Sony Targets International Market with HD DVDs

BERLIN/CULVER CITY, August 31: Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment (SPHE) announced today plans to roll out its Blu-ray Disc (BD)
titles beyond North America, beginning this fall.

The rollout will begin in the fall, coinciding with the
first availability of Blu-ray hardware in Europe and the Asia Pacific.
International markets targeted for BD rollout include Australia, Japan, Korea,
France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland, the Nordic countries, Spain and the
U.K.

“We stand behind the superiority of Blu-ray as the
preeminent high-definition optical disc format and are committed to delivering
a strong slate of Blu-ray titles to entertainment enthusiasts worldwide,"
said David Bishop, the president of SPHE.

SPHE's first slate of BD titles is set to launch in October
and includes Hitch, The
Exorcism of Emily Rose, RV, The Fifth Element, Hostel,
A Knight's Tale, S.W.A.T., Tears of the Sun, Underworld Evolution and Ultraviolet, among others.

"With the explosive growth of high-definition displays
in the international marketplace, the timely introduction of the Blu-ray Disc
format will provide consumers with significant amounts of content, of unrivaled
quality, to maximize the potential of their high-definition entertainment
systems.”