Once the major force behind the failed HD DVD format, Toshiba may finally be launching its own Blu-ray player, according to a report in Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun.
Toshiba, which lost the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray battle in early 2008, is reportedly readying a player that will read both Blu-ray discs and DVDs and will appear in stores by year's end.
Quoting unnamed sources, Yomiuri Shimbun reported over the weekend that Toshiba had been thinking of developing yet another technology to combat Blu-ray but gave up the ghost because of the huge growing market for Blu-ray players and discs.
The company will start with play-only models but may consider a recordable Blu-ray player if market demand calls for it, the newspaper said. Toshiba's entry into the Blu-ray arena would mark the last holdout among all the major electronics manufacturers.
Toshiba fought long and hard in its two-year battle promoting HD DVD over Blu-ray, finally admitting defeat in early last year. Since then, the tech world has wondered if and when Toshiba would unveil a Blu-ray player.