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DVD NEWS: Warner Brothers Goes Blu Ray Exclusive!

Written by Mikey

January 04, 2008

The Brothers Warner enter their Blue Period and go Blue Ray Exclusive in 2008.

Sciddley-doo! (Don't judge me, we say sciddley doo around my house).

Here's the press release: In response to consumer demand, Warner Bros. Entertainment will release its high-definition DVD titles exclusively in the Blu-ray disc format beginning later this year, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. and Kevin Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.

"Warner Bros" move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want, said Meyer. "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 Home Video will continue to release its titles in standard DVD format and Blu-ray. After a short window following their standard DVD and Blu-ray releases, all new titles will continue to be released in HD DVD until the end of May 2008.

"Warner Bros. has produced in both high-definition formats in an effort to provide consumer choice, foster mainstream adoption and drive down hardware prices," said Jeff Bewkes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Time Warner Inc., the parent company of Warner Bros. Entertainment. "Today's decision by Warner Bros. to distribute in a single format comes at the right time and is the best decision both for consumers and Time Warner."

"A two-format landscape has led to consumer confusion and indifference toward high definition, which has kept the technology from reaching mass adoption and becoming the important revenue stream that it can be for the industry," said Tsujihara. ?Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience. Warner Bros. has worked very closely with the Toshiba Corporation in promoting high definition media and we have enormous respect for their efforts. We look forward to working with them on other projects in the future."

So what does this mean for the HD format wars? Well it certainly doesn't look good for HD DVD at this point.

I had been looking at picking up one of those nifty LG dual format players in the new year just so I wouldn"t have to worry about it, but reading this news I'm thinking I'll just buy a PS3 and get my game and Blue Ray on at the same time.

The High Defenition Score Board:
HD-DVD: Paramount and Universal as exclusives.

Blu-ray: Disney, Fox, Sony, New Line, MGM, and now WB as exclusives

Other DVDeez Bits:
To date Blockbuster and Target only carry the Blue Ray Format.

The Adult Industry has also backed Blue Ray and as some of us old timers know it was Porn that helped kill Beta.

So is this the begining of the end of HD DVD? or just another bump in the road? Put in your two cents below.

One person has commented on this article.

No.1 The War is Over

Thank god I got a PS3 and passed on all those Wal-Mart HDDVD sales last month or it would have ended up next to my Dreamcast and Sega Saturn collecting dust.

Doug Taylor () • 2008-01-04 22:59:13