Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. on Wednesday said it would support the new high definition Blu-ray Disc format, created by a group led by Sony Corp.

The MGM announcement marks the latest move in an increasingly heated battle over rival DVD technologies between the Sony-led camp and another group led by Toshiba Corp., which is pushing a format known as HD DVD.

MGM's move was not considered a surprise as the studio behind the lucrative James Bond film franchise was bought in April by an investor group including private equity firms Providence Equity Partners and Texas Pacific Group, as well as Sony and Comcast Corp.

Find out why MGM decided to back the Blu-ray disc format at http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2005-11-09T200727Z_01_HAR972423_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEDIA-MGM.xml.