Microsoft And Amazon Team Up To Release Independent Films On HD DVD

So Blockbuster decided to select Blu-ray as their choice of which HD format to carry in their stores. The HD DVD group isn't worried, as they have inked a deal with Amazon that will likely bolster the sales of their own HD format.

Microsoft has teamed with Amazon to create the "1,000 HD DVD Indies Project" which will allow the smaller independent movie makers to have their creations distributed on HD DVD. The project will take 1,000 select indie titles and have them authored and setup for HD DVD, free of charge.

This is actually better news for the indie movie makers than it is for the HD format itself, but both groups will benefit in the end. I have always admired independent filmmakers that struggle to produce a single title that usually only gets viewed by a small fraction of the people that see the bigger titles. I'm glad to see that Microsoft and Amazon are stepping up to help out the little guys, even if they too benefit from the move.

Microsoft Signs HD DVD Pact with Amazon [via yahoonews]