Warner Bros. turns old DVDs Blu

First it was exchanging old HD DVD discs for Blu-ray versions. Now Warner's at it again with a "DVD2Blu" program that let's you swap old DVDs for new Blu-ray versions of the same movie—for a price.

Just go to Warner Bros.' DVD2Blu website and select the movies you want to trade in. You can only get a Blu-ray version of the same movie you own on DVD, and there's a limit of 25 titles per household that can be exchanged. Once you've selected the titles, click on "checkout" and pay a fee, typically $7.95 or $9.95 per disc, plus $4.95 shipping. (You get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)

You can then print out a prepaid label, which includes a barcode for delivery tracking, and mail the old DVDs, without their cases, to a processing center, where the titles are compared to those listed on your order. Once the discs are received you'll receive an email letting you know when the Blu-ray discs are shipping along with tracking info. It takes about four to five weeks for the whole transaction, and the Blu-ray package you'll receive is the same as the ones sold in stores, with all the accompanying materials.

The exchange program is limited to the DVDs listed on the DVD2Blu.com website, and you can only exchange one copy of each movie. If you'd like more info, visit this DVD2Blu FAQ, or visit the Warner Bros. Shop for more details about the movies.

This seems like a pretty fair deal, although before you swap out titles you may want to see if the same Blu-ray movies are already being discounted elsewhere. Amazon, for example, regularly discounts Blu-ray titles. For example, we came across these specials, where prices were generally only $8.99 or $9.99. This would let you get new Blu-rays, and you'd be able to keep your DVDs for use on a portable player or notebook computer. And in case you didn't know it, Amazon runs its own exchange program, where you can trade in old DVDs (and even HD DVDs) and receive a $10 gift card. The company also maintains an area on its website for newly released or recent Blu-ray movies priced below $20. Let us know how things went if you try either of these exchange programs. —James. K. Willcox