Paramount Pictures chooses HD DVD over Blu-ray

Paramount Pictures announced today that it will drop support for Sony's Blu-ray high-definition format in favor of exclusively supporting the Microsoft-backed HD DVD. The decision further complicates the race between the competing technologies.

HD DVD is better for consumers, and families will be more willing to purchase it, because of its lower price compared with Blu-ray, according to the company, which previously released movies in both formats.

The announcement affects all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films. Universal Pictures already exclusively supports HD DVD, while Warner Bros. releases movies in both HD formats.

Blu-ray still holds the lead in terms of exclusive support, however. Three of the six major film studios -- Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures and 20th Century Fox -- back Blu-ray, while two support HD DVD. In terms of discs sold, Blu-ray also leads HD DVD by a 2 to 1 margin.

Paramount's move not only deals a minor blow to Sony's disc media and movie divisions, but to the company's PlayStation 3. Consumers will likely be more reluctant to pay $499 for a gaming machine that doubles as a high-definition player, should Blu-ray fail to become the standard.

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