It’s VHS vs. Beta all over again as competing next-generation DVD formats Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD duke it our for marketplace supremacy. HD DVD gained some ground this week as Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG announced that they will release Shrek The Third and all other catalog and upcoming toon features on the format, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The decision covers all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films.
The previous home video battle was decided when the inferior VHS beat the higher-quality Beta video tape format to the marketplace. However, Blu-ray and HD DVD have emerged simultaneously, causing confusion as consumers consider updating their new entertainment systems. Manufacturers may have to produce units that play both formats since studios are divided over the matter. Sony Pictures, for instance, has decided to release the blockbuster Spider-Man 3 only on Blu-ray, while Universal Pictures dedicates The Bourne Ultimatum exclusively to HD DVD.
Sony’s animated feature Surf’s Up will be distributed on Blu-ray on Oct. 8, and FUNimation seems set on using the format to put out its upcoming releases. Meanwhile, other majors including Warner Home Video, which recently rolled out the animated feature A Scanner Darkly on both formats, are hedging their bets by straddling the fence and letting consumers decide.
