Warner-Home-Video
HD DVD: Stumbling out of the Gate
Warner Home Video, the only studio which had a firm release date for any HD DVD titles — March 28 — has now told retailers that the date isn't so firm after all. Worse yet, they really aren't sure when they're gonna release those titles.
"To be honest, the outlook is tenuous — we're still coming out with an initial slate, but we may be a week or two later; we just don't know," division president Ron Sanders said.
Translation: don't look for any HD-DVD movies before Easter, or maybe even Memorial Day. Fourth of July? Meanwhile, the big mass market retailers are reportedly canceling pre-orders and changing ad campaigns to compensate for the lack of product. And no other studios had even announced actual release dates. Even without the format wars, this would be a less than auspicious beginning.
Meanwhile, Toshiba, the only manufacturer to even make the players right now (though LG just announced their dual player), is going to be all dressed up with nowhere to go.
And nowhere seems to be where the format is headed right now.
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Filed Under: HD DVD/Blu-Ray Tagged With: Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, LG, Toshiba, Warner-Home-Video