KevoM won't like this, as this is essentially the real beginning of the end of what has been a nasty video format war from the last few years, being Blu-ray VS HD DVD:
(January 4, 2008 – Burbank, CA) – 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.”
Source: link
Other reports (including reports on New Line): link link
I have said it before, time again and again that Blu-ray is, and always has been the superior high-definition video disc format of the two formats, and now Warner Bros. have made the smart decision to support that superior format exclusively, which now leaves no major studios supporting both, and only Universal and Paramount/Dreamworks remain on the HD DUD side (let's hope they have get-out clauses in their contracts with Toshiba, M$, and the HD DVD Promotional Group).
And, as a result of this announcement, something really amusing came about after that: link link
The HD DVD group has basically lost all ground now, and are almost saying "It's over".
What is the point?
Here in the UK - one can purchase machines which will play both HDDVD and Bluray - so what is the problem?
On a similiar note: My current (upscale) DVD Phillips recorder (stand alone as part of my televisual set up) reads and records on both DVD-R and DVD+R media.
Besides, the argument is academic until true HD recorders and their discs become home affordable. Until then I am quite happy with SKY HD.
Finally, in a few years, all this technology will be obsolete anyway, as manufacturers find even more formats to sell me 'Queen's Greatest Hits/Flix' yet again!