Big Move in France

[Elandyll]

We already know the BDA, the association behind the Blu-Ray.

Now a group composed of 11 manufacturers (their French/European bases) have officially created a French group dedicated to promote Blu-Ray in France and Europe.

Here is the link:
http://www.france24.com/france24Publ...50555.y81tlx5r

And here is the translation (my own )

News Brief AFP (French Agency News)

Creation of an Association to promote The Blu-Ray format in France against the rival standard HD-DVD

11 actors of consumer level electronics, publishing, and video production have anounced Thursday the creation of an association to promote the Blu-Ray format as the Standard of High Definition in France, as opposed to the rival standard HD-DVD.

Amongst the members ofthe association can be found, alongside the major industries of the sector, the Japanese Sony, Panasonic and Pioneer, the South Corean Samsung and the European Philips, and for movie studios Gaumont, Columbia, Tristar, Walt Disney, Pathe or even Warner Home Video.

"Our mission is to back Blu-Ray, that is to High Definition what the DVD is to standard definition", declared Daniel-Georges Levi, president of Blu-Ray Partners France, during a press conference.

The Blu-Ray, conceived by Sony with the support of Matsushita and Sharp, is competiting with the HD-DVD of Toshiba, also backed by Microsoft, in order to become the de-facto standard for movies and other videos for these new generation DVDs in high definition.

After failing to negotiate the release of a unique standard, the two sides finally decided last year to separately launch their own products in order to let the market sort them out.

According to the estimations of Blu-Ray Partners, 600.000 French homes should be equipped with a Blu-Ray player (Stand alone Players and PS3 consoles) at the end of the year, which would represent a 90% market share of High Definition players in France.

As for Blu-Ray discs, they "already represent more than 60% of the total of high definition sales", assured Mr Levi, who is counting on a 80% market share over Christmas.

Ta-daa

Oh, and if you count Pathe + Gaumont as strong Blu backers, Canal + just going neutral after having been HD-DVD, those three are like .. what .. 90+% of French movies distribution ?