Timeline: HD DVD vs. Blu-ray Disc

2008

January 4 -- Warner Brothers drops its bombshell: it will stop issuing HD DVD movies in the coming months and rely exclusively on Blu-ray Disc. In response the HD DVD Promotion Group cancels its CES news conference.

January 6 -- Akio Ozaka, head of Toshiba America Consumer Products, says at CES: "We remain firm in the belief that HD DVD is the format best suited to the wants and needs of consumers." In response Sony CEO Howard Stringer, with a grin on his face, says "All of us at Sony are feeling blue today."

January 14 -- Toshiba cuts the price of HD DVD players with the HD-A3 seeing a retail price of US$150.

February 11 -- NetFlix and BestBuy say they will phase out HD DVD.

February 15 -- Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, says it will phase out HD DVD by June.

February 16 -- Japanese public broadcaster NHK reports Toshiba has halted production of HD DVD players. Several additional local media reports confirm and The Nikkei business daily says Toshiba has decided to stop developing the format any further.

February 19 -- Toshiba formally announces it will phase out the production of HD DVD players and recorders by the end of March. The format war is over.