Warner Brothers Backs Sony’s Blu-Ray, and HD DVD Format

By Kyodo News International, Tokyo

Oct. 21–TOKYO — Sony Corp. said Friday that U.S. film studio Warner Brothers Entertainment Inc. now supports the Blu-ray next-generation DVD format of a group of companies led by Sony, in addition to backing the competing HD DVD format.

Warner Brothers, which previously supported only the HD DVD format promoted by Toshiba Corp. and other companies, has offered to provide movies in the Blu-ray format as well, Sony said.

Earlier this month, Paramount Pictures also expressed support for the Blu-ray format in addition to the HD (high definition) DVD system.

Now, five of the six major Hollywood studios, representing some 80 percent of the Hollywood studio content, are ready to release Blu-ray format DVDs, Sony said. Universal Pictures supports only the HD DVD format.

Toshiba said it understands that Warner Brothers and Paramount Pictures will release movies in the HD DVD format as well.

Toshiba plans to launch a HD DVD player in Japan this year in cooperation with some 10 Japanese movies companies which are releasing 35 titles in the HD DVD format.

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