Have the studios tipped their hand in HD DVD?

As you may know, the move to next-generation DVD technology has been stalled by a typical industry standards dispute. The DVD Forum adopted one type of laser and recording format while the upstart Blu-Ray group led by Sony has defined a competing format (see "HD Stalled" for more details). According to a story today on the Extremetech web site, however, four major studios including Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, New Line Cinema, and Warner Brothers Studios have all committed to releasing high-def content using the DVD Forum format (see “Four Hollywood studios back HD DVD format”). But don’t expect Sony to capitulate easily. The battle is about a fortune in royalty revenue that owners of IP (intellectual property) receive when other manufacturers build products that use that IP. Sony and Philips, for instance, made a fortune on their IP that was adopted into the CD standard. And Sony will leverage both the content it gets with the MGM studio acquisition and the upcoming Playstation 3 to try and force Blu-Ray on the industry.