Warner Bros use Blu-ray

January 4, 2008 - After nearly a year of intense speculation, Warner Bros. this afternoon officially announced their complete support for the Blu-ray format.

"The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger," stated Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO of Warner Bros. "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."

The company will continue to release its titles in both standard DVD format and Blu-ray. After a short window following their standard DVD and Blu-ray releases, all new titles will continue to be released in HD DVD until the end of May 2008. Following that date, it is believed that all high-def titles will be released in Blu-ray format exclusively.

"Warner Bros. has produced in both high-definition formats in an effort to provide consumer choice, foster mainstream adoption and drive down hardware prices," said Jeff Bewkes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Time Warner Inc., the parent company of Warner Bros. Entertainment. "Today's decision by Warner Bros. to distribute in a single format comes at the right time and is the best decision both for consumers and Time Warner."

With Paramount, DreamWorks and Universal still firmly in the HD DVD camp, this announcement doesn't yet represent a definitive deathblow, but it does hold significant ramifications for the HD DVD format. Stay tuned to IGN DVD for more information and perspective as it develops!

source : www.ign.com