By Kim Yoo-chul Staff Reporter With the HD-DVD format falling out of the high-definition disc format battle, Blu-ray is widely expected to eventually replace the DVD platform. However, it seems very unlikely that South Korea will see the quick adoption of the advanced storage devices as the nation’s two top manufacturers ― Samsung Electronics and LG electronics ― don’t have immediate plans to accelerate their Blu-ray businesses. Samsung Electronics said Monday that it doesn’t have immediate plans to massively inject fresh capital into its five-year Blu-ray business. ``Since 2005, we have been releasing Blu-ray products but we are not considering sharpening the business for the time being despite its success in the format war,’’ a Samsung spokesperson said, adding that his company is still performing extensive market researches for further strategies. ``With the format war ending earlier than expected, Blu-ray manufacturers are unlikely to increase their investment in parts suppliers due to fears over lower profits,’’ another Samsung official said, citing a smaller market size. Like Betamax in the late 1970s, it was Hollywood that eventually decided the destiny of the HD-DVD because the success of a new format depends mostly on the content that will be available on it. Therefore, when Warner Brothers sided with the Blu-ray system in January, it was only a matter of time for the other format. Some critics say the wider penetration of IPTVs will also hamper the future of the Blu-ray business as IPTVs enable television viewers to watch high-definition programs and use high-speed Internet, while Blu-ray products charge extra for HD-level access. South Korea, a test-bed for the success of high tech gadgets, is one of the world’s most Internet-savvy countries with some 40 million of the population ― 46 million ― having access to the Internet. ``Globally, the potential market for Blu-ray discs is very lucrative. Consumers will spend $1.1 billion on HD discs this year compared with some $300 million last year. However, the business is still in its infancy due to high prices and the rapid penetration of the high-speed Internet,’’ an LG official said. ``We will keep our current wait-and-see attitude toward the sector as our company isn’t quite sure about the prospects,’’ the official added. Critics question whether Blu-ray producers will provide consumers with contents different from those provided by Digital TV. Two months ago, Toshiba lost its five-year war with Sony’s Blu-ray format, and its HD-DVD format is set to join the hardware graveyard with the likes of Betamax videotapes and Apple’s Newton handheld computer. yckim@koreatimes.co.kr