Is Target going Blu-ray exclusive?

Some rumors that just won't die eventually end up being true, and the latest to reappear is the Target is going Blu-ray exclusive one. Today at Philips' press event during CES, while Stewart Muller was introducing its new Blu-ray player he also mentioned that Target was going Blu-ray exclusive. Of course what his definition of exclusive means might be his alone, but unless Target pulls all the HD DVD movies off their shelves entirely, we're not sure we agree.

[Big Sam @ Jan 6th 2008 5:19PM]

As long as they clearance their existing HD DVD stock really cheap it sounds good to me

[nxtiak @ Jan 6th 2008 5:21PM]

I'm with you there!

[Cash @ Jan 6th 2008 6:53PM]

Jeeze, now Ben is even reporting the negative rumors about HD DVD. I guess he got tired of reporting the actual negative news involving the format, seeing how there has been so much of *that* lately.

In any case, Target is going to stock what sells, and as of the latest numbers HDDVD's are still selling quite well. Considering all the studios they've been buying off lately, I'm pretty certain the Blu-Ray group couldn't bribe a major brick and mortar like Target even if they wanted to at this point. If the facts change then the facts change, but I stopped letting rumors influence me when I left high school.

[SimbaDogg @ Jan 6th 2008 8:29PM]

@ Cash
"...In any case, Target is going to stock what sells, and as of the latest numbers HDDVD's are still selling quite well..."
really...compared to what? laserdiscs...vhs?

[freediverdude @ Jan 6th 2008 5:22PM]

Yes my local Target recently put in this display. Also one side of one aisle is the HD discs, and about 2/3-3/4 of it is blu-ray, with just a small section of hd-dvd now. One of the end caps is also blu-ray. So Target is clearly pushing blu-ray, even if they aren't completely blu-ray exclusive.

[Mike @ Jan 6th 2008 5:38PM]

My Target also has this. In the main dvd isle we have more BRD space than HD-DVD space.

[James Cameron @ Jan 6th 2008 5:24PM]

Why the hell would they do that. I think it's totally stupid. If HD is going to die out slowly, then take it off when there's not much left of it. I mean HD isn't totally dead yet.

[Kasey @ Jan 6th 2008 5:37PM]

I wish it would go ahead and die a sudden and complete death so that I can commit and buy a BD player...

[Wiserun @ Jan 6th 2008 5:35PM]

It's pretty simple really, $$$. It's the same anywhere. Retailers like Target (or your local grocery chain) get money to focus attention on certain items, brands, etc. Just because Target has an endcap for Energizer doesn't mean they're going to stop carrying Duracell.

[Mr. E @ Jan 6th 2008 5:39PM]

@Kasey,

You're completely safe to buy a Blu-Ray player now. It's over.

[JohnTitor @ Jan 6th 2008 5:40PM]

Right about now, if Toshiba want's HD-DVD to live they better get out a HD-DVD built in Xbox 360 with Microsoft fast

[Deckard @ Jan 6th 2008 5:50PM]

Don't be ridiculous - a 360 with built-in HD-DVD would be absolutely pointless when there is a good chance there will be no more (at best: very little) content released in that format within the next 6-9 months, and games certainly aren't going to be released in HD-DVD format. This war is over, and the retailers will see to that by no longer stocking a dead format.

Microsoft don't want another "Zune moment" (launching another sh1tty Zune immediately after the iPod Touch [or was it iPhone?] announcement) so any thoughts they have of launching a 360 with built-in HD-DVD drive immediately after the death knell has sounded for the format should be swiftly forgotten.

If they do launch a 360 with built-in HD-DVD, I'll laugh my t1ts off! Microsoft need to launch a 360 with built-in Blu-Ray drive - now that could be interesting.

[Jimbo @ Jan 6th 2008 7:16PM]

It would make a lot more sense for MS to offer an Xbox360 with a Blu-ray drive and still sell the external HD-DVD player. That would turn the 360 into a dual format player on the cheap.

