Sony plans up to 100 Blu-ray video titles in 2007

Las Vegas, Jan 9: Sony Corp. said it would release up to 100 movie titles on the high-definition Blu-ray video disc standard this year, as it pits its next-generation DVD format against rival HD DVD.

Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. video unit plans to release a similar number of Blu-ray titles, while independent studio Lionsgate Entertainment said it would offer 40 to 50 such videos.

HD DVD proponents, however, said on Sunday their format was growing at breakneck speed and projected HD DVD movie title sales would exceed 0 million in North America for 2007.

Both formats offer many times the capacity of current generation DVDs, giving them enough capacity to hold a full-length movie in high-definition formats. Each is supported by a different group of manufacturers and movie studios.

Sony supports Blu-ray and Toshiba Corp. supports HD DVD.

Mike Dunn, president worldwide of Fox Home Entertainment, projected that by the end of the first quarter of 2007, Blu-ray would outsell HD DVD by 3.5 to 1. ''At that point it gets difficult for retailers to commit to HD DVD,'' he said.

REUTERS