page_title: HD DVD
section_title: Launch
hierarchical_section_title: HD DVD / History / Launch
caption_attribution_description: The HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360 video game console, allowing for playback of HD DVD movies on the Xbox 360. The add-on was released in November 2006 at $199, coming with a remote and a copy of the film King Kong on HD DVD. After the failure and discontinuation of the HD DVD format in 2008, remaining stock was liquidated and sold for deep discounts at stores.
context_page_description: HD DVD is a discontinued, obsolete high-density optical disc format for storing data and playback of high-definition video. Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format.
  On February 19, 2008, after a protracted format war with rival Blu-ray, Toshiba abandoned the format, announcing it would no longer manufacture HD DVD players and drives. The HD DVD Promotion Group was dissolved on March 28, 2008.
  The HD DVD physical disc specifications were used as the basis for the China Blue High-definition Disc formerly called CH-DVD.
  Because all variants except 3× DVD and HD REC employed a blue laser with a shorter wavelength, HD DVD stored about 3.2 times as much data per layer as its predecessor.
context_section_description: On March 31, 2006, Toshiba released their first consumer-based HD DVD player in Japan at ¥110,000 (US$934). HD DVD was released in the United States on April 18, 2006, with players priced at $499 and $799.
  The first HD DVD titles were released on April 18, 2006. They were The Last Samurai, Million Dollar Baby, and The Phantom of the Opera by Warner Home Video and Serenity by Universal Studios. The first independent HD film released on HD DVD was One Six Right.
caption: In November 2006, Microsoft released an HD DVD player for their Xbox 360 game console for $199.  It came packaged with King Kong and could only play movies.
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