GameDaily: Backing a single format in the high-definition video format war could lead to U.S. studios missing out on millions of dollars from the global market over the next few years.A report published on Monday by entertainment research firm Screen Digest says that Hollywood studios that opt to support only one format could miss out on as much as €193 million in the U.S. and Western Europe in 2008 alone.
Screen Digest says that, while Blu-ray Disc is selling more units than rival HD DVD at the moment, “in the longer term, both formats will establish a viable installed base, allowing them to co-exist for the foreseeable future.”
It means customers will be looking for titles to watch in either format instead of having to buy a different player. The research predicts that, given the potential loss of earnings, everything points to “several single-format studios” reassessing that position during the next year.
Blu-ray-exclusive studios Sony, Fox and Disney could miss out on €125 million in consumer spending by not publishing their films on HD DVD, though Blu-ray’s stronger sales mean that HD DVD-only supporters are at risk of making the largest individual losses, the report says.
The research seems to fly in the face of the recent decision by both Paramount and DreamWorks to support HD DVD exclusively.
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