Sony gets backing from Warner for Blu-ray DVD format

Sony gets backing from Warner for Blu-ray DVD format

	Published : Sun, 23 Oct 2005 06:05 By : Cedric Benson Print this Story

LOS ANGELES: Sony Corporation scored a significant point in the ongoing struggle to establish new DVD formats when its Blu-ray format secured the backing of Hollywood biggie Warner Bros. . The movie company said it is releasing its high-definition movies in the Blu-ray format.

Sony is tied in a battle of wits with a consortium of electronics makers led by Toshiba Corporation, which has brought out a format called HD DVD. Warner had said it would be releasing titles in HD DVD and would support that format. Now Warner finds that the two sides have failed to agree on a unified format and hence decided to support both, which are incompatible and could cause confusion among users.

Earlier, Paramount Entertainment had decided to support Blu-ray format and said it would be releasing digital movies in both the formats. The rival firms count on the support of Hollywood's major film studios and this had been split evenly.

Toshiba in a statement announced that it is working with Warner Bros on a commercial launch of HD DVD and that it is not perturbed by Warner's support of Blu-ray. Sony has not given a clear date for the Blu-ray launch, but its PlayStation 3, which will incorporate Blu-ray, is due out in the spring.

Meanwhile, PC maker Hewlett-Packard Co. has also decided to include Blu-ray in its specifications now supported by HD-DVD. Dell and Apple too support Blu-ray, while
Intel and Microsoft have opted to back HD DVD technology.

Analysts Forrester Research had predicted that the Blu-ray format would come out top because of growing support for the technology. Blu-ray backers say the technology is more sophisticated with a greater storage capacity, while HD DVD supporters say it is due for release earlier and it will be cheaper. Besides Sony, the Blu-ray followers in the entertainment industry include Disney and Fox, while HD DVD has the backing of Universal Pictures.

While computing and entertainment industries are keen to avoid two formats, the computing industry has overcome such problems in the past by offering drives that can read different formats.