Blockbuster opts for Blu-ray

In a major blow to the HD DVD format, the popular rental store announces it will move to selling only Blu-ray in many outlets, cites PS3 as one of the reasons.

International video rental giant Blockbuster has taken a step toward picking a winner in the biggest format war since VHS versus Betamax. It's announced that from next month, when the store chain is going to be expanding its high-def movie range, it will be offering only the Blu-ray next-generation DVD format across 1,450 outlets, reports Associated Press.

The company stated that the reason behind its decision was that since late last year it had been offering customers a choice of Blu-ray and HD DVD formats in some 250 stores, and found that people opted for Blu-ray more than 70 percent of the time.

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

The Blockbuster executive said that the main factor for this was that all major studios bar one will be releasing films in Blu-ray, and that some, including Walt Disney, were opting for exclusive releases on that format. Smith said that the launch of Sony's PlayStation 3, which can also play Blu-ray movies, helped the format "gain momentum."

HD DVD movies would continue to be available in the original 250 stores which are already offering them, as well as online.

Blockbuster was founded in 1985 and is based in Dallas, Texas. The company currently has around 700 stores in the UK and over 9,000 stores in a further 23 countries worldwide. A Blockbuster UK spokesperson refused to comment as to whether the decision would be an international one or whether it was US-only.

876 Comments

  • TTDog

    Posted Jun 21, 2007 7:42 am PT

    "BILLNYE6983: I don't think HD-DVD ever had a chance, and just because of the name, it just SOUNDS like a glorified DVD"

    Is that why the Playstation 3 isn't selling, it sounds like a glorified Playstation 2... only without the quality titles and rumble controller?

  • FireWiner

    Posted Jun 21, 2007 2:27 am PT

    kTvTv3 , and how is sony going to beat microsoft or nintendo? o sure "Exclusive content, sixaxis controls" wow thats gonna make the GTA4 experience way better so sure they will make a price cut of lets say hmm 100 bucks? so thats what 499 for the ps3? because as far as i know the 20gig ps3 is gonna be out of the market so we got the ps3 at 499 and the xbox at 299 hmm whats better a console you spend 200$ more to play the same games coming out on a console that cost 200$ less? i may recall hearing alot of companies say that the games coming out for 360 and ps3 would be better looking for 360 just search on the news of Devil maycry 4 you'll see it so heres whats gonna happen
    Xbox 360 kills ps3 and wii kills xbox 360

  • smoothn00dle

    Posted Jun 20, 2007 8:57 am PT

    @MrSickVisionz

    I haven't read a well written ideology comments for a long time. It sounds morally correct but it full of holes in real world. =================================================
    "Wouldn't forcing people to by your nextgen movie format in order to get a VIDEO GAME system greedy? Especially when you force them and add $200 to the price tag." It is not "force". If consumer don't like the price, they can go somewhere else. We has six consoles on the market. Don't like bluRay, don't buy PS3 then. Nobody force us. People who defence xbox360 use this "choice" or "force" argument is just follow the M$ PR machine. Microsoft Windows force users to upgrade hardware by rising the system minimum requirement. Who really need a gig of ram to type a letter? =================================================
    "By the time the market matures to where the PS3 needs it to be , the 360 and Wii will have gangbuster numbers sold, exclusives due to their user base, and will cost substantially less." Time is the tricky thing to predict. I am sure you don't know anything about the TIME you talk about here. Sony Bravia HDTV sold six million last year, this year predict to reach ten million. That is just Sony. HD era is here, my friend. PS3 will speed up the HD era. This BlockBuster deal will make HD common. If other video store follow this trend, HD would replace DVD in two years. About internet film, how much time u think will take to download a 25 gig bluRay film?

  • kTvTv3

    Posted Jun 20, 2007 8:18 am PT

    FireWiner, first of, the ps3 executive announced that he was going to make a price cut before holiday season. And second, need I say more? There's not a hell of a chance that I won't buy a ps3 this year because I am. So are other people who are planning to buy one for gta4 (exclusive content, difference sixaxis controlls).

