DVD was almost another format war.
The idea of the DVD format began with the CD. As early as 1993, companies were working on a CD format that could hold more data, referred to as a "high density CD." Over time, the high-density CD formats evolved into two competing standards: MMCD and SD.
As with previous format developments, different companies lined up behind each of the competing formats. Sony, Philips and other corporations backed the MMCD format, while Toshiba, Time Warner, Matsushita and other companies backed SD. IBM led a group of computer companies that lobbied for a single format, and the DVD format was standardized in 1995.