Blockbuster favors Blu-ray DVDs to HD DVD
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Blockbuster Inc.  on Monday put  its weight behind Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray DVD format, as the No. 1  video rental chain said it would boost its inventory of the  high-definition discs to 1,700 stores by mid-July.
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Warner Bros. Entertainment said yesterday that it will release high-definition movie discs only in the Blu-ray format, rejecting the rival HD DVD format and creating another complication for consumers.
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In an escalating battle for online subscribers, Blockbuster Inc. on Wednesday undercut its smaller rival Netflix Inc. by unveiling a lower subscription fee for DVD rentals.
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES  - Time Warner Inc's   Warner Bros studio on Friday said it would exclusively release  high-definition DVDs in Sony Corp's  Blu-ray format,  dealing a big blow to Toshiba Corp's  rival HD DVD  technology.
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Blu-ray takes the lead in the battle of the high-definition DVD formats after Warner backs it.
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U.S. video rental chain Blockbuster  Inc.  on Monday said more customers prefer Sony Corp.'s  Blu-ray DVD format to its rival HD DVD, and it will expand its  inventory of the high definition discs to a total of 1,700  stores up from 250.
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Universal Pictures is among the first Hollywood studios to announce its support for HD DVD, the high-definition optical disc format backed by a coalition of technology companies led by Toshiba.
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Blockbuster Inc said on Thursday it  will raise prices for its Total Access subscription plans and  lower prices for two DVD By Mail plans in an effort to pare  losses and boost subscribers.
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Blockbuster Inc. on Monday put its weight behind Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray DVD format, as the No. 1 video rental chain said it would boost its inventory of the high-definition discs to 1,700 stores by mid-July.
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Blockbuster is raising prices for its Total Access service, which lets people rent DVDs by mail and in stores. It is also raising prices for some existing customers who use the service a lot.
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Warner Brothers is dumping HD DVD and going Blu-ray exclusively. Does this spell the end of the format war?
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Blockbuster Inc., the largest U.S.  video rental chain, on Thursday said it has offered to buy  competitor Hollywood Entertainment Corp. for about $700  million, topping Hollywood's agreement with a private buyout  firm.
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While the Xbox currently supports Toshiba's HD DVD format, a Microsoft official today said the company would consider changing over to Blu-ray if consumers want it.
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So why buy HD DVD discs then? A week after the battle with Blu-ray Disc swung further toward that rival format, Toshiba said it will promote its players on their ability to upscale standard-definition content for HDTVs.â¦
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HD DVD is gaining momentum with Hollywood studios. Several studios have announced their intentions to go with the Toshiba format, among them New Line Cinema, Paramount
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Warner Bros., the only major movie studio to release titles on both of the rival high-definition video disc formats, has decided to drop HD DVD and exclusively back Blu-ray Disc, it said Friday.The move could prove decisive in determining which of the two formats becomes the de facto DVD replacement for high-definition content. Currently, both formats are battling to secure a lead, but neither has managed to obtain a meaningful market share due to consumer indifference as a consequence of the battle. As a result, the market for high-definition movies has seen its growth stunted, and companies like Warner have lost potential sales.Warner said the decision was made in part as a response to this situation.&quot;A two-format landscape has led to consumer confusion and indifference toward high definition, which has kept the technology from reaching mass adoption and becoming the important revenue stream that it can be for the industry,&quot; said Kevin Tsujihara, president of Warner&#39;s home entertainment group in a statement.The move comes on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show, which kicks off on Monday in Las Vegas, and is sure to light a fire under the HD DVD camp, which is chiefly backed by Toshiba and also includes Paramount, Universal, HBO Video, Microsoft, and Intel. The HD DVD Promotion Group has a previously scheduled news conference on Sunday, and the rival Blu-ray Disc group is scheduled to speak the following day.Companies from both sides of the format battle are expected to show their latest players and talk up their own formats during CES.Last year&#39;s CES saw the unveiling by Warner of a hybrid disc called Total HD. The disc attempted to break the format deadlock by offering one side compatible with HD DVD and the other side compatible with Blu-ray Disc. However, the disc never made it to market, and Warner gave up on the hybrid format later in 2007.
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Blockbuster will rent high-definition DVDs only in the Blu-ray format in 1,450 stores, dealing a major blow to the rival HD DVD format.