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February 12, 2008
Posted: 04:23 PM ET
Call it the final battle in the so-called “format wars.” Two major outlets for high-definition movies, Netflix and Best Buy have both announced they’re going the way of Sony’s Blu-Ray… leaving Toshiba’s rival HD-DVD format to go the way of the dinosaur.  Netflix, the online movie rental service, cited the overwhelming number of studios publishing films in the Blu-Ray format as the reason for abandoning their current approach of stocking both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD discs. The California based Netflix says it will continue to rent HD-DVD discs to customers using what stock it has on hand, but going forward will only purchase new discs in the BD format. Blu-Ray also enjoyed a boost from retailer Best Buy who also announced they will be going Blu, showcasing both Blu-Ray hardware and software in their retail and online stores beginning in March. Like Netflix, Best Buy will continue to offer HD-DVD products to those customers who had chosen to go with that format. The difference here is that the retail giant, the largest electronics dealer in the U.S., is actively recommending the Blu-Ray over HD-DVD to customers. In a statement, Mike Vitelli, Best Buy’s senior vice president, said “We are excited about helping customers find the right mix of products and services to make the next generation of high definition entertainment technology come alive for them,” adding, “We believe that Blu-ray is the right solution for consumers.” Need more proof that it’s all but over for HD-DVD? Check the prices on HD-DVD products. Last week, Microsoft announced it was slashing the price on it’s HD-DVD player add-on for the Xbox 360 by $50 to $129.99. Visitors to Amazon.com today will find the price of HD-DVD’s cut by 50%. With more studios announcing their support of Blu, it would appear that HD-DVD’s future is beginning to fade to black. Read more: UPDATE: Netflix Joins Blu-ray Camp In High-def Format War - Matt West, CNN Entertainment Producer
Posted by: Blu-Ray |
 
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