CES HD DVD will come to Europe in 2006, it has emerged. France's Studio Canal, part of the Canal Plus media combine, this week said it will ship 30 titles on the next-generation optical disc format this year.

While the announcement was made at event predominantly pitching HD DVD's US debut, Studio Canal said that its HD DVD content library would be made available in five European countries, including the UK, France and Germany.

So far, Studio Canal's statement is the only clear indication of a timeframe for the format's launch in Europe beyond the fact it will happen at some point. Had HD DVD launched in the US late 2005, a Christmas 2006 launch in Europe seemed a likely outcome. But the decision to put back the US debut to late Q1 2006 could similarly have delayed the European launch. Fortunately, that now seems not to be the case.

Studio Canal didn't say what titles it will offer out of its 5000-strong library, but it did say they will be encoded using Microsoft's VC-1 HD codec, which is also part of the Blu-ray Disc spec. ®

Related stories

A draw in the next-generation DVD war? (15 August 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08/15/dvd_war/
Fujitsu unveils world's third HD DVD laptop (11 April 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04/11/fujitsu_95sd_hd-dvd_laptop/
Warner HD DVD debut delayed (17 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/17/warner_hd_dvd_roll-out_delay/
Region-free HD DVD to debut in Europe 'next month' (8 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/08/euro_hd-dvd_roll-out/
Sony to ship blank Blu-ray Discs this month (7 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/07/sony_blank_blu-ray_media/
LG Blu-ray Disc player to support HD DVD too? (6 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/06/lg_blu-ray_hd-dvd_plans/
Blu-ray to hit US in May (28 February 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/28/blu-ray_us_launch_date/
Toshiba readies large HD Ready digital LCD TVs (17 February 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/17/toshiba_hd_lcd_tvs/
Toshiba, LG to share CD, DVD, HD DVD toys (10 February 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/10/toshiba_lg_patent_licence/
MS: Blu-ray on Xbox 360 'possible' (12 January 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/01/12/xbox_360_blu-ray/
Hands on with Samsung's HSDPA mobile (9 January 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/09/samsungs_hsdpa_mobile/
Blu-ray Disc developers complete specification (6 January 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/06/blu-ray_spec_done/
Samsung to ship Blu-ray 'first' with April player launch (5 January 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/05/samsung_blu-ray_first/
Give me a lipstick MP3 player or give me death (5 January 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/05/ces_wrap_one/
Another day, another gadget buffet (5 January 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/05/ces_2006_day_two/
HP goes HD DVD (19 December 2005)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2005/12/19/hp_goes_hd-dvd/
Toshiba may delay HD DVD launch - again (13 December 2005)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2005/12/13/toshiba_japan_hd-dvd_delay/
Taiwan's Blu-ray, HD DVD rival goes mass-market (30 November 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/30/fvd_volume_production/