Toshiba drops HD DVD

So, Toshiba has finally given up on HD DVD, leaving the field open to Blu-ray.

For customers yet to hop onto the HD express, this is good news because there's no longer two competing standards to choose from.  For customers who chose Blu-ray over HD DVD, then they can pat themselves on the back for backing the winning side. 

But what about customers chose HD DVD? ... Hmmm, well, a bleaker future awaits them.  While Toshiba has announced that it will continue to make HD DVD media for HD DVD recorders, new HD DVD movies titles will probably dry up pretty quickly.

A few other things to mull over:

• Microsoft must be smarting over this, having backed HD DVD and even released HD DVD drives for the Xbox 360.  Expect announcement of an Xbox 360 Blu-ray drive any day.
• Toshiba is making no noises about backing Blu-ray.  Currently their commitment only goes as far as DVD.
• Just how open this leave the HD for Blu-ray is debatable.  Uptake is slow (although better since CES).  HD is still years from becoming mainstream.

Thoughts?  Anyone caught in this crossfire and now left with obsolete technology?