I'm surprised there isn't more discussion about the impending death of HD-DVD here...
Anyway, I don't think you will see cheap BR players from Toshiba anytime soon. First, they were heavily subsidizing HD-DVD players (ie: selling them below cost) in order to get people to convert to HD-DVD. If HD-DVD had succeeded, Toshiba would have made back the money it's losing now because it's one of the HD-DVD patent holders (ie: royalties). Second, considering they put so much money in HD-DVD and still have loads of useless stock to clear, it'll take them some time to recover financially, probably.
But I'm glad the war has been won (regardless of whom) as having one format is just a lot better for consumer confidence in HD video formats. The old
"I'm going to hold off buying a HD player because of the format confusion" argument no longer applies.
Personally I'm happy BR won, as I have a PS3, so I can play the "winning format". Now I only have to wait (and not worry) for movies like
The Hunt for Red October or all of Star Trek to be released on BD
