Does this mean the end of the HD-DVD wars?

We here at techRivet had previously predicted that the High Definition DVD wars would end with the opposite result, a victory for HD-DVD.  Primarily because of the decision of the adult industry to produce their titles in HD-DVD format exclusively.

Here: HD DVD vs. Blu-ray: it's all over.

And then we had some little egg on our face as we had to retract part of that broad statement when Sony began to offer support to the adult industry later in the year.

Here: Sony wises up and listens to techRivet

Now Warner Brothers has stopped straddling the format divide and put both feet on the Blu-Ray bus Toshiba is going to need a near miracle to win the war.  There are a bunch of VPs, Executive VPs and  C-level folks over at Toshiba that are not getting very much sleep tonight.

Toshiba Corp. late Friday said it was 'quite surprised' by Warner Bros.' decision to adopt Sony Corp.'s (NYSE:SNE) Blu-ray disc format instead of Toshiba's HD DVD.

eh...no longer satisfied with a little two eggs over easy on our face, we now have a full omelette with all the trimmings...mmmmmm omelettes, brb.

1981 1 GB IBM hard drive model 3380. Starting from $81,000 and weighed in at 34 kg.

versus

2007 1 GB smart card.  Starting at $9 and weighing in at a...well a uh...a few grams maybe?

Eh...if this isn't the most striking example of the law of accelerating returns I don't know what is.

More info:

http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/storage/storage_3380.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_3380#IBM_3380

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:IBM3380DiskDriveModule.agr.jpg

Hat tip: http://sd4.sd-lj.si/diggit/20yago.jpg

They mock the rivet, then they do what we tell them to:

Way back in January we warned Sony that they were in danger of losing the high definition format war: HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray: it's all over.

Now they have embraced the adult film industry: [linky]

The HD DVD high-definition movie format may have the lead in the U.S. porn industry, but Japanese adult film makers have turned decisively to Blu-ray Disc, breathing new life into its bid to replace DVDs as the disc of choice for home movies.

Sony Corp. has started offering more technical support to the adult film industry in Japan, movie makers said at the Adult Treasure Expo 2007 in Chiba, Japan, and the problem of finding companies to mass produce their movies appears to be over.

This is a very interesting development. We here at techRivet.com officially retract our previous statement of the demise of the Blu-Ray format.

The reports of Blu-Ray's death have been greatly exaggerated.

CES 2007: HD DVD versus Blu-ray - The porn industry says HD DVD

Putting myself through the arduous trek through the floor of the adult expo I did a quick straw poll on, the virtues of HD DVD versus Blu-ray, and the answer from a dozen companies, big and small, including Pink Visual and Bangbros editor-in-chief, is going into a single direction: HD DVD is the preferred format. Period."

Much of the recent and semi-recent media technologies have been built on the shoulders - or should I say tits - of the porn industry. It can be used as one of the leading indicators for technology innovation. If the adult video industry is truly settling on HD DVD as the format du jour - er format du porn - then you at least are playing with house money at that point.

Sony is unable to learn from past mistakes.  Buy HD DVD.