr?)
- MP3 player dock (possibly a new open standard ala ipod...won't happen, Zune is USB)
- Toshiba is also exploring a 40-inch TV that can dock the 360
- This same TV dock could allow for more hard drive or component swappability
- Expected in late 2008 or CES 2009

And here's the quote that adds some more (rumored) credibility to the rumor:

An Xbox with a built in HD DVD drive is critical. They and we are working on it. It also has to be more than a gaming machine. Microsoft recognise this. A version of the device may also be sold under the Toshiba brand name.

Toshiba Working With Microsoft On New Entertainment Xbox [smarthouse] [image]

Toshiba marketing VP Jodi Sally notes that while Blu-ray has had some big successes, HD DVD prevails.

"When new models hit stores there will be a surge in demand. There were some weeks where we lagged," said Sally. "But overall HD DVD continues to dominate."

We would love to have Toshiba and Microsoft on board.

Toshiba can't keep dropping prices much more...It maybe a strategy for fighting a format war, but for us it has to be profitable.

Having attended the most recent presentation from both the HD DVD an Blu-ray camps in Berlin, I walked away realizing just how poorly HD DVD is performing, as well as just how integral the PS3 has been to the limited success of Blu-ray.

But talk of profits? Ha!

Sony invites Toshiba and Microsoft to join Blu-ray camp [pocketlint]

A while back, the above photo did the internet rounds. No way this product could really exist. Even by Japan standards, this is just too bizarre. But wait, it is real. Toshiba R&D is indeed working on this "Wearable Home Theater." There's even a clip from TV Tokyo to prove it! While this Apollo astronaut helmet weighs in at 2.7 kilograms, but the Toshiba rep says the contraption was designed to be worn comfortably. It gives players a full 360 experience and head movement correspond with screen movements. Baffling, I mean, truly. Brian Ashcraft

Toshiba Really Spends Money On This [Danny Choo]

The heart of the PLAYSTATION 3? A suped-up Cell processor developed by Toshiba, IBM and Sony. A single chip contains a main processor and eight sub-processors to unleash 200G Flops (floating point operations per second) of power. And now Toshiba plans to put that chip in mobile devices.

At the recent CEATEC show in Japan, the company showed off a more powerful, in development version of the chip with lower power consumption and increased performance. Says Mitsuo Saito, chief fellow at Toshiba's semiconductor company and one of the key creators of the chip:

Maybe other partners are going onto the very high-end. We are focusing on the low power area. One is for more mobile types of applications such as small games or some mobile phone-like systems.

Sony plans to look into other uses once the PLAYSTATION 3 has been launched. Yippie. Brian Ashcraft

PS3 Cell In Cell Phones [Digital World Tokyo]

According to Digiimes sources in the Taiwanese disk drive industry, Microsoft has been approaching them for partners in making an updated 360 model equipped with an internal HD-DVD drive.

The rumorers are claiming that this new, updated Xbox could be launched bty as early as mid-2007, which is pretty dang quick. In the meantime, the HD-DVD as an external drive for 360 is still a go.

If true, does this mean the next 360 will have an HDMI port? Florian Eckhardt

Microsoft Internal HD-DVD Plan? [Next Generation]

Saw a few stories online about an Xbox 360 with a built-in HD DVD drive: not true. We have no plans to release an Xbox 360 with an internal HD DVD. What we showcased at E3 was an external HD DVD drive, and we're sticking with that.

We've always had a games-first emphasis with the Xbox, but some consumers can build on the platform - like by adding a Windows Media Center Edition PC. By keeping the drive external, we're offering consumers a choice in creating their own hi-def experiences. So: no plans for an internal HD DVD.

As I said earlier today, Toshiba might want this to happen, but I don't see why Microsoft would risk it. Brian Crecente

No Internal HD-DVD Plans [Gamerscore Blog]

A Toshiba higher-up told the site that he expects Microsoft will be making some sort of announcement "fairly soon." Keep in mind, this is just the opinion of one general manager over at Toshiba, which has a bit of a stake in HD-DVD. While I don't doubt that an HD-DVD Xbox 360 is a possibility, I would think that Microsoft would test waters with their external drive first. Why rush in to a very unpredictable format war with so little to gain? Brian Crecente

Update Microsoft has officially shot down Toshiba's speculation.

Microsoft to release HD DVD Xbox in 2006: Toshiba exec [IT Wire, via 1Up]

Blu-Ray acolytes Matsushita is saying that talks of a unified format are now over. Slapping a truncheon capped with the gilded skull of a fetus into the palm of his hand, Matsushita executive officer Kazuhiro cried out: "We are not talking and will not talk!" He then added, "Stinking HD-DVD Imperialist Swine!"

What does this mean? Well, you might want to save your money on one of those brand new Blu-Ray or HD-DVD players until Sony's Playstation 3 kicks the HD-DVD standard like a fat kid at recess face first into the ground.

HD-DVD, Blu-ray Talks Over [1UP]