Skip navigation


Current DateTime: 05:26:51 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 23452764
Expiration DateTime: 2/10/2012 5:27:24 PM

Current DateTime: 05:26:54 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 23452000
Expiration DateTime: 2/10/2012 5:27:40 PM

Current DateTime: 05:26:54 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 24355697
  • The World's Best Beers

      Craft brewers account for only about five percent of the US market, but that may be changing.

  • Fashion Stocks Traders Love

      Over the past couple of months, the “Fast Money” traders weighed in on companies that stood out.

  • Best in Show

      Who is the top dog at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

MOST SHARED


Current DateTime: 05:26:54 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 31330905
Expiration DateTime: 2/10/2012 5:27:45 PM

MOST POPULAR


Current DateTime: 05:26:54 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 35819650
    • Road Warriors

        All the gadgets and gear a savvy frequent traveler needs to navigate the global economy.

HOT ON FACEBOOK

Blockbuster to Rent Blu-Ray HD Discs Only

Published: Monday, 18 Jun 2007 | 7:43 AM ET
Text Size
By: AP

Blockbuster [BBI  Loading...      ()   ] will rent high-definition DVDs only in the Blu-ray format in 1,450 stores when it expands its high-def offerings next month, dealing a major blow to the rival HD DVD format.

The move, being announced Monday, could be the first step in resolving a format war that has kept confused consumers from rushing to buy new DVD players until they can determine which format will dominate the market.

Blockbuster has been renting both Blu-ray and HD DVD titles in 250 stores since late last year and found that consumers were choosing Blu-ray titles more than 70% of the time.

"The consumers are sending us a message. I can't ignore what I'm seeing," Matthew Smith, senior vice president of merchandising at Blockbuster, told The Associated Press.

Blockbuster will continue to rent HD DVD titles in the original 250 locations and online, the Dallas-based company said.

The decision was helped in large part by the lopsided availability of titles in Blu-ray, Smith said. All major studios except one are releasing films in Blu-ray, with several, including Walt Disney, [DIS  Loading...      ()   ] releasing exclusively in Blu-ray. Only Universal Studios, which is owned by General Electric, [GE  Loading...      ()   ] exclusively supports HD DVD.

Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner, [TWX  Loading...      ()   ] and Paramount Pictures, which is owned by Viacom, [VIA  Loading...      ()   ] release films in both formats.

"When you walk into a store and see all this product available in Blu-ray and there is less available on HD DVD, I think the consumer gets that," Smith said.

The rollout of Sony Corp.'s [SNE  Loading...      ()   ] PlayStation 3 game console, which comes standard with a Blu-ray drive, also helped give the format momentum, Smith said.

Boost to Blu-Ray

Blockbuster's decision, while significant on it's own, could boost Blu-ray even more if other retailers follow suit.

"It will help shift the balance toward Blu-ray, clearly," said Richard Doherty, president of The Envisioneering Group, a research company.

The North American HD DVD Promotional Group said Blockbuster's decision was shortsighted and skewed by the success of films released by Blu-ray studios in the first three months of the year. The group said HD DVD has since gained momentum, selling more players and popular titles such as "The 40-Year Old Virgin" and "The Matrix" trilogy.

"I think trying to make a format decision using such a short time period is really not measuring what the consumer is saying," said Ken Graffeo, co-president of the group.

The two formats have been battling it out since they both hit the market last year. Studios hope the high-definition discs, with their sharper picture and more room for interactive special features and games, will replace standard definition DVDs.

The formats are incompatible and neither will play on standard DVD players, although standard DVDs can be viewed with either a Blu-ray or HD DVD player.

The Blu-ray camp has been helped by the release of such huge hits as "Casino Royale," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Spider-Man" coming out exclusively in its format.

As the battle has unfolded, the price of the high-definition players needed to show the movies has plummeted. Toshiba Corp., the major supporter of HD DVD, is selling its player for $299 with a rebate, down from $499 when it first went on sale.

Sony, which is pushing Blu-ray, recently slashed the price of its player by more than half to $499. The player retailed for $1,000 when it first was introduced.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CNBC HIGHLIGHTS

  • Alternative Investing: A CNBC Special Report
  • Marketing clichés aside, sometimes diamonds are for investing.
  • Nordstrom
  • The ‘Fast Money’ traders weigh in on fashion related stocks from apparel to footwear.
  • Las Vegas
  • This list of the 10 most active cities for speed traps was compiled by Trapster.com. See if your town is there.
  • This Valentine’s Day should prove a love fest for restaurants, as many couples will be dining out.
  • Airdale Terrier
  • Here’s a look at Westminster Kennel Club’s most successful breeds—and how much they cost.
  • Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux home
  • What kind of homes do celebrity couples share? Here’s our updated list. Take a look.


Current DateTime: 09:37:12 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29778428

Current DateTime: 02:33:41 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29779196

Current DateTime: 11:35:13 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29779197

Current DateTime: 02:56:30 10 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29779199
CNBCCNBC
About CNBC  |  Site Map  |  Video Reprints   |  Advertise  |  Help  |  Contact
Privacy Policy  |     |  Terms of Service  |  Independent Programming Report
  Data is a real-time snapshot  *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis

© 2012 CNBC LLC.  All Rights Reserved.
A Division of NBCUniversal
Thomson ReutersThomson Reuters