NEWS - Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Universal Studios Backs Out of Blu-Ray
Universal Studios has decided not to release movies within the Blu-Ray format, according to a spokeswoman representing the Blu-Ray Disc Association. In an email sent to PC Magazine, a spokeswoman said that Universal had withdrawn its earlier support for the format. A PC Magazine reporter had requested supporting documents when researching a previous story documenting imprecisions in surveys released to bolster the Blu-Ray and competing HD-DVD format, although that request was not actually referenced in the email. "This spring, you received materials explaining the advantages of the Blu-ray format for optical discs," the spokeswoman said. "Those materials explained that, to date, over 108 movie and music titles were scheduled for release in Blu-ray Disc and listed the studios behind those releases. "Unfortunately, in the graphics accompanying that text, a few titles from Universal Studios were depicted," the email continued. "Although the Blu-ray format has many advantages over competing technologies and has the support of numerous studios including Disney, Fox, Sony Pictures, MGM, Lions Gate, Paramount and Warner, Universal has decided not to release titles in this format. We will let you know when and if that changes, along with other updates about how well the Blu-ray format has been accepted."Source: http://www.pcmag.com
