Warner Bros. Goes Blu-ray Exclusive

[Raptor]

From 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.

[DJAd]

controversial.

[evilsatan]

Was about to post this, should be getting a Blu-ray laptop but still would rather sony lose the war

[marcode]

http://www.digital-forums.com/showpo...3&postcount=51

controversial indeed.

[EvilBoB]

I cannot believe Warner have ditched HDDVD to be honest. There are a lot of consumers out there (myself included) that own a HDDVD player. I'm not buying into Sony so from now on I'll be downloading my movies instead of handing cash over and buying them... gutted!

[Mario87]

I really dont care who wins! as long as there is a winner soon! cos all this format war crap is getting boring now!

[{{909}}]

yup, I agree Herman, sooner one is killed off the better. Actually buying anything is another matter altogether with downloads so easy.
I'd probably buy some of my all time favorites, but ive been saying that since I bought a DVD player and only ever bought a few.

If the 'ultimate' Xbox360 was ever going to happen, I wonder how this would effect it, assuming that this does have a big impact on the death of HD DVD. I cant see MS integrating a BD player into the 360!

[Lighty]

I'll just use my dual format LG Player so no worries

[greens117]

Fuck me didn't these wanker's learn from the betamax year's no one gives a fuck in the end why didn't they just combine the technology and come up with something they where happy with instead off alienating customer's at the high end of the market like they always do all the fucking time fuck them i say im gonna make my own high def its
called getting out and making my own movie's :O
Second thoughts fuck that !!!
hurry up wanker's and let us know who win's the nob war lol

[B B Leo]

wish it would hurry up. even tring to rent a movie at the minute is bad. a half a dozen titles in the shop, just like vhs - dvd change over. take ages

[greens117]

thinking about it and that takes a long time for me lol didn't phillps come up with the idea of dvd and other compnys bit the bullet after a while thinking about it BEFORE DVD CAME OUT!!!!!! fuck me hd owner's should sue the arse off erm someone lol well i made my point kinda lol

[EvilBoB]

I have a Toshiba HDDVD player and a load of movies - and I'm happy with it. Not gonna sell the player and now I'll be able to pick up all the HD movies I don't own for a couple of quid awesome!

[Thrush]

KO!
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01...o_drop_hd_dvd/

Bye Bye!

[liveseytowers]

Oh dear, i didn't really want sony to win because HDDVD players are fair cheap but its better that its only going to be one format. I'll still download all these nice bluray rips that have started to appear instead though

[ant3b]

blu-ray will go cheap once its mainstream.. seems blu-ray will win, other companies like paramount and dreamworks are thinking of swapping over now aswell. a clause in there contract or something if warner goes they can.

[{{909}}]

Richer sounds were selling a BD player for 199 at the weekend which is a great price really, obviously not as cheap as the HD players in America, but affordable.
I don't really have much interest in a stand alone player anymore though, I want something with the ability to play tv rips and so forth as well as proper movies.

[EvilBoB]

other companies like paramount and dreamworks are thinking of swapping over now aswell. a clause in there contract or something if warner goes they can.

I have seen nothing in the press to officially substantiate this. Both companies would never release a statement until they had made the move so until then this is a rumor.

Someone happened to mention that there may have been such a clause (although the contracts are closely guarded secrets anyway so I doubt anyone knows this for sure) and it was picked up by all the bitching and moaning (from both sides of the fence) and is everywhere on the internet now as fact.

[EvilBoB]

From the page on reg :

Paramount is understood to have a clause in its contract with the HD DVD camp that would allow it to switch sides in the event of Warner backing Blu-ray.

I have a contract in my work that says I can leave my company with a months notice... doesn't mean I'm going to do it

That said I think at this point it would be a wise decision for them as HD has had such bad press over the last few days I can't see it continuing in any great strength. I wonder how Toshiba will try and convince people to buy HDDVD now

[{{909}}]

maybe they should build a stupidly priced console and include HD DVD in it......

[ant3b]

ok mate i was only speculating... ill try and find the statement i found mate