Still No Winner in Sight for High-Def DVD?

While Blu-ray discs and devices continue to outsell HD DVD equipment, there's still no end in sight for the high-definition DVD wars, according to a couple of experts in the industry. The upshot for you: Expect both devices to be on sale this holiday season and for the foreseeable future thereafter. For what it's worth, I wouldn't expect a victor to emerge until holiday 2008, or even later.

The latest pronouncements come from industry analysis firm Screen Digest and even the Blu-ray Disc Association. Even the BDA says that despite sustained sales above those of the competition, the war against HD DVD has yet to be won.

It may not be winnable at all: Recent news has shown both high-def formats struggling in America, with studios criticized for choosing one camp exclusively over another in the ongoing war.

Especially curious is the possibility that once the war is over, the U.S. could end up with a different standard than Asia (leaning toward Blu-ray). If Europe sides with latecomer HD VMD, all three main media regions could standardize on different formats, a potential nightmare for distributors and content creators.

Sorry high-def folks, but I'm still not jumping in to this market to replace my (many) DVD players... Get ready for another chilly holiday season, unless someone manages to hustle out a $99 high-def player.

LINK: Blu-ray and HD DVD formats set to co-exist