Both The Digital Bits and EngadgetHD are reporting that Toshiba is formally putting the HD DVD format to bed: The electronics manufacturer is ceasing the manufacture of its players and recorders, and will stop selling the machines at the end of March.

The Bits also mentions a posting at Format War Central that demonstrates the chilling effect this weekend’s upheaval has had on the production of future HD DVD titles: It appears that the high-def mastering on Paramount’s second season of “Star Trek: The Original Series” has been suspended as a result of the upheaval. (Update: As I was putting this post together, Format War Central reported that the title has been cancelled entirely.)

EngadgetHD’s piece notes that Toshiba’s abandonment of the format appears to mean they’re scrapping the PC drives as welll, which is bound to screw up the company’s plans to put HD DVD into the majority of their 2008 laptops.

My guess is they’ll go back to standard DVD for the time being; it’d be too humiliating to use that new graphics architecture in the service of Blu-ray drives.

Universal and Paramount are expected to provide official responses very soon. Blu-ray by April, I’m thinking.