Paul O'Donovan, an analyst with Gartner Inc., said pornography's support of either DVD format will be a 'strong factor' to the uptake of the technology by the general marketplace, but even more critical is Sony's adoption of the technology.

O'Donovan said even though initially the Blu-ray format will be more expensive and will come after that of HD-DVD, the sheer support it is receiving from the entertainment industry, including pornography studios, will catapult it to a victory within a range of 18 months to five years.

Steve Hirsch, head of the adult film studio Vivid Entertainment, said he's currently using the HD-DVD format because it was the first to come out, but his studio will begin burning to the Blu-ray format as soon as it's available.

'The adult industry has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to technology. We don't have any theatrical distribution issues nor do we have big box retailers, like Wal-Mart and Blockbuster, to cater to. We're forced to find distribution wherever we can,' Hirsch said.

Hirsch, who founded Vivid Entertainment in 1984, said the porn industry -- just as in the 1980s -- will have a big influence on the outcome of the latest high-definition video format wars. In the 1980s, Hirsch said VHS tapes started selling for $50 a piece and Betamax went for $55. 'Therefore we pushed VHS harder, and in that sense we did have something to do with VHS winning out,' said Hirsch, whose studio pulls in an estimated $100 million in revenue a year.