HD DVD Regroups at CES After Blu-ray Woos Warner Bros.

January 06, 2008, 06:13 PM EST

In the wake of Warner Bros.' announcement, the HD DVD Promotion Group, chaired by Toshiba, canceled a CES press event scheduled for Sunday night. "We are currently discussing the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluating next steps," the group said in its cancellation notice. "We believe the consumer continues to benefit from HD DVD's commitment to quality and affordability -- a bar that is critical for the mainstream success of any format."

Warner Bros.' decision to release its high-definition DVD titles exclusively in Blu-ray gives the format a decided edge in the ongoing battle between the two standards that many liken to the VHS vs. Betamax video tape war that raged in the 1980s. The studio said it will continue to release high-def titles in both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats until the end of May, 2008, after which Blu-ray gets the nod.

Warner Bros. joins a variety of movie studios that have already committed to Blu-ray, which is spearheaded by Sony, including 20th Century Fox, MGM, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Walt Disney, among others. Toshiba is the primary home electronics company backing HD DVD and is joined by studios such as Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures.

All of this back and forth has left many home integrators and their customers on the sidelines, waiting for one format to emerge victorious before investing in high-def equipment and DVD titles.

Luckily, for those that don't want to wait, LG Electronics is on-hand at the event showcasing its recently launched LG Super Blu Player Model BH200, which supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats. The combo player is available now for a retail price of roughly $800.

Jennifer Follett

Jennifer Follett is the Executive Editor for CRN where she has been covering the IT solution provider channel for 20 years. She currently oversees CRN magazine and CRN.com, the website for the industry’s leading channel publication. She can be reached at jfollett@thechannelcompany.com.