HD DVD Goes Interactive, Microsoft Rallies Support for Format

As June nears, so is the official launch of the Blu-ray format. With that looming over the horizons, the HD-DVD party continues to pull out all the necessary efforts to counter the rival. Warner Home Video (WHV) continue to widen their HD-DVD movie collection with the recent announcement of their first interactive title.

WHV has been busy building their HD-DVD portfolio consistently. Movies such as The Perfect Storm, Firewall, and Constantine are already part of the growing HD-DVD portfolio and will have price tags ranging from $29-$40. If the Warner Home Videos people will continue with this kind of pace and if other publishers decide to go the HD-DVD way, then there would be a handful of titles out at the time the Blu-ray is launched.

In related stories, Microsoft is also busy promoting the HD-DVD at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference. They presented software and hardware supporters that promised a commitment to the HD-DVD format. Also, the Bill Gates camp also confirmed that the Windows Vista will be shipped with the drivers, file system and other components necessary to support HD DVD playback. The company also gave a positive progress report on the state of third-party software players, and announced a new initiative designed to help ISVs implement VC-1 and iHD, and improve HD DVD playback.

As June nears, so is the official launch of the Blu-ray format. With that looming over the horizons, the HD-DVD party continues to pull out all the necessary efforts to counter the rival. Warner Home Video (WHV) continue to widen their HD-DVD movie collection with the recent announcement of their first interactive title.

WHV has been busy building their HD-DVD portfolio consistently. Movies such as The Perfect Storm, Firewall, and Constantine are already part of the growing HD-DVD portfolio and will have price tags ranging from $29-$40. If the Warner Home Videos people will continue with this kind of pace and if other publishers decide to go the HD-DVD way, then there would be a handful of titles out at the time the Blu-ray is launched.

In related stories, Microsoft is also busy promoting the HD-DVD at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference. They presented software and hardware supporters that promised a commitment to the HD-DVD format. Also, the Bill Gates camp also confirmed that the Windows Vista will be shipped with the drivers, file system and other components necessary to support HD DVD playback. The company also gave a positive progress report on the state of third-party software players, and announced a new initiative designed to help ISVs implement VC-1 and iHD, and improve HD DVD playback.