Movie Studios Support HD-DVD Format

Viacom's Paramount and DreamWorks Animation have announced they will exclusively back the HD-DVD format for the release of HD movies on optical disc.
The move came at a time when it appeared the rival Blu-ray format was pulling ahead in the race. Blu-ray titles have been outselling HD-DVD releases for the last few months. Blockbuster recently announced it would carry Blu-ray titles exclusively. Major retailers like Target are also stocking only Blu-ray players.
Until last week's announcement, Paramount released titles in both HD-DVD and Blu-ray. DreamWorks Animation has yet to release a movie in either format.
Paramount and DreamWorks Animation together will receive about $150 million in financial incentives for their commitment to HD-DVD, two unidentified Viacom executives with knowledge of the deal told the 'New York Times'.
The incentives include a combination of cash and promotional guarantees. Toshiba, for example, will use the release of 'Shrek the Third' as part of an HD-DVD marketing campaign, the newspaper reported.
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