[matthew3009 @ Jan 17th 2008 6:17PM]

Not happening bro, there's really no point considering no games would be able to take advantage of it, it'd be a waste of money for MS

[Shmoe @ Jan 6th 2008 5:42PM]

Target, Blockbuster, Warner and all the other corporate Beta-Ray supporters love the format for one reason, money. The hardware and discs cost more and look better on paper when it comes to profits. It's not a consumer friendly product from a price standpoint or a user standpoint. With the country heading into a recession, all the perceived extra money these companies hope to make off Beta-ray will vanish as consumers tighten their pocketbooks. People need the affordable option of HD-DVD and heading into a recession, would be the better format to maintain sales. Microsoft would be wise to just double Warner's payoff to $1 billion. Even though MS really favors downloads, that's not yet a mass-market option for speed reasons and affordability reasons. It would be smarter for MS to push harder for HD-DVD as it would help the Xbox and Windows Media Center. All media center fans can forget about the dream of streaming DVDs or a high-definition DVD from a central disc changer to extenders or the Xbox 360 if Beta-Ray wins. The extra layer of DRM in Beta-Ray would prevent that. Why are studios and Beta-Ray fanboys so stupid to embrace more DRM at a time when the music industry is finallly admitting DRM is antiuser and doesn't help?

[Deckard @ Jan 6th 2008 6:00PM]

People don't need HD-DVD - they chose with their wallets and bought Blu-Ray, not HD-DVD.

This phoney format war had to be ended - it's continuation was of no benefit to anyone. Not the studios, not the retailers and definitely not the consumer. The only ones to benefit from this war were Microsoft and for that reason alone I'm glad it's over, but I'm also glad that we now have consensus on a single high def optical format that we can stick with for the next 5-10 years.

Each format has/had their merits, buy having two formats meant forcing retailers to stock two of every film and consumers to buy two players (or a more expensive dual player) because studios were either HD or BD exclusive, which was just insane. Ending this war will benefit the consumer.

F*ck the CE companies and particularly Microsoft in future. I hope we never have another format war again - this one being almost entirely due to Microsoft meddling due to their download agenda - but I'm sure we will. :(

[ZeroTech @ Jan 6th 2008 6:11PM]

And DVDs looked expensive when compared to the Circuit City backed Divx at the time. Now mass production has a pile of movies available for 4.99 to own each and every week. Not much more than the 1996 Divx rental price.

The arguement for the cost of Blu-ray is weak. It will decrease when it gets widely adopted. Just like DVD, just like CD, just like VHS, just like HDTVs. Mass production brings prices down. Christ, HD and Blu Ray are less than 24 months old. Remember that $10,000 42" HDTV (720p no less) you saw in 1999? No one's going to own one of those right?

[rento @ Jan 6th 2008 5:52PM]

Watch em one by one going to the BR side. Sales it's what counts and so far BR has done much better. Now just put cheaper discs and devices out there.

[Josef @ Jan 6th 2008 6:06PM]

rento: "Now just put cheaper discs and devices out there."

Why bother? According to you, the war is over. In 6 months there won't be any competition. They can charge what they want. Hell, they could increase prices if they saw fit.

[404error @ Jan 6th 2008 7:13PM]

Wow. Have you ever taken an Economics course? Maybe you should try signing up for one.

[morganfell @ Jan 6th 2008 5:55PM]

Microsoft themselves just a few days ago shot down the internal HD DVD rumors:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=26140722

"We have reiterated multiple times since launching the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player that we have no plans to integrate an HD-DVD player in to the Xbox 360," a spokesman told GameSpot. "We feel that offering the drive externally is the best way to give consumers the ultimate choice to create their own high-definition experiences."

[Jimbo @ Jan 6th 2008 7:19PM]

Again, it would make sense to keep the HD-DVD drive external and invest in an internal Blu-ray drive for the 360. That would truly offer "the best way to give consumers the ultimate choice to create their own high-definition experiences."

[pquistgard @ Jan 6th 2008 5:55PM]

At the blu-ray.com forums, there's a Target employee who said his boss also mentioned it. I guess we'll just wait until it's confirmed by Target officially.

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=30180

[jus10 @ Jan 7th 2008 7:56AM]

Some guy on the internet posted that his boss said ...


