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Wal-Mart Chooses Blu-Ray Over HD DVD

Latest in long list of defeats for beleaguered hi-def format

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 15, 2008 3:24 PM CST
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(Newser) – The blows just keep coming for HD DVD: Wal-Mart announced today that it will sell Blu-Ray high-def movies and players exclusively, CNET  reports. A buyer for Wal-Mart disclosed the decision on her blog, saying that the company had been influenced by Netflix and Best Buy's recent announcements by they will back Blu-Ray.

The Wal-Mart buyer offered some advice for unfortunate HD DVD backers: "if you bought the HD (DVD) player like me, I'd retire it to the bedroom, kid's playroom, or give it to your parents to play their John Wayne standard-def movies.” The apparent defeat of HD DVD is not necessarily a victory for Blu-Ray, though; high-def prices are still considered too high for widespread adoption by mainstream audiences.

Akio Ozaka, President and CEO of Toshiba America Consumer Products, speaks about Toshiba's HD-DVD and other Blu-Ray players during a news conference at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008 before the start of the convention on Monday. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Akio Ozaka, President and CEO of Toshiba America Consumer Products, speaks about Toshiba's HD-DVD and other Blu-Ray players during a news conference at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas,...   (Associated Press)
A sign stands in front of the Wal-Mart Stores Inc. headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., in this Friday, Oct. 5, 2007 file photo.(AP Photo/April L. Brown, file)
A sign stands in front of the Wal-Mart Stores Inc. headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., in this Friday, Oct. 5, 2007 file photo.(AP Photo/April L. Brown, file)   (Associated Press)
The HD DVD booth on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Monday, Jan. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
The HD DVD booth on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Monday, Jan. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)   (Associated Press)
HD DVD logos are shown at the Toshiba booth during the Consumer Electronics Show(CES) in Las Vegas, Monday, Jan. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
HD DVD logos are shown at the Toshiba booth during the Consumer Electronics Show(CES) in Las Vegas, Monday, Jan. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)   (Associated Press)
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Wal-Mart buyer Susan Chronister's blog post on the HD decision
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