It seems certain now that HD-DVD won't be launched in the United States until next year. This would appear to be because of a lack of coordination between partners handling the hardware and software. However, the format will be available in Japan this year as originally planned. Toshiba had planned to launch HD-DVD this year and gain an advantage over rival format Blu-Ray, but that advantage is now lost.

"The timing for the U.S. market is just a matter of finalizing discussions with all of our partners, the retailers, the studios, and the replication houses so that we can go out there with all the pieces in place and have as much impact as we possibly can," Mark Knox, advisor to HD-DVD promotion division at Toshiba.