CDRLabs.com

According to the LA Times, Warner is considering an offer to support HD DVD exclusively.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-d ... &cset=true

The brinkmanship is intensifying. Another major studio, Warner Bros., is being courted by both camps and believed to be mulling over a lucrative offer that could bring such popular titles as "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" into the HD DVD camp, according to Hollywood insiders who requested anonymity because the talks were confidential.

They also report that Walmart is thinking about dropping HD DVD from their stores in favor of Blu-ray.

What's more, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the dominant seller of DVDs, has been contemplating whether to boot stand-alone HD DVD players from its shelves in favor of Blu-ray. Wal-Mart executives would not talk about the company's conversations with suppliers, but said it would continue to carry hardware and software in both formats until consumers indicate a clear preference.

single page link:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-dvdwar10sep10,1,6243328,full.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

I suspect both are pure speculation and rumour. Warner is probably the only company making any money from HiDef right now, and it's purely because of their dual format strategy. They'd be insane to change their plans right now, and they certainly couldn't be bought for only $150 million.

I would disagree. I would bet that most companies are making money from their High Def releases, at least HD DVD companies...

First Look studios recently released their first high def title "The Contract" on HD DVD. They later confirmed that they were very pleased by the release and definitely made money on the HD DVD version. With that title that probably didn't sell many units being profitable, I'm sure other high def releases are even more profitable.

About the LATimes article, the word on the net is that this LATimes reporter is printing old news and that the Warner HD DVD exclusivity offers were occurring at the same time that the Paramount HD DVD exclusivity talks were in progress. Warner then stated that they refused any type of exclusivity and reaffirmed their dual format stance. So it doesn't appear that Warner will go to either High Def format exclusively, but it could happen...

ah drat, old news...Warner ought to get off the fence if they want to sway this one way or the other.

vinnie97 wrote:ah drat, old news...Warner ought to get off the fence if they want to sway this one way or the other.

They're the ones telling all the other studios that neutrality is the key to making profit in the format war