Warner Drops HD-DVD, Fall-out Begins

Warner Drops HD-DVD, Fall-out Begins

Saturday, January 05, 2008 - by Michael Santo
Yesterday Warner Bros. announced the decision to drop HD-DVD support, opting to go Blu-ray only after May.  The HD-DVD Group issued a short, tersely worded press release in response, but that was just when the fun started.

We just got an email which stated that the HD DVD group is canceling its CES press conference; tail severely between legs over today's explosive news that Warner -- the last "undecided" studio -- was going to the other side and doing Blu-ray discs exclusively. We're not sure if that's because the HD DVD group was in 11th hour negotiations with Warner or what, but the mood at that camp has to be beyond somber right now, so it's pretty hard to thump the tub when you've just been dealt a hard losing hand. Notice posted after the break.

Update: Toshiba, masters of the HD DVD format, just issued a press release expressing their "particular disappointment" with Warner, also implying that the move to go Blu-ray exclusive is actually in breach of contract. The particularly depressing release is also posted after the break.

Update 2: Doing a little victory dance of its own, Blu-ray is touting its CES presence as "Best Booth of All Time". No, not at all puerile. Nyah.

Could not have been worse timing, with CES upcoming next week.  Spin control has to be going full speed this weekend.

Via: enGadget | News Archive | Tags: HD, DVD, HD-DVD
Comments
By on Jan 6, 2008

Unfortunate, If only sony had nothing to do with blu-ray.. what a wonderful world it would be.

By Endersothergame on Jan 6, 2008

 So now what?  I mean this can't be the end of a format just like that can it?

By jtm55 on Jan 6, 2008

 Hi All,

I don't see how. Warner Bro's leaving isn't the end all be all. 

By Super Dave on Jan 6, 2008

Endersothergame:

 So now what?  I mean this can't be the end of a format just like that can it?

 

Maybe it is! The headline in the Los Angeles Times Business section on 1-5-08: DVD Format War Appears To Be Over. I pity anyone that purchased into HD-DVD.

By Iria on Jan 6, 2008

Nah, not yet. Paramount has some blockbusters coming up, like Iron Man. It could be a slippery slope, though.

By Lev_Astov on Jan 7, 2008

Amen to that. I hate Sony's proprietary BS!

By Der Meister on Jan 7, 2008

long live Blue-Ray 

By ryan92084 on Jan 8, 2008

Der Meister:

long live Blue-Ray 

seconded

By ipod_freek on Jan 6, 2008

 Warner knows that blu-ray will soon replace DVDs as DVDs replaced CD in 2-3 years...

and people didnt even knew that that had switched over to DVDs....
 

By jipjoe on Jan 27, 2008

I read over at 1080living.com that Circuit City is dropping HD-DVD also. Man, this sucks, I just bought a player at Walmart, now it seems everyone is leaving the camp.

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