Driving the HD DVD Juggernaut: Microsoft's Amir Majidimehr

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" They say the only sure things in life are death and taxes. Perhaps we should add to that the absolute certainty that no matter how well-informed, there is no such thing as a sure-fire prediction when it comes to launching a new consumer technology. Nine months ago, as Blu-ray and HD DVD were nearing their scheduled launches, the battle lines of the pending format war looked very different. Riding a wave of almost unilateral positive buzz for months, Blu-ray had all but been declared the winner in the next-gen high-def sweepstakes. The launch of the two formats almost seemed like a formality, a mere prelude on the way to Blu-ray's victory lap. With majority backing from consumer electronics manufacturers and the top Hollywood studios -- not to mention the ace-in-the-back-pocket fourth quarter release of the Blu-ray driven PlayStation 3 -- all signs pointed to a high-def future with all things painted Blu.

Not so fast. Like some hi-tech version of Red State/Blue State politics, the HD DVD steed leaped out of the gate with last-minute, underdog-like surge that hit full gallup in record time. Launching two months earlier than Blu-ray, and withstanding a few first-gen hardware glitches, HD DVD was greeted by surprisingly positive reviews and a rapidly-growing, passionate fan base of videophiles that remain steadfastly defiant to all things Blu. A steady stream of high-quality, feature-laden HD DVD disc titles followed, and primary format backer Toshiba quickly responded to consumer complaints about its hardware with a robust series of firmware upgrades that continued to feed the press frenzy. In only a few short weeks, HD DVD went from being a footnote in consumer electronics history to the industry's potential heir apparent to DVD. ..."

Cubist commentary

Nice article about the good things Toshiba and Microsoft have been doing to promote their format.

File under: HD DVD News