“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,” Kenneth Li and Bob Tourtellotte report for Reuters.
“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,” Li and Tourtellotte report.
Full article here.
Warner Bros. press release verbatim:
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://www.warnerbros.com/
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Unfettered” for the heads up.]
Sweet! I don’t have either format yet but I much prefer Blu-ray.
This is huge news. Off the thedigitalbits.com right now…
I suppose this would be important if people were buying Blu Ray or HD-DVD discs…
The good news is at least Blu ray and HD-DVD together are outselling vinyl records…
I prefer Blu-Ray, too. But what is causing my indifference for high-def DVD content is their draconian rights management, not being confused by two choices. See http://www.hdboycott.com .
MW: “took” as in “They took our fair use rights away right before our eyes.”
@OpJ
what’s vinyl? for that matter… what’s a record?
Why do people prefer one format over they other, it’s really like saying “I prefer DVD-R to DVD+R”?
One might prefer Blu-ray because it’s in PS3, but otherwise? And both formats play VC-1 (formerly WMV-HD) so being anti-Microsoft doesn’t cut the mustard.
The real story is how much — in real US dollars — did it cost Sony (and the Blu-ray consortium) to pay Warner Bros.? Was it more or less or the same as HD-DVD crowd paid Paramount and Dreamworks to go exclusive to their format.
Current status of HD format war: the two big dual-format publishers have been paid to take sides, how does this help the consumer? Idiots!
Which studio was it that a few months ago moved to HDDVD exclusively?
I’m still not buying a HD player until this all settles out.
USofG with the first conspiracy theory about a Warner payoff! You win.. wait, turns out BluRay has been outselling HDDVD since inception at about a 3 to 1 ratio. This is a rational business decision and hopefully the confusion and flame wars can end. It’s all about the PS3, if you want to blame somebody for HDDVD’s demise, blame Microsoft for not building it into the 360. My $.02.
If you see a new Blu-ray 1.1 player output an H.264-encoded disc at 1080/24p via HDMI to a new 1080/24p LCD with 120Hz, you will become a believer.
(Check out “Ratatouille” for example, but YOU HAVE TO USE THE ABOVE SETUP EXACTLY — anything less involves degradation of the picture.)
And you will see the need for Apple to release an AppleTV or Mac mini with a Blu-ray player built-in: the best of both worlds, and the only device you would ever need hooked up to your TV. (Write to Steve!)
We’re a LONG way off from 30GB 1080p downloads, so until then it’s iTunes for rentable, disposable entertainment and Blu-ray when quality counts.
(FYI, the only player that meets the above specs in the Panasonic BD30 and the best TV is the Sony XBR4 with 120Hz. Really, anything less than this and you’re watching garbage.)
@United States of Generica
HD-DVD’s software for menus, interactivity etc is Microsoft’s exclusively. Blu-ray uses Java.
The reason I’m a Blu-ray proponent is purely mathematical: 25GB per layer is a whole lot more than 15GB. That’s higher bit rates, longer movies, more extras, and a lot easier to burn more data on consumer BD-Rs down the road.
Easy, see?
I like they way they worded their press release, they specifically said the format war was bad for business and they chose to pick the winner.
In truth, Not That Steve, Blu-ray has only been outselling HD-DVD since the PS3 got some traction, not since its inception.
Moreover, the lack of sales of dedicated Blu-ray players versus larger (but still tiny) sales of dedicated HD-DVD players meant that HD-DVD was still in the game — i.e. to many it looked like Blu-ray was format for PS3 players and HD-DVD was the format for everyone else, and the question was which would grow largest first.
What a stupid format war by two groups who should’ve buried the hatchet when they had the chance, repeating history (similar thing nearly happened with DVD) and they would both be making a heap of cash and all consumers would be buying “HD” discs in droves and they would’ve both made a huge pile of money, instead that both have sales that don’t yet outnumber (current) VHS sales. Idiots!
I prefer Blu-Ray for no other reason than that Microsoft prefers HD-DVD.
huge news for Blu-ray! I’ve had my BR player since last January and it pains me to even watch a movie on DVD. Can’t wait for the war to end!
USofG, with all due respect, according to trade publication Home Media Magazine, BluRay has outsold HDDVD discs since inception at a three to one ratio (approximately). They print the latest graphic on the front page every issue.
@ Heroin
In theory, but in reality most Blu-ray movies currently available are 25GB single layer discs, whereas all HD-DVD movies are 30GB dual layer discs. That’s lower bit-rates, shorter movies, less extras, and one can burn HD-DVD format discs (4.5GB or 9GB) on a regular DVD-R drive right now — say you want to make an HD movie disc 720p/1080i/1080p from your HDAVC camcorder and your Mac and it’s less than an hour long, you don’t need to buy a new optical burner drive and lip-biting expensive new blank media.
