On Friday, High-Def Digest reported an HD DVD presentation by Universal Studios Japan contained several references to Spielberg films from the Unversal back catalog, fanning the flames the HD holdout would finally throw his hat into the format wars.

On Monday, High-Def Digest reported a Spielberg spokesman refuted these claims, saying the studio used the films to promote the format in error. Spielberg spokesman Marvin Levy went as far as saying Universal would be issuing a public statement in the coming days to retract any speculation caused by mentioning these films in association with HD DVD, the second of its kind this year.

On Tuesday, I say bullshit.

The Spielberg camp went public back in August in response to the Paramount/Dreamworks exclusivity deal with HD DVD, that “Steven is a big supporter of Blu-ray.” What does that mean? It means he doesn’t want to dilute his potential revenue by releasing his films on a second-place format, and then re-releasing on Blu-ray when Toshiba throws in the towel. He also wants to hold off releasing any of his signature films until the user base is substantial enough to maximize profit. Since Blu-ray is leading in sales throughout 2007, it’s clearly the more viable option for him based on current projections.

But it’s unclear what kind of video distribution rights Spielberg retains from those studio’s films. My guess is none, but Universal and Paramount are pandering to him because of future distribution deals and projects. They are playing nice, to put it simply, to avoid ticking off the most powerful man in Hollywood. Warner Bros., however, is currently parading several Spielberg-produced or directed films without fear, for both formats. Goonies, Poltergeist, Twilight Zone, Twister, Band of Brothers, and A.I. are just a few which will be seeing release over the next few months on HD DVD and Blu-ray, with many more gems from the house that E.T. built in waiting. So why the discrepancy? Simply, there are those in Hollywood who still have the power to employ Spielberg, while there are others who must bend to his every request for fear of a swift backhand.

Ultimately, it’s stupid to side with any format right now. I can see the argument to wait until the consumer base has grown substantially, but it doesn’t make sense to leave money on the table by supporting one format over another with the numbers as small as they are currently. And any technical comparisons don’t reveal any substantial advantages to go with one over the other – they both do 1080p, they are both superior audio and video quality, they both offer increased interactivity. It’s a licensing issue between Sony and Toshiba, plain and simple. And it’s becoming ever apparent Sony got to him first, or at least gave him a blank check.

Arguably, Spielberg’s best years are behind him. He’s powerful only because of his legacy, not because of his remaining potential. He hasn’t made a great film in 10 years. Universal, I say screw Spielberg and let the flood of classic titles begin. So you don’t get his official “endorsement”. So you might not get his contribution with extra content. So what. Paramount, start getting those Dreamworks titles out at least in dual format, or pick a format if it offers a considerable financial advantage.

Let’s keep in perspective who actually runs Hollywood, and it ain’t Spielberg.