The retailer said it will identify customers through its Reward Zone program, performance service plans and through online purchases and will mail out the gift cards to those individuals by May 1.

Customers that feel they won't be identified through these measures can call the company and provide a Best Buy receipt or credit card information for proof of purchase.

Circuit City is currently offering a 90-day return window to anyone who bought a HD DVD player before the abrupt death of the format last month.

Those stuck with HD-DVD players getting gift cards [CNN] (Thanks, Andrew!)
(Photo:William Hook)

I mean, the Betamax adopters at least had a few years to nag their VHS friends about the better picture quality, before the format died a slow death. But HD-DVD — they just took it out back and shot it!

The first generation Blu-ray players currently on shelves, profile 1.0, don't offer many nice perks like picture-in-picture, local storage, or internet connectivity. Those features will arrive with second generation players, called BD Live or profile 2.0, which should hit stores by the end of the year. Once prices fall, those are the players to buy.

As for HD-DVD...

Japanese public broadcaster NHK had earlier reported that Toshiba would suffer losses in the tens of billions of yen (hundreds of millions of dollars) as it scrapped production of HD DVD players and recorders and took other steps to exit the business.

Toshiba to give up on HD DVD, end format war: source [Reuters]

"We've listened to our customers, who are showing a clear preference toward Blu-ray products and movies with their purchases," Gary Severson, head of home entertainment for Wal-Mart's U.S. stores, said in a statement.

Thanks for buying all those HD DVD players on Black Friday, though.

Wal-Mart Picks Blu-Ray Over HD DVD [AP]

The company says that the industry has "picked a winner" in the format face-off and will phase out HDDVD by the end of the year.

From Netflix:

"The prolonged period of competition between two formats has prevented clear communication to the consumer regarding the richness of the high-def experience versus standard definition," said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix. "We're now at the point where the industry can pursue the migration to a single format, bring clarity to the consumer and accelerate the adoption of high-def. Going forward, we expect that all of the studios will publish in the Blu-ray format and that the price points of high-def DVD players will come down significantly. These factors could well lead to another decade of disc-based movie watching as the consumer's preferred means."

"From the Netflix perspective, focusing on one format will enable us to create the best experience for subscribers who want high- definition to be an important part of how they enjoy our service."

Friend of the blog, film critic Phil Villarreal of the Arizona Star, got the following email from Netflix:

Dear Phil,

You're receiving this email because you have asked to receive high-definition movies in the HD DVD format. As you may have heard, most of the major movie studios have recently decided to release their high-definition movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format. In order to provide the best selection of high-definition titles for our members, we have decided to go exclusively with Blu-ray as well.

While we will continue to make our current selection of HD DVD titles available to you for the next several months, we will not be adding additional HD DVD titles or reordering replacements.

Toward the end of February, HD DVDs in your Saved Queue will automatically be changed to standard definition DVDs. Then toward the end of this year, all HD DVDs in your Queue will be changed to standard definition DVDs. Don't worry, we will contact you before this happens.

You can click here to change your format preferences.

We're sorry for any inconvenience. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call us at 1 (888) 638-3549.

-The Netflix Team

Netflix, Citing a Clear Signal From the Industry, Will Carry High-Def DVDs Only in Blu-ray Format (Press Release) [Netflix]
The death blow for HD DVD? [PhilmGuy]
(Photo:Marike79)

PREVIOUSLY: Why Don't You Weigh In On The Format War?

You had an article shortly after the WB exclusivity announcement on the 4th of this month, right? Well, I think this could make for a great follow-up that gives your readers the opportunity to voice their opinion, and hopefully sway the minds of the studio executives who've acted prematurely and stuffed words in the mouths of consumers everywhere.

You can find the petition here. Keep in mind it has risen from 6,000 signatures to a promising 24,000 in only four days!

Save HD-DVD! (Warner Brothers, The Consumer Has Not "Clearly" Chosen Blu-Ray) [PetitionOnline]
(Photo:William Hook)

From their press release:

"Warner Bros.' move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want," said Meyer. "The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers."

"A two-format landscape has led to consumer confusion and indifference toward high definition, which has kept the technology from reaching mass adoption and becoming the important revenue stream that it can be for the industry," said Tsujihara. "Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience. Warner Bros. has worked very closely with the Toshiba Corporation in promoting high definition media and we have enormous respect for their efforts. We look forward to working with them on other projects in the future."

