The “flipper” discs will carry Blu-ray disc content on one side and HD DVD on the other. A Warner spokeswoman said the new discs will make shopping easier for consumers and selling more convenient for retailers.
“Consumers won’t need to worry which format to get,” the spokeswoman told XBIZ. “Retailers will only need to stock one package and it will free up shelf space.”
However, THD’s ultimate success may be dependent upon its acceptance by other studios. At press time, the only studios officially supporting THD are New Line Entertainment and HBO, partners within Time Warner.
“We have clearly made a significant and successful effort to make the content producing community aware of the benefits of THD and we assume they are evaluating it,” the Warner spokeswoman said.
Final replication costs have not yet been determined, but the spokeswoman assures the authoring and preparation costs will be the same as they are now. Both the Blu-ray and HD DVD sides of the THD disc will have high-capacity storage capabilities.
