Blu-ray snags Warner Bros exclusive

The high definition disc format war just took a dramatic turn, as Warner Bros announced it would exclusively support Blu-ray. This is a significant blow for rival HD DVD as Warner is the single biggest DVD producer, selling from 18 to 20 percent of all US home movie sales.

Warner has been making high-def discs for both formats, but says it will only continue releasing discs in the HD DVD format until the end of May. We won’t hold our breath for an I Am Legend HD DVD release date.

Rumors are circulating the web of “promotional consideration” payoffs to Warner, but it would be irresponsible to repeat them here as there is no evidence to support them. The only explanation we can offer at this time comes from the words of Warner Bros. Chairman & CEO Barry Meyer, who said it was:

“…a strategic decision focused on the long term and most direct way to give consumers what they want. 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 the consumers.” 

Coming out of the Christmas season, it looked like the format war could go either way. Affordable Toshiba HD DVD players (HD-A2) sold for as low as $98 and gave the format a much-needed sales spike. Coming soon after Paramount crossed over from Blu-ray to become HD DVD exclusive, it looked like Toshiba’s format was building some momentum. But a major player like Warner siding with Blu-ray could be the deciding factor in the format war.

The HD DVD format won’t be the same after May, without Warner’s releases. The company’s movies are among the best selling, including titles like 300, winner of High-Def Title of the Year (Blu-ray) and recipient of an award for Best Special Features (HD DVD) at the High-Def 2.0 Conference. Ironically, Warner’s Batman Begins has long been on the must-have disc list for HD DVD fans, but has yet to be released on Blu-ray. Now it looks like HD DVD will never see Warner’s upcoming sequel The Dark Knight.