Format wars suck. That's all we really have to say about it.

Warner Bros. Entertainment to Release its High-Definition DVD Titles Exclusively in the Blu-Ray Disc Format Beginning Later This Year [Time Warner]
(Photo:someToast)

I realize that if you all were to essentially cast your vote then it would subject you to a lot of "hate" mail and such, but I believe that depending on how you present the information there will be no room for debate...

James,

That wasn't your entire email, and we apologize for not reprinting it in full, but we need to move on to the topic at hand. Why doesn't Consumerist pick a format?

Let us be frank with you. One of the reasons we enjoy writing for this site is that does not require us to blow smoke up our reader's asses. We think... We hope... they appreciate it, even though our advice isn't always fun. We could tell you that XYZ new cool thing is inherently better, stronger, faster... but then we'd be Gizmodo. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.) Newer, better, cooler stuff will always be available. It's our job to tell you how to avoid being a pawn in a stupid format war.

Sure, you may not like hearing that by choosing to enter into the market before a format is settled, you are taking a needless risk. You may not like hearing that early-adopters are not smart consumers. We're sorry. You seem like a nice guy, and you are probably very smart. The truth is that it's not always the "best" format that wins the war. We cannot in good conscience evaluate and choose a "consumer friendly" format in a war that could have easily been avoided, and that is bad for consumers.

To do so would be a disservice to our readers. Some of them, like you, are early-adopters. They bristle when we tell them to wait, but on some level they know they're taking a risk. Many, like you, have done research and feel that they are making a wise choice. Some of them will be right. Some of them will be wrong.

Our advice is to wait. If you don't want to wait, that's your choice, your risk, your decision. Weighing in on BluRay vs. HD-DVD helps no one. Reminding consumers that it's smarter to be patient helps us all... even if it makes us boring and uncool.

(Photo:Getty)

Although this new format doesn't have the backing of any major studios (yet) the company that produces the format says it's cheaper to manufacture than HD DVD or Blu-ray.

From Variety:

"Blu-ray is running $3.40 a unit, and HD DVD is $2.50 — it's hard as an indie to get into that marketplace," Adelman says. "It's coming down to manufacturing, and we think HD VMD is a fantastic format."

New Medium Enterprises... CEO Mahesh Jayanarayan believes these kinds of value enticements will be hard for some content creators to ignore.

"In the first six months we are giving free authoring tools to studio partners to make our content popular in the format," he says. "Many production houses can't make the investment with (Blu-ray or HD DVD). We want to make the industry feel comfortable with high-def."

Of course, consumers have to feel comfortable, too — New Medium plans to debut its HD VMD players at under $200, with European retailers, including Tesco in Poland and Boulanger in France, selling the device from $150 to $199.

A new format: HD Versatile Multilayer Disc [Variety]
(Photo: Larry G.)

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

The North American HD DVD Promotional Group responded: "I think trying to make a format decision using such a short time period is really not measuring what the consumer is saying," said Ken Graffeo, co-president.

Is this the final blow for HD DVD? Wait, does anyone still rent at Blockbuster? —MEGHANN MARCO

AP: Blockbuster to Favor Blu-Ray HD Disc [AP] (Thanks, Phil!)
(Photo: medalian1)

The best selling high-def disc since the format launched is Scorsese's "The Departed" on Blue-Ray with 38,993 total copies. For what it's worth, it does seem that Blu-ray is winning, but its obviously much too early to call it. —MEGHANN MARCO

Sony Report Reveals First Look at Absolute Blu-ray and HD DVD Disc Sales Figures [High Def Digest via BoingBoing]

Technology companies have divided into two warring camps, each backing one of the formats. Attempts to come up with a single format collapsed last year, so the two sides decided to duke it out in the marketplace. As they do, consumers are mostly staying on the sidelines, causing sales to fall far short of initial projections.

A winner could still emerge, but experts say it's just as likely that consumers, fearful of buying an expensive player that will turn out to be worthless, will just say no to high-definition discs. In the best case, analysts predict, the format war will go on for another year or so before a clear winner emerges, delaying an industry switchover to the improved discs."

Any thoughts on which format will win? Or have they all shot themselves in the foot? —MEGHANN MARCO

New-age DVD players' battle paused [Denver Post]