Both formats have their pros/cons … stupid, stupid, and easily avoidable format war. 🙁
Last post, I swear…
@ Not That Steve
“HD DVD sales outstripping Blu-ray 3:1 in Europe”
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Blu-ray is the superior format that has had more software sales than HD-DVD for over 52 weeks. This is good news. Since Apple is on the Blu-ray side I’d like to see a blu-ray drive in an apple tv and an iMac at the least.
All the Disney and pretty much all newer titles are 50GB. Check here for more movie specs: http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/reviews.html
the war is pretty much about over. With this that leave two studios backing HD-Dvd now. Universal and paramount, while Sony, Fox, WB, and Disney being the major studios. I have about 25 blu-rays and like them all. All very good movies from good studios. I tell people who are undecided to look at the movies they want to see in HD and go from there. When you really step back and look you will see going HD-DVD is not where it is. Selection, plus the size of the movies and sound you can fit on the disk is much much more. 30g on HD and 50 gb on blu ray. Not to mention the larger hardware support. I play my movies on my ps3 which has the newest 1.1 profile and it is amazing the Java really lets you do some amazing things with the menus and interactive games and such.
The main takeaway is blu-ray is clearly outselling HD-DVD, in US, Europe and Asia. Customers have made their choice which format they want, and that should be the only thing that really counts.
you have no idea what you are talking about. You must read alot of MSN Tech news about blu-ray. Cause you are lost in what Blu-ray is doing or has done for the last year worldwide.
USofG, that article cites figures by the HD group and does not include PS3 or 360 with HD add-on figures. It’s a good point that sales numbers are different throughout the world, but I go back to my original point about the PS3. Though it’s not the number one console, it’s putting BluRay players in millions of homes and only Microsoft could have battled that effectively. But.. they’re Microsoft, so they have to screw anyone who buys their stuff.
HD-DVD = Microsoft-powered
Therefore…
GO Blu-ray!!!
QED.
–mAc
YET ANOTHER case of Microsoft’s Ballmer and Gates barking up the wrong tree…
Are they trying to tell us something???
@Heroin
Actually, if you’re going to evangelize Sony, why are you sticking with LCD? My Sony SXRD LCOS is AMAZING!
LCD and plasma are so yesterday.
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Somebody has to do something.
I say shit or get off the pot!
THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!! THANK THE LORD!!!
Keep in mind also, that porn is HD-DVD. Considering that stupid amount of porn that is sold every year, I imagine the non-porn sales are substantially less than those of Blu-Ray.
Porn helped VHS win the war against Beta, but this is a different age. With the internet at our fingertips, people are much more tech-savvy than they were in the eighties.
This is going to be interesting, but both sides will fight to the death. It’s going to get brutally worse before there is a clear winner.
That said, I prefer Blu-Ray.
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@Heroin
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Garbage? Hardly. I love my new mid-level HD flat screen (by Phillips) running discs from the new Playstation 3. If this is garbage, let me live in filth.
Now, if you want to talk about real garbage, take the Motorola HD DVR provided by Time-Warner. Please. It’s like going from OS X to Windows 95! I’m just waiting to see what Jobs is going to do with AppleTV before going back to TiVo.
I have a PS3/blu-ray player, so I’m really getting a kick out of these replies.
porn is available all over the net, something not available in the ’70s.
Porn will not be a factor.
Go blu-ray, go!
Hallelujah! And a big F*CK YOU to Microsoft! Your attempt to destroy the HD optical disc has failed miserably as Blu-ray is certain to win now.
@TheConfuzed1
I don’t know if you’re joking, but my point was about 120Hz technology.
24fps x 5 = 120 = crystal clear images with no interpolation of frames
Just a matter of math.
@USoG
Backward compatibility is never an indicator of success… (just think of those 100MB “SuperDisks” that were backward compatible with… floppies!) Who cares if you can burn DVD-R discs that play on HD players? We want 25GB Blu-ray burners. And although many studios are releasing shitty single layer BD releases (just like early commercial DVDs which were primarily single layer back in the late 90s), once consumers start to demand 50GB discs from the studios that extra 20GB will make a big difference for us.
Yeah, I was at a CIrcuit City and found HD DVD to be grainy, unrefined, and nothing more than adding more pixels to the screen and information. Blu-Ray is crisp and breath taking no matter how you look at it.
BluRay for me, like other posters here if only because Micros**t is on the HDDVD side.
If this news helps to tip the balance then good.
Great news! And I really feel for all those Xbox owners who bought into HD-DVD.
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Based on a recent ad, for whatever its worth, I’ll paraphrase the ad to keep this somewhat brief, Blu_Rau is the technically superior format in terms of capacity and higher potential bit rates for a better picture..
