More news from the DVD Forum's North America DVD Conference in Universal City, Calif.

The newest jewel in HD DVD's crown, Paramount, only has four HD DVD releases planned for 2007. According to a Paramount representative yesterday at the DVD Forum conference, 2008 is another story. Approximately 30 titles are scheduled for release on HD DVD from Paramount and Dreamworks in 2008. No details on which titles are on the slate, or what the release schedule will be.

Paramount has a nice back catalog of films. Hopefully we'll seem some of the big catalog titles get a high definition makeover, in addition to the day and date titles.

51 gigabyte triple layer HD DVD is still on the way, but there is some question as to whether or not existing players will be compatible with the new discs.

Home Media Magazine reports that Toshiba's Mark Knox, a Toshiba member of the HD DVD Promotional Group, said the technology is still in testing and would likely receive the DVD Forum's ok for production by the end of the year. Knox stated “We’re still looking at the backwards compatibility”, and added that a firmware update for existing HD DVD players might be needed. Knox revealed that twin format discs, which host a dual layer HD DVD and a single layer DVD on the same side of the disc, unlike the flipper combo discs we all know and loathe, are likely to become more commonplace.

Hopefully Toshiba will create a firmware solution that will allow existing players to play triple layer and twin format discs as they enter production.

HD DVD owners benefit from a lack of regional copyright protection. The upside of this is that for a few extra dollars sometimes an HD DVD owner can buy an import HD DVD of a title that is Blu Ray-exclusive in their region. The negative is that sometimes you have HD DVD covers that stick out like a sore thumb because they are in another language.

Two sites are addressing this problem by offering custom HD DVD covers for download. Both Blu Ray and HD DVD custom covers are available in the download section of Evangelos Angelides' site, and more HD DVD covers are available from Bunny Dojo. I have used custom covers for a couple of my own HD DVDs, and am pleased with the results. Both offer covers that will make great replacements for import titles, in addition to a wide variety of custom covers for domestic releases. The image files are large, and I burn them onto CD to take into a copy shop to have printed. For those of you without a CD burner, most, if not all, of the big chain copy stores have internet access, so you can download the files there in the store to have printed.

Thanks to both Evangelos and Bunny Dojo for providing a service that I'm sure many, many HD DVD enthusiasts have taken advantage of.

Electronics retailer Best Buy is now making buying a new Toshiba HD DVD player a little sweeter deal.

Toshiba already offers buyers of a new HD DVD player five free HD DVDs from a short list of fifteen titles. Now Best Buy is adding to that number. Buyers who purchase a Toshiba HD-A30 receive an additional four HD DVD titles from Best Buy at purchase, upping the total number of free discs to nine. Toshiba HD-A2 buyers at Best Buy are treated to two HD DVD titles at purchase. Best Buy also offers Blu Ray buyers an incentive to purchase. They receive five free titles from a list of eighteen at purchase.

Best Buy has always given the impression of slanting Blu Ray as far as display space and endcaps are concerned. It's nice to see them offering an HD DVD incentive of their own, and letting their customers make their own decision.