The Looking Glass War - Sony Versus Toshiba

Blu-ray versus HD DVD, liquid crystal versus plasma, and how manufacturers want us to see in the future.

Blu-ray versus bring this war to a close. Electronics manufacturers on both sides have the capability to deliver either technology to market by the fourth quarter of this year. But no one wants to revisit the VHS-Betamax wars that hampered VCR adoption in the 1980s. Launching DVD players based on competing standards could lead to a situation no one wants: consumers waiting on the sidelines for a single standard while thousands of products sit on shelves unbought. And despite signs that Sony had finally pushed Blu-ray to victory, and Toshiba would agree to supply playback and rights management software for blu-ray devices, Toshiba seems to have dug in its heels and screamed its defiance. No standard for blue laser DVD media storage today, then, and we don't seem to be getting one tomorrow either. Whichever standard emerges, consumers will need a TV capable of high-definition (HD) display. LCD and plasma screens offer consumers flat-screen dimensions of 40 inch diagonal measurements and up. Likewise, pricing for those screens has stayed up, and a downward pricing trend will have to happen to get more consumer adoption. Watch The Screen 42 inch plasma HD screens have a price of around $4,000 USD, while a similar LCD 42 inch screen would go for about $5,000 USD, according to analysts referenced by Reuters. And a less advanced 42 inch plasma TV could go for around $2,000. That means LCD makers have to add here.