  • tomservo51

    Posted Jun 20, 2007 7:10 am PT

    A Major Blow? WHo rents from Blockbuster anymore? lol

  • Youngpudding

    Posted Jun 20, 2007 6:30 am PT

    Just admit it,you microsoft fanboys know the XBOX is at its peak while the PS3 has a long long time to go before it reaches its best,sure the new update allows you to upgarade standard dvds,just imagine what you will be able to do in the future!

  • FireWiner

    Posted Jun 20, 2007 4:43 am PT

    doesnt matter and this is whats going to happend "Xbox 360 killing Ps3 for 1 simple good reason, xbox will be worth 100 bucks less before xmas this year while ps3 will remain the same price for a long long long time because... 1. they are already losing alot of money and 2. its a new console so xbox 360 pwnds sony and Wii pwns xbox becuase its cheaper and every single kid in earth says.... Daddy i want a nintendo" true that

  • Shano209

    Posted Jun 20, 2007 2:50 am PT

    Its good news for Blu-ray, but I don't really need to get BR movies cause the latest update for the PS3 lets you upscale standard DVD's to 1080p which was really good of Sony to do.

  • SonyRulzU

    Posted Jun 20, 2007 1:36 am PT

    "Ha Ha" says Nelson from the Simpsons.

  • Dreski83

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 11:59 pm PT

    The same feeling I get when I see a garbage movie on multiple shelves, I can't help but think BB is being a little over zealous in this Blu-Ray approach.
    Yea, its a market worth tappin for some good money, maybe even charge more money for such movies, but to compare the betamaxx and VHS era to this is plain silly!

    I don't know that many people who have Blu-Ray players and the few I do know who own PS3's are not raving about how they can buy crap movies for the price of 2 regular DVD's. This tech is not a big deal just yet... and Blockbuster is following the bandwagon is a nerdy way... shame on them.

  • SneakyDan

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 11:30 pm PT

    Well, they won't be getting my money for rentals anymore then.
    I don't have a blu-ray player, or a PS3.
    None of my friends do either.
    All they will do through this step is lose customers.

  • jpfondeur

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 9:57 pm PT

    Blu-Ray won like five months ago...

  • axia_777

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 8:08 pm PT

    finaleve

    The only problem is that Sony has a bad success rate with trying new formats.--------------

    Blu Ray is not only Sony. It is an association of comapnies and Sony is just a major share holding member of that association. That is why this is diffrent.

  • MrSickVisionz

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 7:35 pm PT

    @Serious...

    If the X-Box had HD-DVD built in, its true that this might not have happen. But that would also mean that it would cost $200 more and wouldn't have 10 million sold. It'd be performing like the PS3... getting outsold by everything except the gameboy advance.

    LOL @ MS being greedy by not inluding HD-DVD. Wouldn't forcing people to by your nextgen movie format in order to get a VIDEO GAME system greedy? Especially when you force them and add $200 to the price tag.

    Actually, all of the features that you said will help the PS3 be successful are getting it, as stated before, outsold by everything but an old portable system from over half a decade ago. By the time the market matures to where the PS3 needs it to be (at least 50% of homes having an HDTV), the 360 and Wii will have gangbuster numbers sold, exclusives due to their user base, and will cost substantially less. Blu-Ray built in may be a moot point if you can get a standard Blu-Ray player for like $200 or less by the time the market is ready with HDTVs. Depending on how long the war goes, 360 owners with HDTVs will probally just download films. Especially once more and more studios get involved and more and more content is available.

  • cheezlarson

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 6:53 pm PT

    This is good news for Sony. HD-DVDs probably only have another year left before coming all but extinct. But it will be a few years before we see Blu-ray starting to sell more than DVD's.

  • lilmp89

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 6:24 pm PT

    finaleve, it's just movies. Also, I believe 360 games are on standard DVDs right now.

