When we reported on the PSN Release Schedule leak story and the possible truth behind it, the dates and content listed were still only speculation. After recent revelations, it’s now clear that the schedule is in fact true.

The leaked European document was always potentially credible due to the correct date given to Warhawk: Operation Broken Mirror. Thanks to our very own Kelsey Hart’s digging into the Ratchet: Quest for Booty item on the list, further concrete reliability was added to the basket.

There were, however, some unlikely candidates – such as a Resistance 2 trailer, and a Lair Pack. These two have since been confirmed. The former was revealed to be making an appearance on GT:TV this Friday, and today Sony Japan provided the first details of the Lair update. The update will include the option to use much needed analogue controls, a new targeting icon, and rumble support. The release date for this update? April 17th.

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Even though the schedule lists the 15th as the date for these items, the April 17th relaunch of the Playstation Store accounts for the recalculation. Nonetheless, April 15th won’t be empty, since Playstation 3 firmware v2.30 will go live on that date – nicely slotting all the pieces together to create one hell of a Playstation Store relaunch next week.

Among other features, firmware v2.30 will include DTS-HD Master Audio output for Blu-ray videos, meaning the high-definition visuals of Blu-ray will now be matched with the highest quality audio:

DTS-HD Master Audio is literally bit-for-bit identical to the studio master recording and makes movie soundtracks and sound effects truly come to life. The technology delivers audio at the incredibly high rate of 24.5 mega-bits per second (Mbps) on Blu-ray disc, which is significantly higher than standard DVDs.

DTS-HD Master Audio also offers 7.1 audio channels at 96k sampling frequency/24 bit depths, so you’ll be totally immersed in the sound.

The firmware update will add DTS-HD High Resolution Audio as well, which is a similar output technology that requires less disc space. You can read more about both codecs here.

In regards to the new and improved Playstation Store, we can now present to you a video walk-through:

From Crackle: PlayStation Store video walkthrough

We can only hazard a guess as to what else is awaiting us next week, though we can provide a list of items when taking the validated release schedule into account: Super Stardust Pack, Lair Pack, Resistance 2 Trailer, Pain Add-on: Nigel, Dark Mist, Metal Gear Online Beta, Rock Band Song Packs, and Warhawk: Operation Broken Mirror. Oh and don’t forget, the US will be meeting Gran Turismo 5: Prologue!

Note: Although the leaked Release Schedule has been validated, all dates are subject to change. Let’s hope Playstation Home comes out before July.

*Update* -  Sony have since confirmed that the new Playstation Store will launch on April 15th, with content to follow on April 17th:

 To accompany the launch, the PLAYSTATION Store will see an exciting selection of content available from 17th April, consisting of the launch of the Metal Gear Online Premiere Beta, building up to the launch of the next chapter in one of PlayStation’s most loved franchises, Metal Gear Solid: Guns of the Patriots.

Also available will be Warhawk™: Operation Broken Mirror, a great new addition to the hugely popular Warhawk experience and Lair™: Diabolical Dragons Pack and Skyguard Upgrade pack, offering new and exciting features and functions. There will also be a collection of trailers including the latest for GTA IV, as well as a Sega Superstars tennis demo.

Toshiba have officially thrown in the HD-DVD towel, announcing today that they will no longer develop, manufacture, or market the HD-DVD format.

After rumours of the company’s withdrawal from broadcaster NHK, this outcome comes as little surprise. Though the Toshiba Corporation denied such rumours over the past couple of days, they were clearly waiting for the right time and manner with which to give the news.

Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation had this to say:

We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called ‘next-generation format war’ and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop.

While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality.

What they mean by this support for high definition content does not appear to be in support of Blu-ray (yet at least), but in the creation of high capacity NAND flash memory, small form factor hard disk drives, next generation CPUs, visual processing, and wireless and encryption technologies.

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD-DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. The company also plans to end volume production of HD-DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same time frame.

With the high-definition format war officially over, Sony’s Blu-ray format has been given free reign of the marketplace, with only downloadable HD content to hold them back. Such a conclusion to the “war” may have positive results for sales of the company’s Playstation 3, the piece of kit that ultimately put Sony ahead of their rival in HD disc sales. Ironically, Toshiba had a hand in the PS3’s CPU, the Cell – a technology that they intend to ingrate into their HDTV’s.

The smug Blu-ray Assossiaction had this to say about Toshiba’s decision:

We in the Blu-ray Disc Association are very happy that this long format war is officially over. Now the task ahead for our member companies is to promote the Blu-ray Disc format as the best way to bring premier quality high definition content into consumers’ lives.

Though Toshiba will lose a lot of money from ending their format, as well as stretching their relationship with partnered companies/studios (Microsoft, Intel, HP, Universal Studios and Paramount Studios), the potential savings made from ending the battle now rather than later, greatly outweigh the losses.

Source: Toshiba Corporation

With the proposed demise of HD-DVD, the Xbox 360’s add-on is in a worrying place. Ignoring a high-definition disc format all together and concentrating on downloadable HD content might be the most preferable direction for Microsoft, but Smart House reports that a Blu-ray add-on could already be on the way.

In fact, what Smart House actually says is that a “Blu-ray Xbox 360″ is on the way, but we’ll put that down to a misconception. Even though their Microsoft insiders claim that there is one in the works, such a move is highly unlikely at this stage.

The publication goes on to reveal that Microsoft has already configured a standalone Blu-ray player, which subject to internal marketing and sales approval, could be on sale within three months. This is unsurprising since the company has been very open with the Xbox 360’s ability to pick either format.

Michael Ephraim the Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment said:

We would welcome Microsoft to the Blu-ray stable. In fact it is quite logical for them as the PS3 has been very succesful in driving consumers to Blu-ray. In fact we believe that it has done more to win the format war than traditional Blu-ray player.

When asked whether Sony would grant Microsoft a Blu-ray licence he said: “That is up to Sony Corporate but I see no reason why they would not do it”.

This is a point. With Blu-ray supposedly being victorious, would Sony be willing to remove the advantage the Playstation 3 has against the Xbox 360? Or do they see the potential blu-ray disc sales an Xbox 360 blu-ray add-on would afford as a too tempting to ignore?

The cookie appears to have disintegrated. Toshiba, the creators of HD-DVD, are pulling out of the high definition format war to leave the road fully open for the competing Blu-ray format, as reported by broadcaster NHK this morning.

Toshiba Corp. has been struggling with its format around the world, with support for Blu-ray spreading considerably in the United States. Blu-ray’s creators Sony, Panasonic and Hitachi made considerable ground in gaining the majority support of the Hollywood movie studios when Warner Bros. decided to exclusively support the format in January.

Further blows came from Wal-Mart announcing that they would abandon the format, adding to the already negative position Toshiba had found themselves in.

The Japanese broadcaster NHK reports that the company will continue to sell HD-DVD for a short time before finally stopping any further development. Meanwhile, Toshiba has said that its HD-DVD factories in Aomori Prefecture, northern Japan, will be closed.

The company is predicted to lose millions of dollars from the failed format, which won’t have the kind of back-up plan that Sony’s Betamax format found in the 1980’s when it was taken up by television broadcasters.

Toshiba has yet to make an official comment, but we will keep you posted on any further developments.