When it comes to high-definition video discs, movie fans finally have something more to look forward to than a format battle. Three major Hollywood studios and hardware makers backing the HD-DVD format committed to releasing players and high-definition movies by the end of this year.

Toshiba, NEC, and Sanyo Electric say players for the format will be available starting as early as September this year, and Warner Home Video, Universal Pictures, and Paramount Pictures announced 89 titles that will be available on the new format at or close to its launch in the fourth quarter.

Companies supporting the rival Blu-ray Disc format announced new support for their format from Sun Microsystems, Texas Instruments, Electronic Arts, and Vivendi Universal Games. However, a launch schedule for Blu-ray Disc has not yet been defined as clearly as that for HD-DVD. Sony said earlier this week that it plans to release content on Blu-ray Disc sometime in 2006, but did not provide more specific details.

"HD-DVD is reality, Blu-ray Disc is imaginary," says Hiroshi Inada, chief research manager of NEC's Media and Information Research Laboratories.

High-definition movie titles coming this year include around 50 titles from the Warner Home Video, New Line Cinema, and HBO units of Warner Bros. These will include several new movies, including Batman Begins, Constantine, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Warner will also offer titles from the Matrix and Harry Potter series. Paramount says it will release around 20 titles, including The Manchurian Candidate and the upcoming Elizabethtown. Universal named 16 movies including Van Helsing, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Chronicles of Riddick.

"This is very encouraging," says Hisashi Yamada, chief fellow of Toshiba's digital media network division. "First we got commitment [from Hollywood] but no actual schedule. Today, they announced titles to be launched on HD-DVD."