Scratched From My Hannukah List

It looks like high definition DVD won't be here in the next few months. Home Media Retailing is reporting that Warner Home Video and Paramount Home Entertainment are delaying the release of videos in the HD format until 2006.

The reason: Format costs.

...key decision makers at consumer electronics firms and studios contend with both fears of a format war and hopes of a last-minute compromise between Toshiba's HD DVD and its Sony-backed rival, Blu-ray Disc.

Toshiba is going to be late to market and studios don't want to produce media in both formats. They want one format so they avoid the Beta/VHS issues of 25 years ago. I don't blame them.

Looks like my 55" wide screen HDTV is gonna be delayed to at least the middle of next year.