Published in
News
Microsoft scraps HD-DVD for Xbox 360
Looking to salvage technology
Microsoft has confirmed that it will stop making HD DVD players for the Xbox 360.
The news was expected after Toshiba gave up the high-definition video format battle to Sony's Blu-ray. While Microsoft said that it would continue to provide standard warranty support for its HD DVD players it had no intention to make any more.
Over the weekend Blair Westlake, a Corporate Vice President of Microsoft's media and entertainment group, said in a written statement that Redmond had not given up entirely on the technology.
There are some components, such as HDI, which add interactive features to DVDs, and its VC-1 video encoding technology, which Microsoft hopes can be applied to other platforms.