  • finaleve

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 6:21 pm PT

    Benshki > True. M$ supports the HDDVD, and its an attachment. If it fails, oh well. M$ will pick up Blu-Ray and move on. Nothing big. The only problem is that Sony has a bad success rate with trying new formats.

    So does this mean that Blockbuster won't distribute 360 games in the certain stores?
    I'll stick with my dvd player until one of the 2 gives up.

  • gmayronne

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 5:52 pm PT

    doughty, i get everything your saying man. i watched pirates of the carribean 1 and 2, apocalypto, casino royale, and the departed on blu-ray on my 42" sharp aquos 1080p tv and im not going back to standard dvd. all the naysayers are the ones who havent seen it themselves. i own pirates 1 and 2 on standard dvd and have done the comparison and its OBVIOUS, every pore on skin, every hair on head, vibrant colors, rich blacks, crystal clear water, crisp clear sound all on blu-ray, the dvd version looks muddy, the sound seems smothered, and the colors dont pop nearly as much as on blu-ray. if you say there is no difference or that hd-dvd and blu-ray are crap then you are just a mindless blabbering buffoon that likes to complain.

  • AzureWind213

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 4:21 pm PT

    sony only needs to get Blu-Ray to succeed to make all kinds of money... it really doesn't matter how well the ps3 sells. It's way too early to say who's going to win what yet in the video game market, but you really can't count anyone out if they're making as much money as sony or microsoft....

  • doughtybenjamin

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 3:37 pm PT

    to be honest im sick of people saying how crap these formats are!!!!! when you go and watch an blueray money on a 1080p bravia lcd tv! you wont say all we need is DVD! hidef if awesomly amazing, its outstanding! and im glad that the format war seems to be going in the way of blueray, which is far superior! and no one can deny it

  • rarson

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 3:22 pm PT

    I wish people would just stop buying both formats so that they both fail and we can stop being milked for money with the same crap on new formats over and over again.

  • Serious

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 3:16 pm PT

    Xbox supporters be honest and ask yourself if the Xbox 360 had installed a HD-DVD and used the format for games would this be happening right now? No way Xbox 360 has a good lead and if 10 million of its buyers had HD-DVD Blockbuster would be dropping Blu Ray right now. But greedy MS sold you all a bill of goods with an external HD-DVD. Now if they make a deal with Sony and its backers for a $300 external Blu-Ray player. Will you fork it over? Not to mention all of the companies that released on HD-DVD will have re-release on Blu-Ray and those 100,000+ Xbox 360 HD-DVD player buyers. Face it they made a mistake with a external HD-DVD, using regular DVD as the game format and making a console unit that doesn't come with a HDD, No HDMI and too small a HDD. So MS has come out with the Xbox 360 Elite to make up for the blunders of not having a HDMI port and a small HDD. I know you supporters will say MS did that for us. They didn't want to take the choice from us. But these "choices" are actually mistakes. Developers are asking? How many of the 10 million Xbox 360 users bought the HDD free unit? So how many of our HDD required game of that 10 million can actually buy it ? All of these mistakes will eventually make the PS3 successful again.

  • skyvader

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 2:44 pm PT

    Hybrid players, downloadable movies, why bother with one format over the other. Netflix does blueray and hddvd and i hear they are doing better than blockbuster anyway.

  • rwnummelin

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 2:41 pm PT

    I don't know where you get the Blu-ray loading times from.. I put a disk in my player that happen to be a PS3 and it loads instantly. When the movie is running I can open the pop-up menu and choose directors commentary. It didn't take even a second before He started talking. Same with extra features. While the movie is running you open the pop-up menu and choose a clip, and right away it starts and when it's finished the movie continue playing. All with load times under the second. What I suspect is that people just write something they've heard from a Blu-ray-hating friend, or they come up with it themself.
    Oh! amd I'm in PAL region!! But guess what? Thanks to the PS3 I no longer have to wait an extra year for a game since it's region free. Call me fanboy, but fact is that I buy the system with the titles I care for. I buy Nintendo only because of Zelda, maby Mario too. If MS got FF or MGS exclusive I'd buy a 360, but since that's not happening I don't have one.
    I've got Windows on my PC because it's easiest to use with PC games. Atleast where I am. No Apple nor Linux community here. I bet when Crysis is out, I'll buy Vista and a DX10 card.

