Time Warner’s Warner Bros. movie studio announced today that they will no longer produce films in HD DVD format from June 2008 and that they will become Blu-ray exclusive. With this move, Blu-ray will own 70% of the high definition market share, basically putting the nail in the coffin for Toshiba’s HD DVD.
“Warner Bros.’ move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want," stated Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. "The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. 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."
Since Warner Bros. controls 18%-20% of DVD sales in the United States, this should lead to quite the bump in eventual Blu-ray sales. "Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience," said Kevin Tsujihara, President, of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.
Blu-ray exclusive studios now include:
– Sony Pictures (MGM, Columbia, Tristar)
– Disney (Pixar, Buena Vista, Miramax)
– 20th Century Fox
– Warner Bros. (New Line Cinema)
– Lion Gate Films
Stay tuned for more information.
Update: Apologies, we left out that Warner will continue to release HD DVD titles until the end of May 2008, after which it will become Blu-ray exclusive.