Warner Bros. has been impartial to the high definition format war, releasing titles in both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats. But will recent talks spark a deal to go exclusive with HD DVD?
According to an article in the LA Times, a change of loyalties from Warner Bros. may determine the outcome of the high definition race. While Warner Bros. has been releasing movies in both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats, recent talks appear to be mulling over a deal that would restrict the release of such titles as “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” exclusively to HD DVD.
This follows a surprise announcement last month from Paramount and DreamWorks to go exclusive with HD DVD for 18 months, a $150 million deal that does not include Steven Spielberg titles. The first Spielberg film to be released in high-definition, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, will be available on Sony’s Blu-ray Disc exclusively Nov. 13.
The LA Times says, “the stakes for Toshiba and Sony are enormous. The winner would probably enjoy dominance in the home video market for the next decade, notwithstanding the growing threat to plastic-boxed DVDs from movie downloads over the Internet.”
