And since the PS3 has still to fight versus the Xbox360, I dont see how it will not have a price drop later this year ...

The 100$ price drop and even the 40gb model has boosted the sales because gamers have started to pick up the console. For me, the 100$ price cut of Sony was done to counter the Xbox360, not to counter the sales of HD DVD player since the Br was already winning.

but I agree that more u have competition, more the price decrease.

to Onimusha12,

==> I completely agree
but if people keep cool, there will be no ban

there is some major confusion in here... the competition doesn't end because the format war has ended, it's only just begun.

don't confuse the HD DVD Forum and BDA as companies, they are groups of companies backing certain formats, they are alliances formed in order to push a particular format type. however, once te format war ends, all these allied company groups will turn on each other, Samsung will go into direct competition with Sony to sell more standalone systems, and so on. toshiba will eventually switch is considerable production muscle to Blu-ray manufacturing and suddenly we have ourselves a new war - which company will sell the most Blu-Ray players?

The format war has just delayed the onset of the adoption of a new high-definition movie era, causing confusion and fear - people do not want to spend money on a system that will be useless if the format fails. and this not only effects BD and HDDVD, it affects DVD too. for the first time since its inception DVD has seen a year on year drop in revenue. the DVD market is slowing down because people are waiting to hed a hi-def player once a winner is seen, people are worried about buying into a redundant format. why buy something today, that will be yesterdays technology tomorrow?

this is why it is in the interest of the consumer and the home electronic industry to adopt a single system sooner rather than later.

Well said.

+1 for you Scruff7

HD-DVD's best chance to fight back would be to change formats. Get a bunch of people to put programs on HD-DVDs. Take the next get computer drives.

Or find some other use where it's advantages can be used.

Just how well after VHS won Betamax found uses in the corporate setting.

noo i want all movies on one formate

HD-DVD is failing but its not going to give up for a while yet. Sadly Toshiba only gave 3 minutes of discussion in their Press Conference today.

I'm sorry madskillz, but everytime the format war is brought up, you start spreading anti-Blu-Ray FUD and lies, and I am tired of you BULLSHIT! In the standalone market, HD DVD is NOT "killing" the Blu-Ray camp. In fact, Blu-Ray standalones were outselling HD DVD standalones throughout December despite a $100 price premium! The ONLY time HD DVD standalones were outselling Blu-Ray standalones over the past six months were when they dropped to $1-200 back in November, while Blu-Ray players were still $4-500. Even then, they could only outsell BR 1.6:1 despite being less than half the price.

Just look at this slide from Toshiba's CES press conference:

Blu-Ray had 48% marketshare, HD DVD 49%, and dual format p;ayers 3%. After the $99 Wal-mart sale, Toshiba had over 60% marketshare. After Blu-Ray standalones dropped to $299, the BDA managed to gain back almost 10% marketshare. In only a month! As it is, 49% vs 48% marketshare isn't "killing" by any means.

Look at what Bill Hunt at the Digital Bits said:

The consumers have chosen Blu-Ray, despite it's higher price. Deal with it.

Sony winning the format war doesn't change the fact that the ps3 is still dead last in the console wars.  They will continue to drop the price.