HD DVD Spring/Early Summer Releases

[McBain]

Press release:

HD DVD Studios Confirm Spring and Early Summer Schedules for New Releases, Catalog Titles and Concert Videos

Title line-up and strategic hardware price reductions reinforce strength of HD DVD format

LOS ANGELES, March 28 -- The top studios backing HD DVD, including Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Warner Home Video, Paramount Home Entertainment, The Weinstein Company, Genius Products, and Eagle Rock Entertainment today announced more than 70 specific titles and release windows through July 2007. With movie titles like Smokin' Aces, The Complete Matrix Trilogy, and DreamGirls, HD DVD continues to deliver on promises made to fans of high definition. Additional titles for the remainder of 2007 will be announced this summer.

With attach rates that still far exceed other high definition formats, HD DVD movies continue to sell briskly at retail to a growing consumer base. The 2007 title line-up from the core HD DVD studios, combined with a strong HD DVD title and hardware presence in North America, Europe and Asia, showcases the format's global appeal and unmatched technology features. Effective April 1st, Toshiba is implementing strategic retail price reductions on its full line of HD DVD players for the U.S. market. The entry level HD-A2 will have a suggested retail price of $399.99; and the new HD-A20, with 1080p output, will be introduced at $499 (available in stores in April). The top of the line HD- XA2 was already repositioned to $799.99 on March 1st.

"The spring is ramping up well for HD DVD, with an incredible list of movies and the best priced hardware on the market," said Ken Graffeo, executive vice president, HD Strategic Marketing, Universal Studios Home Entertainment. "Our consumer base continues to buy movies at rates that outpace DVD in its early years, which shows the willingness of consumers to make the transition to high definition."

"HD DVD continues to perform exceptionally well for Warner Home Video, and we see this continuing as more titles from the HD DVD studios roll out and more hardware hits the market," said Steve Nickerson, senior vice president of market management for Warner Home Video. "Fans of high definition have a lot more to choose from with the release of long-awaited blockbusters like The Complete Matrix Trilogy on HD DVD."

"As hardware prices continue to fall, this is a great time to experience HD DVD," said Chris Saito, vice president, marketing, Paramount Home Entertainment. "Our HD DVD line-up for Spring and Summer 2007 has something for every audience, with hits ranging from Dreamgirls to Flags of Our Fathers."

From the six studios, the following schedules were released:

March

-- Children of Men
-- Happy Feet
-- March of the Penguins
-- National Geographic: Relentless Enemies

April

-- Good Shepherd (C) (day & date)
-- Smokin' Aces (C) (day & date)
-- Payback: Straight, The Director's Cut
-- A Scanner Darkly
-- Dog Day Afternoon
-- School for Scoundrels
-- The Game
-- The Jerk
-- Feast
-- Freedom Writers (day & date)
-- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
-- Nutty Professor
-- Failure to Launch

May

-- The Ultimate Matrix Collection
-- The Complete Matrix Trilogy
-- Dreamgirls (day & date)
-- 40-Year Old Virgin Unrated
-- Flags of Our Fathers: Special Collector's Edition
-- The Hitcher (C) (day & date)
-- Mission: Impossible
-- Mission: Impossible 2
-- Black Christmas (2006)
-- Harsh Times
-- The Battle of the Bulge
-- The Road Warrior
-- The Fountain
-- Smokey & the Bandit
-- Alpha Dog (C) (day & date)
-- The Skeleton Key
-- The River
-- Midnight Run
-- The Frighteners
-- Dragonheart
-- The Big Lebowski
-- Lost in Translation

June

-- Bruce Almighty
-- Liar Liar
-- Coming To America
-- Born on the 4th of July
-- Daylight
-- The Meaning of Life
-- Freedom: Vol.1
-- Yes Live in Montreux
-- Santana: Hymns for Peace
-- Deep Purple: They all Came Down to Montreux
-- Sneakers
-- Trading Places
-- Meet Joe Black
-- Being John Malkovich
-- Mystery Men
-- American Me
-- The Watcher
-- Bulletproof
-- Mallrats
-- July
-- Shaun of the Dead
-- Billy Madison
-- Cat in the Hat
-- The Untouchables
-- The Warriors
-- Dante's Peak
-- The War
-- The Wedding Date
-- The Bourne Identity
-- In Good Company
-- Streets of Fire
-- Nutty Professor 2
-- Scent of a Woman
-- Darkman
-- Sea of Love
-- Deliver Us From Eva

(C) Denotes combo disc format with an HD version and a standard DVD version on the same disc

About HD DVD
HD DVD is the next generation, post-DVD standard for high capacity, high definition optical discs, approved by the DVD Forum, which develops and defines DVD formats. Its more than 220 strong membership brings together leaders in movies and entertainment, computing, consumer electronics and software. HD DVD is fast becoming the primary visual medium for the age of high-definition TV. The North American HD DVD Promotional Group, Inc. is an organization established to promote the HD DVD format and educate consumers in North America. For more information and a complete listing of HD DVD launch titles please visit http://www.TheLookAndSoundOfPerfect.com.