HD DVD continues to tread water

by Daniel Nasserian - Feb 13 2008, 02:17

It's been a rough week for the HD DVD camp and things don't seem to be looking up anytime soon. With a mere 30% of studio backing, and now retailers and rental outlets choosing to support Blu-ray, it seems that HD DVD is struggling to stay afloat.

After this week's news of both Best Buy and Netflix promoting the high-def competitors, the HD DVD Promotions Group released the following statement:

"We have long held the belief that HD DVD is the best format for consumers based on quality and value, and with more than 1 million HD DVD players on the market, it's unfortunate to see Netflix make the decision to only stock Blu-ray titles going forward. While the Best Buy announcement says they will recommend Blu-ray, at least they will continue to carry HD DVD and offer consumers a choice at retail."

With a lackluster statement that almost has a tone of surrender, one can only be curious as to what the HD DVD camp has planned for the future that can prevent it from drowning completely. With Universal and Paramount the only major studios backing the format, analysts believe the end could be very near.

As much as I will miss the Blu-ray deals on Amazon that were used to propel sales past HD DVD, a victor will have to be officially declared to make a new high-def format more consumer friendly.

Around the Web