Toshiba clinging on

With the news that Warner Brothers are going Blu Ray Exclusive, Toshiba are taking their time to come back with their assesment. However, there are also reumours going around that Microsoft is about to license the Xbox 360 architecture to external companies, such as Toshiba.

A Toshiba produced Xbox 360 with built-in HD DVD drive may change the landscape once more...

Paramount Movies to be Exclusive to HD-DVD (almost)

Towards the end of August, Paramount Pictures announced that it would drop support for the Blu-ray Disc format and exclusively support HD DVD. This includes DreamWorks animations as well (think Shrek The Third) .

Great news, I'm sure you'll agree! But there's a little more to it than that.

The announcement doesn't include movies directed by Steven Spielberg, but it does include movies with Spielberg's involvement - such as Transformers, which will be exclusive to HD DVD.

But almost immediately there were reports of Paramount being paid by the companies who want HD DVD to be a success, such as Toshiba and Microsoft. $150million was bandied around, but described as an "advertising incentive".

Whatever. We should now see some reall good HD blockbusters on HD DVD over the coming months - don't miss out!

Web enabled Blood Diamond

For those of you with a Toshiba HD-DVD player plumbed into that Internet, you'll probably be wanting to upgrade to the new firmware on offer from Toshiba. The update is available for the second gen models from Toshiba, namely: HD-XA3, HD-A20, HD-A2W and HD-D2.

Blood Diamond is the first high profile HD DVD movie with web extras, which includes maps, and a couple of online message boards (one for Blood Diamond, and one for Warner themselves). More from the High Def Digest.

You can download the update directly from your player if it's all plumbed in correctly.

HD DVD Player Prices Heading Down

The upcoming second generation Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player may see the start of much cheaper HD-DVD players, reports Engadget. Originally appearing on a US electronic website for only $199 (which included $100 off at the point of purchase), HD-DVD players look like they were going to tumble in price (how much did you pay for your Xbox 360 HD DVD player...?)

Unfortunaley, mere hours later, the retailer has upped the price by $100 taking us to a respectable, but not nearly as attractive $299. Still, at the current £ to $ conversion rate...

hmm...