Netflix CEO Urges Studios to Support Both HD-DVD, Blu-Ray
Posted Tue Apr 25, 2006 at 11:21 AM PDT by
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is reaching out to all of the major Hollywood studios
in an effort to
bring an end to the high-def DVD format war.
Video Business reports that during the company's first-quarter earnings conference
call Monday, Hastings
encouraged the studios to release
their movie libraries on both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray to make consumers feel comfortable
enough to upgrade from standard DVD, or risk leaving both next-gen formats dead in the water.
"Protracted competition will hurt the adoption of high-definition DVD,"
Hastings reportedly said. "If all studios were to embrace both formats
agnostically, consumers would be more comfortable making a format decision based
on hardware pricing and features."
He also urged the studios to follow the example set by Warner Home Video and
Paramount Home Entertainment, who are supporting both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, which
Hastings called a "practical solution" to the high-def DVD stand-off.
Hastings comments come one month after Netflix announced they would offer their
customers the option of renting both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray titles. The service
added HD-DVD rentals concurrent with the format's launch last week, and is planning
to add Blu-Ray titles when its first disc titles are expected to arrive next
month from Sony.