Although a delay to HD-DVD is still a possibility, Toshiba sources have been quoted as saying that they haven't yet given up on a 2005 launch.

Ultimate AV cornered Mark Knox, seemingly a regular source of HD-DVD information and he protested that reports of a delay until 2006 'are greatly exagerated'.

Existing plans had seen the first HD-DVD players hitting shops at the the end of the year in time for holiday season, but Toshiba is reportedly now consulting with Hollywood studios to decide on an alternative launch date.

A potential delay will not do much for HD-DVD's chances of fending off the challenge of Blu-Ray, as the easy path to market had been seen as one of the former format's strengths.

In a further development Sony Pictures Home Entertainment president Benjamin Feingold has confidently predicted a victory for Blu-Ray over HD-DVD within 12 months of coming to market. This is the first time that anyone from either camp has made an agressive statement regarding the upcoming inevitable battle.

"I think in 12 months it's going to be clear," he predicted. "The combination of Blu-Ray and PlayStation 3 machines is going to overwhelm any HD-DVD presence and all studios will have to support Blu-Ray."


Source : DvdRecorderWorld