from Warner Bros. for next week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), but it looks
like the company couldn't wait. Here's what the WB's official press release has
to say:
(January 4, 2008 – Burbank, CA) – In response to consumer
demand, Warner Bros. Entertainment will release its high-definition DVD titles
exclusively in the Blu-ray disc format beginning later this year, it was
announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. and Kevin
Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group... Warner Home
Video will continue to release its titles in 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. (Read the full press release here.)
We'd hinted to this sort of announcement a few days ago in
our HD in '08
guess-a-rama, though we certainly didn't predict WB's choice. If you didn't
know, Warner Bros. Entertainment was the only major Hollywood studio releasing
films in both HD DVD and Blu-ray up until now, with some films (The Matrix
Trilogy, Batman Begins) being HD DVD-only. Granted, HD DVD fans have
a few more months to scoop up WB movies in their format, but this is a huge
coup for Blu-ray fans. Of course, the announcement may finally answer the
question that high-def fans have been asking for years: Where is the Lord of
the Rings Trilogy?
Follow me here: New Line Cinema released the LotR films, and
the company is closely linked to Warner Bros. Entertainment--they're both part
of the Time Warner umbrella, and WB distributes NLC films. In other words, it's
not a 100% guarantee yet, but you can safely bet that "the precious"
will soon go Blu (and if it does, we'll let you know).
While the Blu-ray camps cheer and celebrate over the news,
don't assume that HD DVD is taking the news lightly. Expect the format to make
its own waves at next week’s CES. --Sam
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