Toshiba has just reneged on their promise to release HD DVD this year.

Senior Vice President Yoshihide Fujii said today. "We have been discussing with content holders the most effective way to launch in the U.S. market, and it will probably be in February or March,"

Earlier in the year including at CES Toshiba, the primary force behind HD DVD had promised that the first HD DVD player would hit store shelves in North America by Q4 2005.  However due to considerable logistical hurdles such a release wouldn't be as widespread as Toshiba would like.  So instead of releasing the technology peicemeil they're delaying until Febuary or March when they can make a wide scale launch of the new optical media.  Hey, it's just as well.  Better to wait and get a proper release than a half arsed one before its time.

Toshiba's HD DVD is the primary competitor to Blu Ray developed by Sony.  The new players were going to compete next year with HD DVD getting a slight head start.  But now it looks like they'll be released at about the same time.

BTW:  In case you're wondeing what this image of a blonde chick on a beach has to do with this story, just thought I'd let you know not a damned thing.  It's a stock image I have from a different story.  She shore is purdy though, isn't she?