In the latest in this "what format will Paramount support" saga, it has emerged that the company plans to support BOTH HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc. This makes the company the first major content provider to publicly support both formats. With the two competing high-definition video disc systems preparing for commercial launch, things are hotting up like never before in this next generation DVD format war.

Paramount was one of the first major content providers to back HD-DVD, a format developed by Toshiba Corp. and NEC Corp. and backed by the DVD Forum. Other major backers include Warner Home Video, New Line Cinema, HBO, Universal Pictures and Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. Last week both Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. announced support for HD-DVD.
Up until now, all major content providers and equipment makers have either gone one way or another on this – either HD-DVD or Blu-ray Disc, but not both. Paramount must be pretty uncertain of the way that the future will go if they are prepared to formally back both formats. In the end, its still pretty unclear which format will win, but the move to Blu-Ray format, rather than exclusively HD-DVD by Paramount certainly has Toshiba worried.