It’s official.  HD DVD is DOA.

Toshiba finally announced Tuesday what had been rumored for days—it is pulling out of the high-definition market.  Although the HD DVD system preceded Sony’s product, Blu-ray sales have steadily outpaced its competitor.

In the past few months, major studios have aligned themselves with the Sony brand.  Even though Paramount and Universal continued to offer their titles on HD DVD, it was clear the Toshiba format was being crippled.

Recent decisions made by Wal-Mart and Netflix helped drive a nail into the HD DVD coffin.  The companies announced they would no longer be making the high-def option available to its customers.

Shipments of the Toshiba systems will wrap up by March.