Warner Bros. to back Blu-ray Disc exclusively

Warner said it would continue releasing in the HD-DVD format until the end of May

Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. studio on Friday said it would exclusively release high-definition DVDs in Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray format, dealing a big blow to Toshiba Corp.'s rival HD-DVD technology.

Warner Bros., Hollywood's biggest seller of DVDs, representing about 18 to 20% of sales in the U.S., was one of the few studios that backed both formats.

All sides of the format war had agreed it was confusing to consumers and a stumbling block for a potential multibillion-dollar industry.

Total DVD unit sales fell 4.5% in 2007, the first major year-over-year decline since the disc format debuted in 1997, according to Adams Media Research. Sales fell 4.8% to $15.7 billion.

"The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers," Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Barry Meyer said in a statement.

News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Co. and Lionsgate are among studios backing the Blu-ray format. Viacom Inc.'s Paramount studios and General Electric's NBC Universal release movies in HD-DVD format.

Warner said it would continue releasing in the HD-DVD format until the end of May, although those releases would follow the standard DVD and Blu-ray releases.