Major consumer electronic brands rushed to manufacture their latest and greatest product in China. With dreams of low cost and high retail price producing boundless bounty of profits. So the major brands produced just about every component in China.
Well, the Chinese it seems did not care for things like trade secrets. Everything got leaked leaked leaked and those spunky Chinese manufacturers absorbed everything, including those privy to the trade and manufacturing secrets. That's how you got those obscure Chinses brands of DVD with more features than major brands, except quality, at 50 bucks.
And *puff !* goes the major brand's heady profits.
The majors learnt their lesson so, unfortunately, we will not be getting $50 Blu-ray players soon. Even if HD-DVD didn't fail.
