Universal Goes Blu-Ray
As we reported previously, Toshiba decided to end HD-DVD so the format conflict between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD is over with Blu-Ray coming out on top. Now, with HD-DVD not an option, Universal has decided to throw its hat completely into the Blu-Ray ring and release all of its High-Def content exclusively in the format.
This announcement leaves Paramount and Dreamworks as the only major players still releasing content on HD-DVD. On switching completely to Blu-Ray, Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Home Entertainment and Universal Digital, had this to say about the company’s decision:
"While Universal values the close partnership we have shared with Toshiba, it is time to turn our focus to releasing new and catalog titles on Blu-ray. The path for widespread adoption of the next-generation platform has finally become clear. Universal will continue its aggressive efforts to broaden awareness for high-def’s unparalleled offerings in interactivity and connectivity, at an increasingly affordable price. The emergence of a single, high-definition format is cause for consumers, as well as the entire entertainment industry, to celebrate."
So, what does this mean for current and soon-to-be-released Universal titles already in the HD-DVD format? Who knows. Still, after this announcement, how soon will it be before Paramount drops HD-DVD as well? Nobody in Hollywood likes to hang out with a "loser" so I’ll bet its just a matter of days, not weeks, before we get the announcement. Of course, if we do, we’ll bring you all the details right here at ComicMix.