FRED MANTEGHIAN BLOG

Just before CES 2008, just two days before the HD DVD Promotion Group's press conference, Warner Home Video announced they would end their "format neutrality" by issuing Blu-ray discs exclusively. Releases already slated to come out in both formats would continue to do so through May 2008. After that, not so much.

What's interesting is how others have reacted to Warner's strategic shift. The first thing the HD DVD Promo Group did is cancel their press event. I wonder what happens to all the goody bags?

Next, Warner Home Entertainment President Kevin Tsujihara followed with a conference call where he clarified that HBO and New Line, WHV subsidiaries both, were not covered by the main Warner announcement and that they were free to do what they thought best. Within a few hours, New Line, at least, thought it best to fall in line and go Blu-ray exclusively as well. As for HBO, no word yet, but I'd expect Meatballs to get Blu-Balls as well.

And what about Universal? Well their first act (of desperation) seems to be laying the blame for inclusion of the NC-17 HD DVD release of Ang Lee's film Lust, Caution in the announcement of the February DVD release to a "clerical mistake."

Riiiight!

Oh, and what about the Blu-ray fanboy websites? Well, let's just say, they're getting their jollies. Reading their condescending, smarmy reactions is right up there with drinking the lemon bleach your Doctor prescribes before a colonoscopy.

So if I were a bettin' man, I'd say my Toshiba XA-2 will be relegated to being a great upconverting DVD player. Which, fortunately, it is.

Oh, and yeah, I always knew . . .