Warner sets up DVD-to-Blu-Ray exchange program

Blu-Ray may get a little more momentum this holiday season, thanks to a new program from Warner Bros. The studio, which earlier this year ran a trial program allowing customers to exchange their HD-DVDs for Blu-Ray copies of the same film, is now letting traditional DVD owners make the swap.

Consumers who visit the studio’s DVD2BLU website select the movies they want to exchange (assuming they’re one of the 55 listed), send the DVD in to the studio and can get the Blu-Ray version of the same film for a deeply discounted price (as low as $7.95). They’ll receive the BD versions within 4-5 weeks.

One important note: The film selection on the site is generally limited to older films, so if you’ve bought a DVD of a recent release and want to upgrade, you’ll have to make a second trip to Wal-Mart or Best Buy. And many of the films may be on sale during the holidays at prices rivaling the trade-in price. If the promotion gets good traffic, though, expect Warner to expand the number of films available for trade.