Blu-Ray is supported by, Disney,Fox,Sony,MGM,Lionsgate, had Warner Bros, which is now exclusive to Blu-Ray, the hold outs or switchers, Universal and Paramount.. as I believe one or both Studios did release titles in Blu-Ray.
Blu-Ray’s margins are increasing, still two to one over HD-DVD, with the release of the 40GB PS3, even more people are getting Blu-Ray Players.. The cheaper HD-DVD players recently probably drove bargain hunters, but if they don’t have software to watch on them, somewhere down the road, or slews of titles are Blu-Ray only, how much did they really save if they cannot watch a plethora of titles that will be Blu-Ray only.
WB’s announcement, will hasten the demise of HD-DVD (IMHO) and the sooner the better..
I love my Blu-ray. On a 1080p Panasonic plasma, it’s breathtaking. Hooray for WB for doing the right thing.
That is too bad – especially when you consider all the Blue-Ray Plays out there suck! They take 45 seconds just to power on, and then another 2 – 3 minutes to load up the Menu – just for the ability to hit Play!
@ Not That Steve
WOW Blu-Ray was out selling HD DVD even when there was no Blu-Ray to be had. HD DVD was first to market so it obviously had greater sales.
That said Neither will have great market penetration till the Players and content come down to a reasonable price point (I picked up an HD DVD player for $99 Christmas Eve). But the movies are 1.5X to 3X the price of the same content on DVD so the movie has to be really top notch and full of special effects for me to plunk down my cash.
It’s the fact that Sony has it’s own studios, is part of the “club” and more likely to implement and enforce content protection schemes that has won over most of the studios to BR-DVD.
What this recent turn of events does is now allows Apple to go ahead and implement a BlueRay burner in the new Mac Pro’s coming out this year.
The dominoes will begin to fall.
his basically means that Hollywood is split 70/30 in favor of BR. That’s a deal-ender, especially with the majority in the computer industry (both hardware and software) and telecom industry supporting BR.
I bet you that Universal will announce BR exclusivity soon, and/or DreamWorks or Paramount will announce supporting both formats.
By the way,
My own conspiracy theory is that MS is not really interested in HD-DVD per se. I don’t think MS is interested in “any” physical media for HD content. This was their way of ensuring that NO format wins the war, so their XBOX online project would dominate the scene.
It seems to me that MS wants to dominate the online HD market, and having strong consumer interest in HD media and players would simply reduce that market’s potential.
This, by the way, is also part of the reason why Apple has not been in such a rush to include blu-ray in its computers. After all, Apple is also getting in the downloadable HD-content business too.
The difference, however, is that MS (a primarily software-focussed company) seems to have deliberately gone down this path to disrupt and confuse, because it stands to gain from the online market more than it ever would from hardware. Apple, as a primarily hardware-focussed company, stands to gain from blu-ray, but the online market would also be indirectly profitable (Apple’s profits are mainly from the hardware: iPods, AppleTV, etc., while revenue from iTS is relatively trivial). So Apple’s stance is a “wait-and-see” approach.
Just my 2.5¢
@ Too Hot!
Riiiight. So Apple is going to sit back and “wait-and-see” which format dominates.
I doubt that. If I’ve learned about Apple in the past 20 years, its that they are always ahead of the curve. Remember the CD-ROM drive? Apple was the first PC maker to make them standard. And the Superdrive? Same thing. Don’t forget that Apple dropped the floppy drive LONG before everyone else did. USB wasn’t popular until it was included on the first iMacs. Next week Apple is going to do the same thing and start including Blu-ray drives in the high-end Macs. Not exactly what you would expect from a “wait-and-see” company.
I think Apple pretty much has to show some Blu-ray support next week. Hopefully, it will include Blu-ray drives in all Macs and optional Blu-ray writers in all Macs. Furthermore, they need sofware to support writing Blu-ray video discs. I think there is an announcement scheduled for Final Cut. I hope the Blu-ray writing capability also makes it into Final Cut Express and iDVD.
I wonder if some behind-the-scenes talks with Apple regarding their Mac, Mac software and iTV plans influenced Warner to go Blu-ray only.
@ montex
To clarify, my meaning was not that they are waiting to see which format would win. Rather, would going with blu-ray in their hardware be profitable, or should they place their bets on iTS downloads.
I agree that Apple has always been ahead of the curve. It has been mostly a success story that way. I think the question is not about which format, it’s about whether any format would be relevant when the download option flourishes.
Anyway, I guess next week we’ll find out if Apple feels there is a future for HD media.
@Heroin
No, I wasn’t joking. Honestly, you’re speaking over my head a bit. I compared the three in the store, and overall, LCOS had the best picture.