Well, that's practically the same as a join Target/Satan- I mean Sony press release isn't it?

[Rick @ Jan 6th 2008 8:16PM]

Asinine statement. People didn't speak with their wallets, Sony did. Sony BOUGHT BlockBuster, Warner and now Target. People will have no choice but to stick with DVD now because Joe Blow is not forking over $400+ for a BRD player and $20-$35 for a movie when DVDs look good and cost $5-$10. If Sony wins, the format loses because SOny only wants money and they killed SACD with their greed and they will kill off Hi Def DVD the same way.

[Deckard @ Jan 6th 2008 8:25PM]

Nonsense - Blu-Ray OUTSOLD HD-DVD by between 2:1 and 3:1. That is, CONSUMERS decided they wanted to purchase Blu-Ray 3 times more often than they wanted to purchase HD-DVD.

Sure, some retailers went Blu-Ray exclusive but HD DVD discs were still readily available in both bricks & mortar and online stores. And prior to the Warner announcement the studios were split 50/50, despite the best efforts of the HDA.

Yet given equality on the high street consumers still decided to purchase a higher number of Blu-Ray discs than HD-DVD. It's irrelevant how this situation occurred, at the end of the day it was the consumers who preferred one format over the other.

Bottom line: consumers preffered Blu-Ray, end of story, end of HD-DVD.

[David Clark @ Jan 6th 2008 6:00PM]

We had this same story a few months back and it turned out Target was just going to roll out Bluray endcaps. :-/

[Jeremy @ Jan 6th 2008 9:12PM]

@Rick - Asinine? I would have to say your comment isn't much better.

When I purchased my first DVD player it was $400. Now they're as low as $30. Media was more as well.

What makes you think Blu-ray wouldn't do the same? They are after all, competing with DVD for market share now.

I understand you're butt hurt - but there is bigger problems on this earth. :)

[jus10 @ Jan 7th 2008 8:03AM]

Deckard, that's silly

Consumers don't know the difference between the two other than the Blue and the Red. I got an HD-DVD player for Christmas. I wanted an upconverting DVD player and since these were $99 it was basically the same price. I don't have any plans to buy and HD-DVDs though; Netflix can send them to me though.

However, one thing I noticed - there really aren't any movies I want to see on HD-DVD. That is probably the easiest way to get rid of a movie format.

I won't be buying a Blu-Ray player as I won't give Sony the money. I will however be evaluating streaming media boxes. Until those come to fruition, Netflix and DVDs will work.

[Nate @ Jan 6th 2008 10:10PM]

Ok, I work at Target... We are not going blu-ray exclusive. That endcap in the photo is actually payed for by Sony. All of the ends are actually for sale to companies we do business with. If a HD-DVD player company wanted an end, all they would have to do is pay, supply us with any special fixture (i.e. the tv sony sent each store)and Bam! They have an HD-DVD endcap...

[BigDave @ Jan 6th 2008 11:27PM]

Yeah, you work for target. you must know the truth.. I'd much rather believe you, what do you make, $11 an hour at best?? lol Yeah I'd much rather believe you than some silly CEO... Everyone is going to drop hd-dvd, this was just the first announcement. Target will probably confirm monday.

[Nate @ Jan 7th 2008 1:13AM]

Dave, with all respect... you don't know shit. Electronics is my department. Everything is communicated to us daily. We get messages that tell us upcoming major changes, do you want to know what one of the more recent ones was? We'll start carrying a HD-DVD player (Besides the add-on one for the Xbox 360) when we get our new electronics planograms. We already carry a couple models on our website, and they will now be moving store side as well

[Josh @ Jan 6th 2008 8:11PM]

Yeah, I was at Target today and remembered hearing on here about Target going Blu-Ray all the way - and, I have to say, they aren't making it easy to find HD-DVD at target at all. I found some HD-DVD's at the bottom, near the floor, of new releases. Blu-Ray was everywhere - including new players on the end-caps and Bly-Ray disc's were incredibly easy to find. If they aren't going exclusive - they certainly aren't making it easy to buy HD-DVD thats for sure...