[ktown]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/produc...s-blu-ray_N.htm


Warner Bros. will back only Blu-ray

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES2008-01-04 20:22:49 GMT (Reuters) (Reuters) — Time Warner's Warner Bros. studio Friday said it would exclusively release high-definition DVDs in Sony Corp's Blu-ray format, dealing a big blow to Toshiba Corp's rival HD DVD technology.

Warner Bros, Hollywood's biggest seller of DVDs, representing about 18 to 20% of sales in the United States, was one of the few studios that backed both formats.

All sides of the format war had agreed it was confusing to consumers and a stumbling block for a potential multibillion-dollar industry.

Total DVD unit sales fell 4.5% in 2007, the first major year-over-year decline since the disc format debuted in 1997, according to Adams Media Research. Sales fell 4.8% to $15.7 billion.

"The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers," Warner Bros Chairman and Chief Executive Barry Meyer said in a statement.

News Corp's 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney, and Lionsgate are among studios backing the Blu-ray format. Viacom's Paramount studios and General Electric's NBC Universal release movies in HD DVD format.

Warner said it would continue releasing in the HD DVD format until the end of May, although those releases would follow the standard DVD and Blu-ray releases.

(Reporting by Kenneth Li in New York and Bob Tourtellotte in Los Angeles, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)


credit: dvdtalk

[apparition]

i thought warner bros had some total hd disc thing going on, with bluray and hd on disc or something like that? what ever happened to that?

i, myself, will still wait til the dust settles before i jump into this HD thing...

[MUGETSU]

go Blu Ray!!!

has my vote!

[speedlimitER]

Toshiba was shocked by this news haha,
this is a bad news for consumers, and I don't think Sony will reduce their price
http://www.engadgethd.com/tag/breaking+news/

[boka]

what a turn-around, last thing i heard was blu-ray was almost dead and 95% of the blu-ray sales figures were actually PS3 games

[IMAJynXed1]

the nails are starting to get hammer on the HD DVD camp...New Lines is also going exclusive to bluray becuz they are a subsdairy of Time Warner, as well as other companies...

the HDDVD camp cancelled there show at the CES, theyre pretty much scrambling to get something going, but there pretty much a dead horse...

[CK92842]

That's what I get for being an early adopter. I need to get rid of the few HD-DVDs while I still have time and my A35 player.

[speedlimitER]

That's what I get for being an early adopter. I need to get rid of the few HD-DVDs while I still have time and my A35 player.

yeah, it's better if you can sell your HD DVD as soon as possible.
It's sad for people who already bought HD players in the middle of the war

[vyl10]

I'm glad. The pictures are amazing. I just wish they would come out with some more classics.

[res0nate]

This means one word: BATMAN.

Not that I mind since I have a standalone BD and a combo drive for PC.

Last time I checked, it was 3:1 BD over HD when it comes to movies.

edit - Paramount and Universal plan on leaving HD soon.

[IMAJynXed1]

yea those 2 are the only ones still with hddvd...right now they both are saying they are sticking to HDDVD...

rumour is Paramount had a clause in their deal with HDDVD that if TW/WB goes bluray they can back out of the exclusive deal with HDVD and go exclusive bluyray or at least release for both formats...Universal on the other is kind of up in the air, becuz the guy whos in charged of the HD department at Universal is also co-president of HD DVD Promotional Group...so theyre kinda stuck.

both of these companies should just cut theirs losses with HDDVD becuz its a dead format.