Warner Bros. says it fulfilled obligations to Toshiba, HD DVD
299885
BetaNews spoke with Warner Bros. President Ron Sanders about the studio's decision to go Blu-ray and a potential lawsuit from Toshiba.
269606
Company expands its offerings by providing DRM-free music from Warner Music Group.
37756
The high-definition DVD format war  has not been won, at least not in the minds of the retailers.  Last week, Time Warner Inc's  Warner Bros studio said it  would exclusively release high-definition DVDs in Blu-ray  format instead of Toshiba Corp's  competing HD DVD  technology.
22499
Toshiba will discontinue its HD DVD products, it said Tuesday, handing victory to rival high definition disc format Blu-ray Disc.The company will no longer develop, manufacture, and market HD DVD players and recorders.It will reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail markets and aims to cease the businesses altogether by the end of March.But the Japanese electronics giant pledged to provide full product support and after-sales service for owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.Recent changes in the market prompted the decision, Toshiba said. Early this year,&#160;Warner Bros. said it would stop issuing movies on HD DVD&#160;in the coming months and rely exclusively on Blu-ray Disc. The Hollywood studio was one of three major studios remaining in the HD DVD camp, and its defection created widespread belief that the battle between HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc was now over.More recently, major U.S. retail chain&#160;Wal-Mart announced it would phase out the sale of HD DVD products, moving to exclusivity with Blu-ray Disc. Electronics retailer Best Buy also said it would back Blu-ray Disc, but it did not say it would stop offering HD DVD.Warner made its decision based on consumer confusion and indifference to high definition movies, an indifference that cost Hollywood in lost revenue, it said. Wal-Mart said U.S. customers preferred Blu-ray Disc movies and hardware. Blu-ray Disc is the high definition disc format championed by Sony.&quot;This once again shows why incompatible and mutually exclusive formats should be avoided at all cost by the industry,&quot; said Carl Gressum, a senior analyst at Ovum. &quot;It reduces profitability and delays customer adoption.&quot;&quot;The big question is, however, the impacts on Toshiba as an electronics company,&quot; he added. &quot;It has after all bet its disc media business on HD DVD, as well as gone for HD DVD integration into some of its laptop PCs. The channel has inventory to clear, and demands from owners of HD DVD players.&quot;Toshiba said its decision came after careful analysis of the long-term impact of continuing the format war, and said a swift decision was called for to help the high definition market develop.The company also pledged to remain a player in the high definition market. Developing HD DVD created many assets for Toshiba and its partners, which include Microsoft, Intel, HP, and Universal Studios, the company said. Toshiba plans to work with these companies to seek future business opportunities.&#160;&#160;
382122
Technology that allows content-protected movies to be downloaded and burned to DVDs received official approval.
228514
General Electric Co's   Universal Pictures, one of a few studios using the Toshiba  Corp-backed (6502.T) HD DVD format, said on Tuesday it will  switch to the rival Blu-ray format now that Toshiba has  officially pulled the plug on HD DVD.
133945
Toshiba Corp. (6502.T: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday said it had won support for the HD DVD optical disc standard from four Hollywood studios, advancing
79865
Despite Warner Bros. set back, the HD DVD maker vows to renew its efforts marketing the hi-def video players.
630861
In the wake of Toshiba's  formal surrender in the next-generation DVD format war,  Universal Studios Home Entertainment said Tuesday that it will  begin releasing titles on Blu-ray Disc.
66190
A licensing agreement currently in the final stages of negotiation may provide consumers with the right to legally make copies of HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc movies they've purchased. Such an arrangement would address a primary concern of DRM critics, who argue that consumers deserve the right to create backups without being accused of piracy.
168105
November 29, 2004 - After months of momentum for Blu-ray, HD-DVD has shot back with a big gain - studio support. Toshiba Corp., which has been developing the HD-DVD format, announced it has lined up Warner Bros.
97182
The backers of Blu-ray discs predict victory in the format wars with HD DVD after Warner Bros backed them.
436567
Toshiba Corp (6502.T) said on Sunday  its HD DVD high-definition video format is not dead despite  being dealt a big setback by Warner Bros studio's decision to  exclusively back Sony Corp's (6758.T) rival Blu-ray technology.
677642
TOKYO: Toshiba said on Monday it had won support for the HD DVD optical disc standard from Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros.
5234
TOKYO --(Business Wire)-- Nov. 29, 2004 -- Toshiba Corporation disclosed today that the company has received separate commitments of support from Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, New Line Cinema, and Warner Bros.
387400
Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Studios will be using the new 30 GB DVD disc format, created by the DVD Forum, an international group of hardware and software companies and content providers.
26491
The biggest hardware backer of the HD DVD format responds to Warner Bros. recent decision to back Blu-ray exclusively.