Toshiba is planning to adopt the Blu-ray format, almost 18 months after it abandoned its competing HD DVD technology, and will start selling Blu-ray compatible products this year.
The company said today it had applied for membership of the Blu-ray Disc Association and plans to develop Blu-ray Disc players and notebook PCs integrating Blu-ray drives.
The decision is a u-turn for Toshiba, which had backed the failed HD DVD format in a high-definition standards war with Sony. It dropped HD DVD in 2008 after losing the support of film studio Warner Bros Entertainment.
Members of the Blu-ray Disc Association include Apple, Dell, HP, LG Electronics, Samsung, Philips and Matsushita.