I read an article yesterday which claimed that Warner was looking to drop one of its high-definition formats depending on which performs better this Christmas, Blu-Ray or HD-DVD (currently Warner is one of the few studios that supports both formats). I already had the Blade Runner box set pre-ordered, and upon reading this I added Corpse Bride and The Shining to the list.

The PlayStation3 has Blu-Ray built-in, and uses the format for games and movies. The Xbox 360, conversely, has an HD-DVD player available as an add-on and ships games on DVD. Experience would suggest that the PS3 will help push Blu-Ray over the holidays, especially with the recent price cut, and it also comes with a free movie in Europe, Japan and the US. The PS2 was credited with pushing DVD into millions of households when it launched, but DVD had nothing to compete against. It could still go either way, and digital downloads are waiting in the wings to cause mischief, but I don’t see downloading high-def films working in this country with our appalling broadband.

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