Fox Picks Blu-ray

As the Blu-ray and HD-DVD camps continue to quietly but fruitlessly work toward an agreement for a unified next-generation DVD standard, the battle lines continue to be drawn. The 20th Century Fox film studio announced that it will release its films, TV shows, and other content in the Sony-developed Blu-ray format after compatible players begin shipping in Europe, Japan, and North America. The company joins Sony Pictures Entertainment and Disney in backing the Blu-ray format for high-definition video. The company declined to comment about whether it would also support the competing HD-DVD format. HD-DVD's Hollywood backers include Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Pictures. The battle has just begun, and we have little hope that the two sides will settle on a unified standard. As a result, consumers interested in high-definition DVD will be left confused and unhappy.