It has been rumoured for a while, bit Toshiba finally confirmed this morning that it is joining the Blu-ray Disc Association. Applying for membership means that it can now take its place alongside Sony, Philips et al as makers of Blu-ray players and drives for PCs.

Toshiba said: "In light of recent growth in digital devices supporting the Blu-ray format, combined with market demand from consumers and retailers alike, Toshiba has decided to join the BDA."

For Tosh this involves in chomping on a rather large pile of humble pie. It invented and developed Blu-ray's competitor HD-DVD format which for a while actually outsold its rival.

Of course there is an argument that says this is too little too late and that discs of any variety are doomed.

Aware that the Blu-ray market still hasn't really taken off, Warner Bros are getting a little desperate, and they're waving an olive branch of peace at people who bought HD-DVDs. They're going to let people mail the original box art for any HD-DVDs that they bought and swap them for the same title on Blu-ray.

It's not quite free, they're charging $4.95 per disc for the service, plus $6.95 shipping, but it's still much cheaper than buying all the new discs yourself. It might even be worth scanning the local bargain bins for the old HD-DVDs to send off, then flog the replacements you get sent. You won't be able to make a mint, though. It's limited to 25 swaps per household.

(via Den of Geek and @stuart_coles)

These are some of the delightful new Sky+ boxes that Sky is unleashing onto the world in three days' time. Four designers have jazzed up the traditional box, Henry Holland, PPQ, Erdem and Julie Verhoeven.

Personally speaking, I think the green one, from Erdem, floats my boat. I'm sure, however, that my girlfriend would be quite partial to the black and white cat design from PPQ. They come with matching remotes, and will cost £75-£100. Credit crunch or not, it's important that your Sky+ box matches your living room, right?

Sky+ HD Designer Box collection 2008

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The old, very old, boring and no doubt entirely untrue "Blu-ray Xbox 360" rumour surfaced over the weekend - and has already been SHOT DOWN by Microsoft. Again. We are stuck in a time loop where every week we write this very same news.

Gadgety blog TechCrunch started it all by running a news piece - or some might say HIGHLY IRRESPONSIBLE LIE - stating that Microsoft is planning to announce a Blu-ray Xbox 360 tonight. As in, today. This evening. June 9, 2008.

Microsoft has already denied having anything to do with Blu-ray, with boss dude Robbie Bach speaking to some American paper over the weekend and answering the following question about the next generation of Xbox:

AMERICAN PAPER: So no plans for Blu-ray in the next generation Xbox?

ROBBIE FROM MICROSOFT: No. There is nothing to even talk about right now with regard to the next generation. That is so far out that there isn't anything to talk about.

Robbie also generally dissed Blu-ray, using the phrase "I am not going to pay extra for that" when comparing Blu-ray to DVD. A Blu-ray Xbox 360 is not going to happen, no matter how much you wish...

The battle for the discs may have been lost but Toshiba is not about to give up on the HD war so easily.

According to an insider, who is probably being dragged out and shot as we speak, Toshiba is set to release a DVD upscaler which to those uninitiated is a DVD player capable of boosting the output of a normal, standard definition DVD disc to a 1080p, Blu-ray challenging hi-def. Eat that Sony.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen! Because YOU demanded it! The return of the rumour you LOVE to read! The one, the only, the sensational, the UNSTOPPABLE Blu-ray Xbox 360 rumour! Back once again for a record breaking 12th consecutive week!

The latest news of the existence of a Blu-ray-packing Xbox 360 came from a Taiwanese news site which stated, in a rather matter-of-fact fashion, that Microsoft has placed an order with Pegatron Technology, a division of Asustek, for a batch of Blu-360s.

HOWEVER! As is usual when reporting this rumour every week, Microsoft soon stepped in to deny it - "As we have stated, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360" an MS drone told Gamepro.

So, there you have it. An Xbox 360 Blu-ray player is being manufactured as we speak, yet Microsoft has no plans to ever sell it. What an awesome business plan.

(Via Gamepro and Xboxer)

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Taiwanese newsy blog Digi Times is 100% sure Microsoft's in the final stages of readying a Blu-ray version of Xbox 360, with local manufacturer Lite-On apparently ready to hit the big red button and start its machines pumping out Blu-ray drives for Microsoft.

Digi Times also went off on a wild speculation rampage, saying that MS would clearly have to sell any possible Blu-ray-packing Xbox 360 at a loss, thanks to the relatively high cost of those special little blue lasers.

That's some mighty brave talking from Digi Times, especially as Microsoft has said numerous times that it's not doing a Blu-ray drive, either as a standalone unit or built into a future Xbox 360. The lines have been drawn! Someone's going to end up looking a bit silly on the internet over this...

(Via Digi Times)

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