Warner may go Blu-ray exclusive?
In the U.S. last week there was a Blu-ray media event designed to tout the wonders of the BD format to the press. Mostly just the usual “Blu-ray will win the format war” stuff.
Of real interest though was a statement from Dan Silverberg, VP of high-definition media at Warner.
“One thing that may be changing is our strategy - when both formats launched and hardware prices were high, we
made a decision to support both formats and let the consumer decide.
But now that hardware pricing is affordable for both Blu-ray and HD
DVD, it appears consumers no longer want to decide - so the
notion of staying in two formats for the duration is something we are
re-evaluating now that we are in the fourth quarter.”
Losing support from Warner would be huge blow for HD-DVD. Read the full article about the “Blu-ray Festival” at homemediamagazine.com.
I feel you need correcting on this.
“Speaking with High-Def Digest, Jim Noonan, SVP of Strategic Promotion and Communication for Warner Home Entertainment Group said “I can tell you that Warner’s position has not changed, and I know that Dan did not intend to suggest that wasn’t the case. We support both formats and we have made no decision to alter that policy, nor are there any such announcements coming, or being planned.”
As for speculation that the studio is waiting for Q4 sales results before making an announcement of format exclusivity — perhaps even as soon as this January’s CES in Las Vegas — Noonan shot down any such short-term scenarios.
“Like any major company, we are always reviewing our strategies in every aspect of our business, it is what smart companies do. I can’t say what may happen five, ten years down the line. But right now, Warner Bros. has made no decision to change course. We are still onboard with both formats, and will continue [with a strong line-up of new releases and catalog titles], just as we have in the past in supporting HD DVD and Blu-ray.”