Wow,
that was fast. Warner Bros has confirmed that they will be backing Blu-ray exclusively. According to their press release, the decision
was primarily due to strong consumer preference for the format.
In response to consumer demand, Warner Bros. Entertainment
will release its high-definition DVD titles exclusively in the Blu-ray disc format beginning later this year, it was announced today by
Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. and Kevin Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.
“Warner Bros.’
move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give
consumers what they want,” said Meyer. “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, consumers.”
There is some good news for HD DVD fans. Warner Bros plans to
continue to release new titles on HD DVD until the end of May 2008. Full details can be found here.
