No more HD DVD player for Microsoft Xbox 360

Microsoft says it will stop making HD DVD players for its Xbox 360 video game system after Toshiba losing the high-definition video format battle with Sony’s Blu-ray.

Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida last week estimated about 300,000 people own the Microsoft video player, sold as a separate $130 add-on for the Xbox 360.

HD DVD’s downfall began quite some time back when major Hollywood studios, including Sony Pictures, Walt Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, and Warner Bros Entertainment chose rival Blu-ray over HD DVD for distributing their high-definition content. This was followed by nearly all of USA’s major retail chains.

With Toshiba’s public withdrawal of the format, the fate of HD DVD was more or less sealed, leaving Blu-ray to dominate.

The good news is that Microsoft still continue to support and repair your player based on the standard warranty.