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-   -   Wal-Mart to drop HD DVD in June (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/hd-talk/525258-wal-mart-drop-hd-dvd-june.html)

matome 02-15-08 10:43 AM

Wal-Mart drops HD-DVD
 
http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/15/tech...ion=2008021511


Wal-Mart on Blu-ray bandwagon
Retailer will only sell Sony's hi-def movie discs, phasing out Toshiba's HD-DVD discs in its 4,000 Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores this year.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- National discount retailer Wal-Mart announced Friday that it had decided to only sell Sony's Blu-ray hi-definition movie discs, and will phase out Toshiba's competing HD-DVD formatted discs over the next several months.

Wal-Mart said that by June, its 4,000 Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores would sell only Blu-ray discs and Blu-ray hardware players. Blu-ray and Toshiba's HD-DVD format are not compatible.

"We've listened to our customers, who are showing a clear preference toward Blu-ray products and movies with their purchases," said Gary Severson, Wal-Mart's Senior Vice President of Home Entertainment in a statement.

Apple TV vs. Blu-ray: How do they stack up?
Wal-Mart said it would continue selling HD-DVD products, but over the next 30 days, customers will see a significant shift in emphasis to Blu-ray in both brick-and-mortar stores and online. The retailer said it will continue to sell DVDs and standard-definition hardware.

Wal-Mart is the latest movie vendor to choose Blu-ray over HD-DVD. Earlier this week, online movie rental company Netflix (NFLX) announced its support for Blu-ray, and said it would phase out HD-DVD as well. Video publishers Walt Disney (DIS, Fortune 500), Sony's Sony Pictures, News Corp.'s (NWS, Fortune 500) Twentieth Century Fox, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer have all endorsed Blu-ray.

In a rivalry that mirrors the Betamax-VHS dispute of the 1970s, Sony (SNE) and Toshiba have been battling each other to define the industry's hi-definition video standard. The winner will see a boost in the sale of hardware needed to play the hi-definition discs.

londonhogfan 02-15-08 10:50 AM

Walmart goes Blu only in June
 
sorry if it's already been posted...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/forum/cd/di...TxFQFJEFQXDPE3

Mr. Cinema 02-15-08 10:50 AM

This is yet another gigantic nail in the coffin. It certainly makes those Toshiba rumors more legit now. Everyone should finally accept reality and shift their HD focus on Blu-ray.

Deftones 02-15-08 10:51 AM

I don't think this is news. I couldn't find either a Blu Ray disc or HD-DVD disc at several of the closest Wal-Mart stores by me.

TheMovieman 02-15-08 10:52 AM

Can't we just start a "Death Nail for HD-DVD News Thread" for all of these?

rfduncan 02-15-08 10:54 AM


Originally Posted by Deftones
I don't think this is news. I couldn't find either a Blu Ray disc or HD-DVD disc at several of the closest Wal-Mart stores by me.

I was gonna say... with Joe Sixpack reportly slow on the HDM adoption, how much retail business did Walmart do in EITHER format to begin with?

Adam Tyner 02-15-08 10:54 AM


Originally Posted by Deftones
I don't think this is news. I couldn't find either a Blu Ray disc or HD-DVD disc at several of the closest Wal-Mart stores by me.

They might be there...just hidden away. :)

The two stores in my neck of the woods -- and remember, I live in the not-so-tech-savvy state of South C'lina -- carry both formats. One has a handful of title on a small endcap, and the other has a much more extensive selection but keeps them locked away with the video games. Wal-Mart actually used to be my go-to place for HD DVDs and BDs (they always had day-and-date titles on the first Tuesday and at the same exact price as Amazon), but the lack of accessibility now has kind of killed my interest.

Deftones 02-15-08 10:55 AM

No, they weren't there. I tried to find them during the HDA2 deal around Christmas. I asked, they didn't have them. Not a single disc or player.

matome 02-15-08 10:56 AM

Walmart was only relevant when we heard stuff about the 90,000 HD-DVD players it sold or that it's not counted in Nielsen sales.

Qui Gon Jim 02-15-08 10:58 AM


Originally Posted by Mr. Cinema
This is yet another gigantic nail in the coffin. It certainly makes those Toshiba rumors more legit now. Everyone should finally accept reality and shift their HD focus on Blu-ray.

To me, this is the biggest nail in the coffin, aside from Toshiba backing out as rumors suggest.

kefrank 02-15-08 11:03 AM


Originally Posted by matome
Walmart was only relevant when we heard stuff about the 90,000 HD-DVD players it sold or that it's not counted in Nielsen sales.

ironically, for others, wal-mart has not been relevant until their announcement today. :)

the simple truth is, this is another domino very near the end of the whole line for HD DVD.

