Off-Topic: Disney joins format wars with Blu-ray plan
Upping the ante in the battle for the new generation of DVDs, Disney is
to become the first Hollywood studio to provide original,
high-definition content in the Blu-ray format.
The company will
produce a series of short films, entitled Blu-Scape, which will be shot
in high-definition. They will be directed by Louis Schwartzberg, whose
previous work includes America's Heart and Soul, a feature-length
snapshot of US society.
The shorts will accompany nine movies
Disney is expected to release on Blu-ray DVDs this autumn, such as
Glory Road, a basketball drama, and Eight Below, a story of survival
set in the Antarctic. Disney says the shorts will be "inspired" by
these films.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney's decision is a critical
step in establishing Blu-ray as the DVD format film fans will have to
buy in the future. In recent years, Toshiba and Sony have been battling
each other to impose their own versions - Toshiba with HD-DVD and Sony
with Blu-ray.
The
rivalry is heated because big money is at stake. In the US alone, it is
expected that consumers will spend $10bn (£5.4bn) on new generation
DVDs by 2010. The battle is reminiscent of the 1980s showdown between
VHS and Betamax to become the standard videotape format - which ended
with VHS's overwhelming market dominance. Disney's expected
announcement will make it the fourth studio to announce DVD releases on
Blu-ray, tipping the scale in favour of the format. The HD-DVD has so
far three backers.
Guardian Staff & agencies
July 18, 2006
Source:
Guardian Unlimited