Toshiba Delays HD DVD Launch in Japan

Electronics maker Toshiba says it's delaying the planned end-of-year launch of HD DVD players in Japan to address copy-protection issues.

Electronics maker Toshiba has hoped to be the first out of the gate with next-generation DVD players, planning to launch HD DVD players in Japan by the end of 2005. However, the company had hinted in December it might have to put off the Japan launch, and today confirmed it will put off launching HD DVD players until the first quarter of 2006 to work out final details of the AACS (Advanced Access Content System) copy protection management system are worked out.

Toshiba says the U.S. launch of HD DVD players is still scheduled for February or March of 2006, and expects the Japanese launch of the players won’t be any later.

Toshiba’s HD DVD format has been fighting a pitched battle with rival Sony’s Blu-Ray format for dominance of the next generation of DVD. Both consortiums have big-name supporters, and as the products get closer to market studios and distributors are increasingly straddling the fence, pledging to offer content in both formats until one clearly emerges as dominance. Efforts to unify the formats failed following more than three years of maneuvering to avoid a next-generation DVD format war.