Subject line says it all...

what's the deal???

The subject line certainly does NOT say it all. You need to cite specific examples, because I can't think of any circa 1998 on that are.

Yeah, I was gonna say. Only the initial '97 releases probably would be.

I guess most of the ones on my list are the early releases. I was just going through some and although I haven't gone through all of them, these are the ones thus far:

Presumed Innocent
Under Siege
Rock Star
Disclosure
Blade Runner
Tango & Cash
Beetlejuice
Analyze This
all 3 batman movies
Dolores Claiborne

i'll add more as i discover them...

WB was one of the first studios to start releasing DVDs. Many of those early ones you listed were released in 97 or so before dual layered discs were really getting used. That was why Warner used flippers for long movies like Goodfellas.