The high definition format battle is over. Toshiba announced today that it will stop manufacturing HD DVD players leaving rival format Blu-ray the unopposed standard.

Following weeks of speculation on the future of the beleaguered format, a Toshiba spokesman said: "It will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders."

HD DVD had been suffering from a lack of content. Major US film studios backed the Blu-ray format which has been developed by Sony.

Toshiba will continue to supply retailers with machines until the end of March this year - although demand is expected to be small.

The Japanese manufacture said it is also committed to stockpiling HD DVD recording discs for those who own HD DVD recorders.

The Blu-ray win means consumers no longer have to choose between rival incompatible formats. HD DVD has become a 21st century equivalent of Betamax - Sony's videotape technology that lost out to VHS in the 1980s.