Paramount drops Blu-Ray support

Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation announced today that they will exclusively support the HD-DVD format on a worldwide basis.

The first title to be released exclusively on HD-DVD will be Blades of Glory, followed by Transformers and Shrek the Third.

"We decided to release 'Shrek the Third' and other DreamWorks Animation titles exclusively on HD-DVD because we believe it is the best format to bring high quality home entertainment to a key segment of our audience--families," said CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.

"I believe HD-DVD is not only the affordable high quality choice for consumers, but also the smart choice for Paramount," said CEO and chairman Brad Grey.

Paramount Pictures had previously released a number of its titles on Blu-Ray. To date, DreamWorks Animation has not released any of its movies on either the Blu-Ray or HD-DVD format, although some DreamWorks films have been released on Blu-Ray.

The announcement does not include any films directed by Stephen Spielberg, as his films are not exclusive to either format.