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Rumor Mill: Blockbuster to Stock HD DVD, Blu-ray? (Updated)
Wed Nov 01, 2006 at 05:03 PM ETTags: Blockbuster, High-Def Disc Rentals (all tags)
Struggling video rentailer Blockbuster may be testing the high-def waters this holiday season with a rumored expansion to HD DVD and Blu-ray in some of its most high-volume stores.
At least that's what one poster on AVS Forum says a New York-based Blockbuster store manager told him.
According to the poster's account, beginning on November 7th, select Blockbuster outlets will participate in what's being termed an "experiment" -- stocking 40 titles on both HD DVD and Blu-ray, and adding 4-6 titles each month. The high-def titles will rent at the same rate as standard def discs.
If true, this wouldn't be Blockbuster's first foray with the high-def formats. Like Netflix, the company has been renting high-def discs via itsonline rental service Blockbuster.com since the formats both launched earlier this year.
But given the limited shelf-space of their bricks and mortar outlets, such an experiment would nonetheless be notable, and might serve to encourage other bricks and mortar video rental stores to follow suit.
We'll let you know when (and if) this story is confirmed, and if you see high-def discs for rent at *your* local Blockbuster, please drop us a line (and send us a photo) via our tips and submission form.
UPDATE: (9:00pm ET, 11/1/06) A couple updates on this one -- first, readers in Florida and California wrote in tell us that they too have been told that Blockbuster will begin carrying high-def discs in select stores in their area. And second, Murilo from Brazil sent along this photo from a Brazilian Blockbuster that is apparently already carrying high-def discs. Thanks to all for the tips.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Select Blockbuster stores will carry BR & HD disks starting Nov 7th [AVS Forum]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Blockbuster Adds High-Def to Online Rental Queue (Apr 13, 2006)
Blockbuster Adds HD-DVD to Online Rental Queue
Thu Apr 13, 2006 at 01:38 PM ETTags: Blockbuster, High-Def Disc Rentals (all tags)
Coming a month after Netflix announced it would begin offering high-def DVD rentals to its subscribers, rival Blockbuster announced today it is also jumping into the next-gen DVD rental game.
Home Media Retailing reports that beginning April 18, the online rental service will give its customers the ability to add four initial HD-DVD offerings from Warner and Universal to their online rental queues.
Blockbuster will offer Warner's HD-DVD disc releases 'Million Dollar Baby,' 'Last Samurai,' 'Phantom of the Opera' and Universal's 'Serenity' this coming Tuesday; Uni's 'Apollo 13' and 'Doom' will follow a week later on April 25.
Blockbuster said it conducted a market survey of a select number of its subscribers, which found that 47 percent were "somewhat interested" in renting high-def DVDs. Another 33 percent also indicated an interest in purchasing high-def DVD hardware, "predicated on price, emergence of a standard HD format and availability of titles."
"'The Matrix' and 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' topped the list of specific movies subscribers said they'd first like to see in high-definition," Blockbuster Online senior vp Shane Evangelist told HMR. adding that the top-rated genres among likely high-def DVD renters were action, sci-fi, family, and music performance titles.
Blockbuster has not yet announced pricing for its HD-DVD rentals, though it is expected they will be the same or competitive with its standard DVD offerings.
- Related links:
- Blockbuster Queuing Up HD DVD Titles [Home Media Retailing]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Netflix Adds HD-DVD Rentals (Mar 13, 2006)
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