The HD disc format war is over - and Blu-ray has won. That's the view of Panasonic North America, given by its Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Joseph Taylor in an interview with US consumer electronics trade magazine TWICE.
Taylor also told the magazine that while the company remains committed to plasma flatscreen technology, it may well give more attention to LCD screens, as they're proving increasingly popular with consumers.
Asked about the HD format war, in which Panasonic is firmly in the Blu corner, Taylor told TWICE: "I'm giving a very politically incorrect answer. I think the battle is over. I think Blu-ray has won."
In support of this statement, he asked "Who did the content providers select? At the moment, overwhelmingly, the content providers [the movie studios] have selected Blu-ray. What [discs] are consumers buying? Almost two to one for Blu-ray.
"There may be some noise for a little while, but in the end I think Blu-ray will be the technology that wins the battle."
Panasonic is the market leader in plasma screens in the States, but Taylor said "the marketplace will decide which flat panel they prefer. We are in a unique position because we just don't just provide plasma but LCD [too]. In this unique position we can do what our customers need us to do."
Technorati Tags: Blu-ray, lcd, Panasonic, HD, format war