The battle between high-definition DVD formats, Blu-ray and HD-DVD, has been heated for more than a year now. One camp publishes numbers saying players are selling well, then the other publishes a study saying more people prefer the way they do special features on a disc.
It's a confusing mess for the consumer, a frustrating process for anyone who thinks to themselves: Just get the whole thing over with already so the price can come down and I can get me a player.
Well, that could very well be happening but it might not be obvious to everyone yet. The Blu-ray team is the shark prowling the high-def waters, eating up everything just beneath the surface.
This week, retail giant Target announced it will only carry the Sony-backed Blu-ray format through the lucrative holiday shopping season, dealing a huge blow to Toshiba right between the HD-DVD players. Target is the second largest retailer in the United States.
Target released a statement saying they would carry Blu-ray stand-alone players exclusively "at least through the holiday season" and will add to the inventory of titles they carry for the player (they haven't totally killed HD-DVD - more on that in a minute). The deal will start in October and promote Sony's BDP-S300 player that sells for about $500.
Target is the second major retailer to go with the Blu-ray format, after Blockbuster announced its U.S. plans to do the same in June. Blockbuster said Blu-ray rentals are "significantly outpacing HD-DVD rentals."
A report published by Forbes says Target chose Blu-ray to help create resolution in the format war that has kept "confused consumers from rushing to buy new DVD players until they can determine which format will dominate the market."
HD-DVD stand-alone players will still be sold on Target's website, but in store the only HD-DVD player you will find will be the add-on for the Xbox 360. Anyone who wants choice needs both players in front of them, so HD-DVD will undeniably be hurt by Target's move, regardless if the players are still sold online.