Warner: We're staying with Blu-ray & HD DVD

[marzetta7]

Warner: We're Staying With HD DVD & Blu-ray

The studio's home video prez discounts reports of a switch to HD DVD only.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/warner091207.htm

Washington, D.C. (September 12, 2007) -- Warner Home Video president Ron Sanders says the studio will continue to release films on Blu-ray and HD DVD high-def discs.

At least for now.

That's according to an article by TWICE Magazine.

The Los Angeles Times reported this week that Warner has received a "lucrative" offer from HD DVD supporters to back HD DVD exclusively in the format war. Paramount last month stunned the industry by announcing that it would support HD DVD exclusively. (Four major studios back Blu-ray only.)

But Sanders tells TWICE that Warner will "remain committed to both for the time being."

"We're talking to both sides and it’s crazy right now," he said. "We’ll see how the fourth quarter plays out. The consumer is still kind of divided, and we still believe that we should offer the content in both formats. Now, we will watch the marketplace very closely, and see how it plays out, but for now we are supporting both."

Interestingly, Sanders didn't deny the premise of TWICE's question: "Have you received offers from HD DVD or Blu-ray to be exclusive with either format, as Paramount recently did with HD DVD?"

Instead, he avoided a direct answer by saying "we're talking to both sides" and that Warner will "remain committed to both for the time being."

Sanders also told TWICE that Warner will release all four Harry Potter movies on high-def disc in time for the holiday season.

Let the courting wars begin!

If Blu-ray continues to dominate in disc sales, it would be nice to see Warner make a decision backed up by consumer demand rather than the opposite from Paramount's actions.

Either way, for now, let the HD-DUD boys keep dreaming.