Netflix, the world’s largest online DVD rental service, announced they’ve dropped HD-DVD support and will only support the release of Blu-ray movies. The company cited the move was based on several major movie companies move to support Blu-ray, including Warner Bros., Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox and Sony.
In addition, Netflix cited the recent dip in sales of HD DVDs to have attributed to the move, which may be the contrary to a recent report that HD DVD sales have rebounded.
Ted Sarandos, COO for Netflix, said, "We’re now at the point where the industry can pursue the migration to a single format, bring clarity to the consumer and accelerate the adoption of high-def. Going forward, we expect that all of the studios will publish in the Blu-ray format and that the price points of high-def DVD players will come down significantly.
From the Netflix perspective, focusing on one format will enable us to create the best experience for subscribers who want high- definition to be an important part of how they enjoy our service."
Now that the world’s largest online DVD rental service only supports one high-definition DVD format, this may be one of HD DVD’s last gasps for air. Only two of the major movie companies remain supporters of HD DVD – Universal Studios and Paramount Entertainment.
