Toshiba made official today what essentially has been reality since Warner Bros. announced just before CES that it was opting for Sony’s (NYSE: SNE) Blu-Ray over the HD-DVD format. NYT: Toshiba CEO Atsutoshi Nishida told reporters at a news conference at Toshiba’s headquarters in Tokyo: “The sudden change by Warner Brothers was like a bolt from the blue. We had no more prospect of winning this competition.” Then came Wal-Mart’s (NYSE: WMT) decision last week.

Toshiba will halt all production by the end of March, but will offer customer support for several years. The company has no plans to produce Blu-Ray players.

• It’s Official: Toshiba Gives Up On HD DVD; To Be Out By End Of March
• A Small Consolation: Investors Thank Toshiba For Cutting Its High-Def Losses
• Toshiba To Withdraw Its HD DVD Format: Reports