Mr. Cinema 02-15-08 11:05 AM


Originally Posted by Qui Gon Jim
To me, this is the biggest nail in the coffin, aside from Toshiba backing out as rumors suggest.

Some may disregard this news, but when the world's largest retailer says they are choosing BD as their HD format to support, I think it is big news.

Walmart is all about bargains. Now that they are putting full support behind BD, I think they may be able to carry some off brand BD players at least by this Christmas. I think Funai is supposed to release a $300 player? The new Philips player is supposed to debut at $350. I think those are the ones they may be able to sell lower this Fall.

stingermck 02-15-08 11:07 AM

My Walmart always had equal space with Blu and HD movies. So they were out there, at least in some places

Willh51 02-15-08 11:13 AM

Not that Wal-Mart has but three titles anyway.

Qui Gon Jim 02-15-08 11:15 AM


Originally Posted by Mr. Cinema
Some may disregard this news, but when the world's largest retailer says they are choosing BD as their HD format to support, I think it is big news.

Walmart is all about bargains. Now that they are putting full support behind BD, I think they may be able to carry some off brand BD players at least by this Christmas. I think Funai is supposed to release a $300 player? The new Philips player is supposed to debut at $350. I think those are the ones they may be able to sell lower this Fall.

Agreed.

Groucho 02-15-08 11:17 AM


Originally Posted by Deftones
I don't think this is news. I couldn't find either a Blu Ray disc or HD-DVD disc at several of the closest Wal-Mart stores by me.

Interesting. At the Wal-Mart by me they always have big displays featuring both formats.

Guess one of those is coming down.

kvrdave 02-15-08 11:19 AM

Even places that have both or one, barely have any, and the prices suck.

Where the hell are the blowout sales to get rid of stock, though?

RoboDad 02-15-08 11:24 AM


Originally Posted by stingermck
My Walmart always had equal space with Blu and HD movies. So they were out there, at least in some places

Same here. I don't understand why people people making pointless comments about Walmart as a company not carrying either format. The two stores close to me have both carried a good selection of titles in both formats for over a year, prominently displayed in a mid-aisle kiosk with constantly running videos explaining the formats and giving clips from various movies.

It may be true that store managers have the option to not carry or prominently display the product, but that has nothing to do with a corporate decision that does affect all stores.

This is huge news.

Deftones 02-15-08 11:27 AM


Originally Posted by RoboDad
Same here. I don't understand why people people making pointless comments about Walmart as a company not carrying either format.

How is what I said pointless? It's a very valid point, because I can't buy either format at the local Wal-Marts. In order for there to be some effect on me, I'd have to have the ability to buy them there first. :shrug:

namja 02-15-08 11:32 AM


Originally Posted by RoboDad
This is huge news.

I don't know if this is a huge news anymore. After all, HD DVD is pretty much dead: on life support and ready to be unplugged. Following the Netflix and BB news, we now expect everyone to slowly switch over. CC, Target, and some of the other leading B&M stores should be making some sort of an announcement soon (or just implement without an announcement).

I expect all major B&Ms to make the transition, or at least plan for the transition, by the end of June.

GreenMonkey 02-15-08 11:50 AM


Originally Posted by Qui Gon Jim
To me, this is the biggest nail in the coffin, aside from Toshiba backing out as rumors suggest.

Agreed.

BTW: I agree that a "Death nail HD-DVD thread" would be good :D

wewantflair 02-15-08 11:55 AM


Originally Posted by kvrdave
Even places that have both or one, barely have any, and the prices suck.

Where the hell are the blowout sales to get rid of stock, though?


In all likelihood, studios will destroy discs rather than blow them out. They don't want to de-value their IP by blowing out big name titles, especially in high definition.

sracer 02-15-08 12:00 PM


Originally Posted by wewantflair
In all likelihood, studios will destroy discs rather than blow them out. They don't want to de-value their IP by blowing out big name titles, especially in high definition.

...and that is assuming that there were large quantities of inventory to begin with.

rexinnih 02-15-08 12:03 PM


Originally Posted by Deftones
I don't think this is news. I couldn't find either a Blu Ray disc or HD-DVD disc at several of the closest Wal-Mart stores by me.

Wallmart is the largest seller of software out there (SD) that is, and I agree it's hard to find a good selection of HD titles. Maybe this will help them to increase their selection.

Gizmo 02-15-08 12:06 PM


Originally Posted by rexinnih
Wallmart is the largest seller of software out there (SD) that is, and I agree it's hard to find a good selection of HD titles. Maybe this will help them to increase their selection.

Doubtful. These movies carry a higher price (and are smaller) and are more often to be stolen. My Wal-Mart, which has that 4 sided Kiosk, has 1 movie wrapped in a giant spider-like security thing occupying 1 part of the rack where 10+ other movies could fit. Its ridiculous. This huge ass display probably has 30 movies on it total, where it could easily hold 300/400.


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