  • elythemonkey

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 2:10 pm PT

    Both formats looks and sound great, but hd-dvd has better options. You can change from standard movie to director's comment with no loading. Blue-ray has longer loading, but it has all those movie studios. The reason it's winning is because Sony is funding Blue-ray to it's limits. I don't see a reason why both can co-exist, hell we all have diffrent video game systems, choices are good for consumers.

  • jimbobb23

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 2:09 pm PT

    My next gen console decision just got a little easier.

  • RoboticZombie

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 2:03 pm PT

    woohoo /sarcasm

  • DRKRATTLI

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 1:35 pm PT

    That's sad! Kinda suck balls, I like HD-DVD, guess I'll have to wait for Blu-ray add-on for XBOX 360 or a BDP-S300!

  • Zam_basic

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 1:32 pm PT

    So with all the money Sony will be making now , they can drasticly reduce the price of the PS3 and all thier Blu Ray players

  • EPaul

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 12:37 pm PT

    good news for sony ......... something is wrong here

  • haesuse

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 11:54 am PT

    while u are right about being peed off about the PS3 delay due to blueray, i have to say that with the longevity of this gen consoles it might have been an excelent move in the long run. 360 will either have to have some kind of a 2.0 HD addition or just get a peripheral HD DVD which will make it too expensive and to bulky in the end. but more to the point, with the biggest video store chain in the world picking up blueray chances are that it will help PS3 sales boost, and while it may not be as significant as lets say a price drop, it is for sure a sign of brighter future for Sony!

  • reactionsok

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 11:19 am PT

    anyone else download films? will a divx blueray look better than a standard divx dvd?

  • reactionsok

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 11:18 am PT

    anyone else download films? will a divx blueray look better than a standard divx dvd?

  • mattcake

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 11:17 am PT

    The major reason the ps3 was delayed was that damn bluray drive - even ps3 users should resent Sony for postponing release of its console because they wanted to corner the console AND hd-format markets in one go. Now theyre behind in the console wars and didnt even use the time to get some decent ps3 games made - they *need* bluray to succeed so people adopt the attitude of "well it plays games and is a bluray player" IMO its not Blockbusters place to try to dictate or sway the market like this but thats business I guess...

  • soldier1993

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 11:09 am PT

    Yuck_Too Howard Stringer said it best.

    "Sony will win the format war because of the PS3. And we will lose the console war because of the PS3".

    -- What do you think is more important to Sony? Win the console war or the format war?
    think little brain, what gives more money?
    If Sony wins the format war, they do not need to win the console war!

  • mattcake

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 11:01 am PT

    Considering the overpricing of hd-dvd and especially bluray films, this is a dozy move as people will be renting a LOT - whats the point of buying HD films when a) most people dont even have a full 1080p TV and think their "hd ready" TV is good enough and b) who wants a library of movies that could become obsolete? e.g. MI3 is 7 quid on sd-dvd, 10 quid for special edition, and a whopping 25 quid on hddvd and bluray. Both formats can go jump til the prices drop

  • soldier1993

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 10:53 am PT

    It was so predictable!
    If sony had a PlayStation back in the VHS and Betamax war, it would be different!!!!
    life is fun

  • malmeid2

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 10:30 am PT

    If people can wait ~ five years 1080p will be obselete. Televisions will be 1600p (2560 x 1600) or perhaps even better. And there will be a better HD format that will make blu-ray look like ass. Besides Flash memory is becoming a pretty hot medium at this point and I think most Movie pruchases or rentals will be performed AND downloaded online, and if not come in some type of advanced flash format. It will soon become easier and more cost effective than using discs. Oh and it doesn't get scratched no matter how many times you use it. It also doesn't have any moving parts which is a big plus. Look how quickly and effortlessly Portable CD Players turned into MP3 Players. People honestly don't think that our movie formats will be transferred into a "non-moving" (and hence better performing and more capable and higher resolution than 1080p) format? Open your eyes. It's coming soon -_-

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 10:27 am PT

    --ringbling--

    That is the typical fanboi comment, who only sees what they want and says it like fact.

