So Microsoft and Intel have announced their support for the HD DVD video disk format. This is seen as a blow to Sony and others who back the competing Blu-ray disk format.

Apple is in the Blu-ray camp, along with a host of consumer electronics companies.

Although this announcement gives the HD DVD format a big boost, the rubber really hits the road when the next generation game consoles arrive. Sony says its PS3 will have Blu-ray inside; Microsoft has not committed itself to HD DVD for the Xbox 360.

Scoble links to a 2004 post by Mark Cuban, which suggests a dark horse in this race. Cuban notes that hard drive and flash memory may be the future of HD video distribution.

He makes a good point, and his lengthy post about the future of HD is interesting reading. As capacity rises and costs drop, we should consider the possibility that future HD content could be sold on thumb drive.

Update: Why Microsoft abandoned Blu-ray.