HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray: the shopper-friendly format still lost

By February 2008, Blu-ray had won the format war with HD-DVD, the other big high-definition disc standard at the time. The decisive stretch came quickly: Warner Bros. said in January 2008 that it would support Blu-Ray exclusively, and in February 2008 Toshiba announced it would stop making HD-DVD players and discs. That left Blu-ray with the stronger support system, even though HD-DVD had initially looked like the more practical option.

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Both formats were pitching the same broad upgrade just as HDTVs were going mainstream, and both had serious backing from electronics companies and Hollywood studios. Still, HD-DVD had a few obvious advantages early on. It was cheaper, easier to produce with existing DVD equipment, and it reached consumers first.

Sony changed the equation by putting a Blu-ray drive into every PlayStation 3. Microsoft handled HD-DVD differently on the Xbox 360, where it was only an optional external add-on. That mattered. Blu-ray ended up with the larger installed base, which made it the safer call for studios, retailers, and buyers. Warner Bros. then went Blu-ray-only in January 2008, and Toshiba stopped making HD-DVD players and discs a month later, in February 2008.

The simple takeaway is that the best product doesn’t always win. Blu-ray’s victory also had a slightly bitter edge, because streaming began cutting into disc use soon after. Even so, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray has kept a niche audience thanks to better picture quality, less compression, and stronger audio.

You can still play Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on current disc players. HD-DVD is discontinued.