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Zoolander
05-01-2008, 03:16
Warner Bros. Entertainment To Release Its High-Definition DVD Titles Exclusively In The Blu-ray Disc Format Beginning Later This Year

(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 (http://www2.warnerbros.com/corpcomm/)

:laugh:

Stella Artois
05-01-2008, 04:30
HD-DVD will prevail, you watch.

Sony reportedly paid them $400m as some sort of sweetener.

zeemeister
05-01-2008, 08:30
Yay for Blu-ray.
I cant believe how nasty this fight has become. Even Michael Bay refused to make the Transformers sequel due to the Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks Animation deal with Microsoft. He was adamant that working with Blu-ray was better and microsoft were trying to buy over the market.

beetwee
05-01-2008, 08:59
:no: Fuckin' wankers they are.
We goin' back in time for 25 years now when we had Beta and VHS.:realmad:
"What cosumers want" it's all about the money with those lyin' cunts.:huh:

:calmdown:

:erm:

Zoolander
05-01-2008, 09:21
To be fair it's not gonna help anyone having 2 formats. I just hope Blu-ray wins as I've backed it. :laugh:

beetwee
05-01-2008, 09:27
Same here;)

Sully
05-01-2008, 10:48
I have both :smug:

Jonny2J
05-01-2008, 11:53
Porn will decide.

zeemeister
05-01-2008, 13:12
^^amen to that.
If blu ray doesn't prevail as the leading format....the PS3 is fucked.

beetwee
05-01-2008, 13:28
Porn will decide.:D

Stella Artois
05-01-2008, 17:36
Porn will decide.

No chance.

It's not like it was.

Viperized
05-01-2008, 18:05
HD-DVD is doomed.

FutebolArte
05-01-2008, 18:10
man with internet.. I don't think porn is a big factor as the Cocaine driven 80's where people were forced to get there porn from sources that weren't computer.... people are forgetting that most porn comes from internet now.... and it doesn't matter.... it's kinda like mp3 v wma... or whatever... you'll download them, then decide what you want to do with it, be it blu ray o HD or something else completely..


the only factor is the cost and a blu ray DVD-R is WAAAAY more expensive than a HD-DVD-R... which for the distributors would be a plus

Lorenzinho
05-01-2008, 18:39
That's utter shite. I really hope that this exclusivity does not happen.

Means I'll have to buy a fucking Blu-Ray player. Well I was considering buying a PS3 at SOME point in the future anyway, so I suppose that could solve things.

Original?
05-01-2008, 19:01
That's utter shite. I really hope that this exclusivity does not happen.

Means I'll have to buy a fucking Blu-Ray player. Well I was considering buying a PS3 at SOME point in the future anyway, so I suppose that could solve things.

Then maybe you'll think twice about complaining about PS3s? :tongue:

Blu-ray has the vital support it needs, HD-DVD is currently the underdog for me despite the cost issue, however I'm uncertain that either will completely fall.

Don Sweey
05-01-2008, 19:16
If there's ever an outright winner, it'll be Blu-Ray unfortunately. I'd love to see HD-DVD prevail though and not just because I hate Apple and would dance on their financial grave if they were ever to collapse.

Stella Artois
05-01-2008, 19:25
If there's ever an outright winner, it'll be Blu-Ray unfortunately. I'd love to see HD-DVD prevail though and not just because I hate Apple and would dance on their financial grave if they were ever to collapse.

I remember reading about it on another forum, and it's definitely not as clear-cut as some think. There's every chance that HD-DVD could prevail.

Original?
05-01-2008, 20:21
I remember reading about it on another forum, and it's definitely not as clear-cut as some think. There's every chance that HD-DVD could prevail.

No it's not, however there's little chance of Blu-ray failing with Disney and the PS3, if there will be an outright winner the chances are it will be Blu-ray. 'If' being the operative word.

Zoolander
05-01-2008, 20:24
Plus they have 70% of the market share.

zeemeister
05-01-2008, 22:31
I don't think HD DVD will survive this with so little backing.

Zoolander
06-01-2008, 00:38
Warner Brothers' subsidiary New Line Cinema has followed suit.

zeemeister
06-01-2008, 12:38
Ouch.
Toshiba (HD DVD) postponed the CES Conference in L.A. following the news of Warner Bros Blu-ray deal.
Apparently they need to re-evaluate the situation.

Me thinks the end of the format war has begun.

Lorenzinho
06-01-2008, 20:28
Oh it appears so. Blu-Ray player here I come/PS3 this Christmas.

Don Sweey
16-02-2008, 01:37
HD DVD is on the ropes - Wal-Mart have announced that they will be Blu-Ray exclusive in June and Best Buy have already stated that their sales staff will recommend Blu-Ray over HD DVD to customers.

Jesus
16-02-2008, 03:58
If I were to buy a player in the near future, I'd rather invest on a player that can read both.

Miggy
16-02-2008, 07:24
I read somewhere that Toshiba may give up on HD DVD. Don't know how much truth is in it and I'll try find the link. To be honest they're really up against it as everyone seems to be ditching them.

http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSL1627196120080216

Tha tha tha that's all folks.

greenegg
20-02-2008, 13:08
Porn will decide.

I remember VHS and Betamax. VHS only won the battle because they would allow Porn and Betamax wouldn't :laugh: