HD Format War

Yet another shoe has dropped in the ongoing hi-def format war between Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD (which, at this point, means there's a pile of footwear approaching Imelda Marcos proportions lying around... and a growing need for air freshener), with Warner Bros. Entertainment and its associated labels (Warner Home Video, New Line, HBO) announcing that they are dropping their format neutrality and going Blu-ray exclusive, joining the ranks of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Lionsgate. Warner was the last major studio to remain format neutral, after Paramount/Dreamworks threw its lot in with the HD DVD camp last summer. Warner will continue to ship titles in both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats through May, after which, all new hi-def releases will be exclusively Blu-ray.

Market analysts say that, in terms of content, Blu-ray maintains about a 2-to-1 sales advantage over HD DVD. The installed base of players in the United States, including set-top boxes and hi-def capable gaming consoles, is estimated at 2.7 million to 750,000 in Blu-ray's favor, despite a lower average cost for HD DVD hardware.

So... for those of you who haven't been paying attention, here's how the sides stack up now, among the major content providers:

Blu-ray Disc: Disney, Fox, Lionsgate, Sony, Warner

HD DVD: Paramount/Dreamworks, Universal

Neutral: ...

Source: David Anderson

Thanks to David for being insightful and informative as always.