In two more signs of the demise of the HD DVD format, more major retailers are announcing plans to focus on Blu-ray sales and rentals going forward.
Netflix today announced that they will stop ordering new HD DVD releases and will be phasing out existing stock over the course of the year.
According to Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer for Netflix:
"The prolonged period of competition between two formats has prevented clear communication to the consumer regarding the richness of the high-def experience versus standard definition. We are now at the point where the industry can pursue the migration to a single format, bring clarity to the consumer and accelerate the adoption of high-def. Going forward, we expect that all of the studios will publish in the Blu-ray format and that the price points of high-def DVD players will come down significantly."
Equally importantly, Best Buy, the largest U.S. retailer of Blu-ray and HD DVD discs, has announced that they will be "officially recommending" Blu-ray products over HD DVD products beginning in early March.
According to Brian Dunn, Best Buy's President and Chief Operating Officer:
"Consumers have told us that they want us to help lead the way. We've listened to our customers, and we are responding. Best Buy will recommend Blu-ray as the preferred format. Our decision to shine a spotlight on Blu-ray Disc players and other Blu-ray products is a strong signal to our customers that we believe Blu-ray is the right format choice for them."
Best Buy will continue stocking a reduced selection of HD DVD players and software for the time being, in order to satisfy those existing HD DVD customers, but they didn't indicate how long they would continue doing so.
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