Mark Fleischmann

Bits of debris from the HD DVD explosion continue to hit the ground. Among the possible consequences are lower Blu-ray pricing and an Xbox drive--though not right away. And at least one retailer appears to be holding out a helping hand for consumers who invested in the wrong format.

Today Pioneer confirmed a previous report that it would cease making--but not marketing--plasma DTVs. Pioneer's exit from plasma manufacture adds another name to a list of casualties that already included Fujitsu, Mitsubishi, and NEC, from whom Pioneer purchased two of its plasma production lines.

How does Toshiba plan to move forward in the wake of HD DVD's demise? The company's CEO says improved DVD upconversion is among the strategies to be pursued. Here's a nugget from a Wall Street Journal interview with Atsutoshi Nishida: "If you watch standard DVDs on our players, the images are of very high quality because they include an 'upconverting' feature. And we're going to improve this even more, so that consumers won't be able to tell the difference from HD DVD images. The players would be much cheaper than Blu-ray players too."

At times over the last few years, the flat-panel revolution has appeared to erode the prestige--or at least the market share--of the best-known brands in television. However, last year saw a reversal of the trend, with the traditional brands back on top.