Toshiba HD DVD
2006–2008
Regular DVDs use a red laser, but blue laser optical discs can store enough data for high-definition video. Toshiba’s HD DVD was the first blue laser product to hit the market, it had support from Microsoft and Intel, and was cheaper than Sony’s competing Blu-ray. But Sony outsmarted Toshiba with a clever trick: they included a Blu-ray player in their PlayStation gaming console that people were buying anyway! Along with this blow, Toshiba further failed to get enough support from the major film studios and retailers, and ended up losing almost €1 billion.
Additional info:
Zdnet.com - HD DVD post-mortem: why did Toshiba fail?
Engadget - Format Wars: Blu-ray vs. HD DVD