Panasonic just introduced their new Blu-ray player, the DMP-BD50. Like we heard at the press conference, BD-Live is getting rolled out across the lineup and this unit has all the other goodies you'd expect in the latest from Panasonic: Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, PIP functionality and the Viera-link functionality for control of multiple components through a single remote. Video processing goes through the Unipher processor, a combination of chroma and deinterlacing developed by Panasonic Hollywood Laboratories. Last but not least, this player gets treated to playback of SD-based media.

Published: January 6 2008 19:15 | Last updated: January 6 2008 19:15

In Hollywood, history has a habit of repeating itself, often to the great annoyance of audiences, with plots and stories recycled and retold.

VHS triumphed over Betamax after securing enough studio backing. The victory sparked a surge in consumer spending on home video, creating a lucrative revenue stream for Hollywood.

Studio chiefs are hopeful that Warner Brothers’ decision to back Blu-ray will end the latest format war and provide fuel for their home entertainment businesses.

With DVD sales growth stalling, studios have been anxiously awaiting the emergence of another format with popular appeal.

Warner produces more DVDs than any other studio and has the largest film library in Hollywood, which is likely to make its support the deciding factor in the format war.

Its backing of Blu-ray on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas could prove the decisive move because it will give Blu-ray about 70 per cent of Hollywood’s output.

Warner joins Sony Pictures Entertainment, Walt Disney, 20th Century Fox and Metro-Goldwyn Mayer in the Blu-ray camp. Universal, Paramount and DreamWorks Animation are the studios backing HD-DVD.

Paramount and DreamWorks joined the HD-DVD camp last year after securing fee payments worth an estimated $150m from the HD-DVD camp.

Universal has been the format’s biggest champion but it was tight lipped on Sunday about its next move. It was unclear whether the studios backing HD-DVD would change sides, although it is understood that Paramount has reserved the right to switch its backing to Blu-ray.

The Warner move certainly caught the HD-DVD camp unawares and left Microsoft, Toshiba and the other companies backing the format in disarray about what to do next. The HD-DVD Promotions Group, which represents the format, said it was “discussing the potential impact of the [Warner] announcement with the other HD-DVD partner companies and evaluating next steps”.

Toshiba said in a statement that it was “quite surprised by Warner Bros’ decision to abandon HD-DVD in favour of Blu-ray, despite the fact that there are various contracts in place between our companies concerning the support of HD-DVD”.

The HD-DVD Promotional Group admitted the Warners move was a setback.

HD-DVD players are cheaper than Blu-ray devices. In the run-up to Christmas, Wal-Mart sold as many as 90,000 players in a single day after dropping the price on an early Toshiba model to $99.

But Blu-ray machines have proved more popular. Blu-ray discs outsold HD-DVDs by a ratio of two to one before Christmas and by the end of last year there were 4m Blu-ray-capable players in North America, compared with about 750,000 HD-DVD machines.

A Blu-ray spokesperson said Warner’s move would “strengthen and accelerate the adoption of Blu-ray”.

The analyst community has been in little doubt about what the Warner move means for the format war.

In a blog posting titled: “Hope you kept your HD-DVD player/disc receipts”, Rich Greenfield, an analyst with Pali Research, wrote: “We expect HD-DVD to ‘die’ a quick death”.

SAMSUNG INVITES NEWCOMERS INTO THE WORLD OF HD HOME ENTERTAINMENT WITH NEW DUO HD PLAYER Samsung's BD-UP5500 Offers the Convenience and High-Performance of Blu-ray and HD DVD Playback for First-time HD Consumers LAS VEGAS, January 6, 2008 - Samsung Electronics, a market leader and award- winning innovator in consumer electronics, introduces a new Duo HD disc player offering the ideal solution for those consumers new to the world of HD home entertainment. In addition to the Blu-ray and HD DVD playback capability found in the CES 2008 Innovation Award Honoree BD-UP5000, the next-generation BD-UP5500 is a fully functioning Blu-ray Bonus View player packaged in a slim and sleek cabinet design. Opening access to both HD formats for a wider consumer audience with this new Duo HD player, Samsung continues its commitment to developing products that make life simpler through its breadth of innovative technologies. Both the Samsung BD-UP5000 and BD-UP5500 Duo HD Players will be on display at booth #11033 during the International Consumer Electronics Show, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 7 through 10. "With the excitement surrounding the launch of the BD-UP5000 in 2007, Samsung is equally excited to offer a next generation Duo HD player that gives consumers the convenience of enjoying both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats in one single HD player," said Reid Sullivan, vice president of Digital AV marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "By supporting the latest interactivity in both formats, both Samsung Duo HD players enhance the experience of watching home movies with access to bonus content, alternative camera angles and behind-the-scenes footage." Page 2 of 3 BD-UP5500 Duo HD Player Designed to invite both novices and aficionados into a world of vivid HD picture quality, Samsung's BD-UP5500 next-generation Duo HD player brings together the streamlined playback of both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats in one easy-to-navigate device. The HDMI 1.3 connection allows for expanded color and surround sound through one cable and CEC functionality enables users to effortlessly manage an entire home theater with only one remote. For added convenience, the BD-UP5500 features an easy-to-read display and direct touch controls. With the latest BD-Java and HD DVD interactivity available, the BD-UP5500 takes movies to new heights with interactive menus, innovative picture-in-picture settings, and in-line bonus content such as alternate camera angles, behind-the-scenes footage, director commentary and actor interviews. Additionally, using the BD-UP5500's ethernet connection, users can experience a broad array of immersive viewing options with numerous movies as well as download new firmware to easily upgrade the player's capabilities. For a true, cinema-quality experience at home, the BD-UP5500 supports the latest audio decoding. With 7.1-Ch PCM, DTS-HD High Resolution and Master audio, and Dolby TrueHD Bistream output via HDMI 1.3, the BD-UP5500 accurately reproduces every delicate nuance with lifelike precision, just as the directors intended. For those consumers who still want to enjoy their existing collection of DVDs and CDs, Samsung's BD-UP5500 is also a fully-functioning DVD and CD player. The BD-UP5500's minimalist 2.3-inch slim design and simple piano-black finish makes it the perfect complement to most HDTVs and will serve as the centerpiece to any media or living room. The BD-UP5500 will be available in the second-half of 2008.