If you own Blu Ray...You can't rent high-def Transformers from Blockbuster!!!

Steven Spielberg which will be available on all formats at the request of the director. What this means is Paramount films like the huge blockbuster Transformers and Dreamworks Shrek the Third won't be available in high definition for those who use Blu Ray. They will only be available on HD-DVD which is a huge coup for that format as both movies should end up being two of the biggest sellers of the year. From Coming Soon (via The Movie Blog)...

The companies each said that the decision to distribute exclusively in the HD DVD format resulted from an extensive evaluation of current market offerings, which confirmed the clear benefits of HD DVD, particularly its market-ready technology and lower manufacturing costs. Paramount Home Entertainment will launch its exclusive HD DVD program with the release of the blockbuster comedy hit Blades of Glory on August 28th and follow with two of the biggest grossing movies of the year Transformers and Shrek the Third. These three titles alone represent more than $1.5 billion in box office ticket sales worldwide.

This is big, big, big news and it feels like a Rocky Balboa esque come back as the format looked dead and buried a few months back. Will it be a Rocky ending as the under-dog fights and comes back well but doesn't quite make it, or will it be Rocky II and HD-DVD beats the seemingly unstoppable Blu Ray giant. The war is back on... and it's bad for all of us right now. Though it's fascinating to sit back and watch it develop.