June 18, 2007 - Blockbuster Video announced today that it has chosen Blu-ray as its exclusive next-gen-DVD format for placement in the company's 1,450 video rental stores when high-definition offerings are rolled out nationwide in July. The decision follows a roughly six-month test period in which both formats were offered in 250 pilot stores. According to Blockbuster, customers chose to rent Blu-ray movies more than 70% of the time.
Blockbuster's senior vice president of merchandizing, Matthew Smith, spoke firmly on the decision in an interview with the Associated Press, "The consumers are sending us a message. I can't ignore what I'm seeing." The HD-DVD Promotions Group has decried the announcement, suggesting that the trial period was far too short, and also not representative of the format's recent boosts from hardware discounts and strong exclusives like The Matrix trilogy.
The news is certainly a win for the Blu-ray camp, though the true weight it carries remains to be seen. HD-DVD fans must now turn to NetFlix, which has supported both formats since launch.
