Studios snipe over DVD formats
20 Sep 2007 16:58
Top movie studios are in disagreement over new DVD formats which both deliver high quality picture and sound but which are completely incompatible with one other.Walt Disney has reportedly criticised the decision of some studios to back Toshiba's HD DVD format over Sony's Blu-Ray format, which it has exclusively committed to.
Disney's chief executive Bob Iger said he thought Blu-Ray's victory over HD DVD was a foregone conclusion and said he was disappointed by the failure of certain "entities" not to see this.
Although Mr Iger did not name names, it is believed he was speaking of Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation, both of which signed 18-month exclusivity deals to distribute next generation films on HD DVD in August.
The two Viacom-owned studios have defended their decision, insisting HD DVD is much more affordable than Blu-Ray, both in terms of DVDs and hardware, which will appeal to customers.
Meanwhile media mogul Rupert Murdoch has voiced his support for Sony's Blu-Ray format and suggested that Paramount and DreamWorks may have received a payout from Toshiba to switch to HD DVD.
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