HOLLYWOOD’s biggest seller of DVDs, Warner Brothers, handed Sony a major victory on Friday in the long-running fight over the next generation of high-definition movies.

Warner’s decision to back Sony’s Blu-ray high-definition DVD is a significant blow to the rival HD DVD format developed by Toshiba. Experts say it could tip the balance in the long-running battle for supremacy between the two technologies.

Warner accounts for some 20% of DVD sales in America and was one of the few studios that had backed both formats. It said that, from later this year, it would use only Sony’s process.

It joins Fox, owned by Sunday Times parent News Corporation, Lionsgate and Walt Disney in backing the Blu-ray format.

HD DVD is backed by Microsoft, Viacom’s Paramount studios and General Electric’s NBC Universal. Some technology analysts say Microsoft may say later this week that it will include a player in future versions of its X-box games console.

Sales of new high-definition DVD players have remained slow despite falling prices.

Retailers have blamed confusion over the two new formats. Total DVD unit sales fell 4.5% in 2007, the first major year-on-year decline since the disc format made its debut in 1997, according to Adams Media Research. Only about 1m of the high-definition DVD players have so far been sold.

“The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass-market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and, most importantly, consumers,” Barry Meyer, Warner Bros chairman and chief executive, said in a statement.

Toshiba said it was “quite surprised” by the move. The decision came “despite the fact that there are various contracts in place between our companies concerning the support of HD DVD”, it said in a statement.

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