    Planet Earth is on HD-DVD, Blu-ray and DVD for that matter. And while it is a truly great piece of work it looks identical on either HD format and the DVD format is outselling both others combined.

  • ringbling

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 10:22 am PT

    NICE. Another heavy hit to HD-DVD. Come to think of it, I have yet to see a commercial advertising any movie on HD-DVD. Even the Discovery channel with it's Planet Earth series has gone Blu-Ray. If you want to see something that is downright amazing, Planet Earth in Blu-Ray is something to behold.

  • ski11buzz

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 10:15 am PT

    @get_shorty

    if u have and hd tv then i would say its a good investment. blu-ray looks and sounds AMAZING. its a whole new experience

  • HighlyToxic

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 10:05 am PT

    This isn't a matter of MS being stupid for picking HD-DVD. Heck, I really don't think they cared for the next gen of DVDs, but it's not like they had a choice. Did you really think they would outrightly support their competitor's format? Of course they would try to counter by supporting HD-DVD. And if that format fails, they'll probably release a blu-ray compatible player add-on. What's it to them? They'll make money selling more products.

  • Get_Shorty

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 10:04 am PT

    What's going on?? It's too soon to introduce a new movie playing medium. We're still hot n heavy with DVD's. I don't want to buy all the movies I have on DVD again for Blu-ray now. Does this mean I should stop wasting my money on DVD's and hold off til I get a Blu-ray player?

  • Kuguy2560

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 9:51 am PT

    I've barely seen hddvds anywhere. It seems around my area no one carries them, just blu-ray. I'd say as soon as blu-ray becomes the major format for blockbuster it's all over, cus thats where a large percentage of the population in the US rents their movies from. Which only means good for PS3

  • LuminosityBlaze

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 9:43 am PT

    HD-DVD almost dead, just a little longer now... This really is going to send them reeling. Blu-ray is already outselling HD-DVD 2 to 1 in retail stores. sdkingsht, dude, the fat lady is already singing! You even used a baskeball finals analogy (or hockey I suppose, but no), and we all see how the poor Cavs ended up. It's a sweep..!

  • sdkingsht

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 9:37 am PT

    and to Titan_BG. this war is definitely on. trust it's began or msnbc wouldn't be talking about this. and blu-ray is clearly winning. it's not over but for right now blu-ray is up 3-0 in the finals. Disney alone is a huge trump card. Spider Man and Pirates put blu-ray over the top. it's not over yet...the fat lady hasn't sung yet...but she's warming up her vocal chords people.

  • sdkingsht

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 9:34 am PT

    porn was a huge factor in the VHS vs Beta war but it's now readily available online and dvd is just fine for that. so this war is based on retailers and studios and studios are clearly picking blu-ray more than HD DVD. and with this being a huge rental and retailer (regardless if YOU rent from there MILLIONS of people do and/or buy their movies from Blockbuster) so this is a big win for blu-ray period.

  • Bigboss232

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 9:29 am PT

    At my walmarts i only see Blue Ray....

  • Titan_BG

    Posted Jun 19, 2007 9:22 am PT

    Blockbuster may be supporting Blu Ray but Walmart said they are pulling for HDDVD this format war hasn't even began in earnest yet. I will wait and see and for all of you doubters out there only the 360 will be able to play both as Microsoft has said in the past they will make a Blu Ray player for it if needed.

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