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Best Buy to Recommend Blu-ray as the Customer's Digital Format Choice
By Dale Cripps
Founder & Co-Publisher
Posted on February 11, 2008
Category: HD DVD & Blu-ray
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MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is taking a step forward in addressing consumer confusion about high-definition formats. Beginning in early March, the leading consumer electronics retailer will prominently showcase Blu-ray hardware and software products in its Best Buy retail and online channels in the United States.

"Consumers have told us that they want us to help lead the way. We've listened to our customers, and we are responding. Best Buy will recommend Blu-ray as the preferred format," said Brian Dunn, Best Buy's president and chief operating officer. "Our decision to shine a spotlight on Blu-ray Disc players and other Blu-ray products is a strong signal to our customers that we believe Blu-ray is the right format choice for them."

Dunn continued, "Best Buy has always believed that the customer will benefit from a widely-accepted single format that would offer advantages such as product compatibility and expanded content choices. Because we believe that Blu-ray is fast emerging as that single format, we have decided to focus on Blu-ray products."

"With the explosion of HDTVs, customers are hungry for quality, high definition content. We believe our move to feature Blu-ray should help consumers feel confident in their hi-def content choices," said Mike Vitelli, Best Buy's senior vice president, Home Solutions. "Best Buy is excited by the next generation of digital products and we know our customers are too. We are excited about helping customers find the right mix of products and services to make the next generation of high definition entertainment technology come alive for them. We believe that Blu-ray is the right solution for consumers."

Best Buy currently carries a wide array of Blu-ray hardware and software products. The company noted that it will continue to carry an assortment of HD-DVD products for customers who desire to purchase these products.

Posted by Dale Cripps, February 11, 2008 02:13 PM

Reader Commentary

See Forum Topic: Best Buy to Recommend Blu-ray as the Customer's Digital Format Choice (13 replies)
Feb 11, 3:45pm
Hi there, why are you pushing Blu ray over HD DVD, I work in a store selling both formats, the HD DVD players play every disc we put in them, but on the other hand The blue ray players are having more and more problems playing new generation discs. The sa
Feb 11, 4:05pm
Hi there, why are you pushing Blu ray over HD DVD... Please note that this is just a press release that we are pushing out, do not read into it a preference for one or the other format. However, if y
Feb 11, 7:38pm
I say Boo! Hiss! I don't think retilers should be making deals with manufacturers. Can you spell: Anti-Trust Lawsuit? I have the current top of the line Samsung Blu-ray and Toshiba HD-DVD. The picturers are equally good. Toshiba's first HD-DVD's were
Feb 11, 10:12pm
I suspect you are getting a buying advantage from Sony, to promote the Blue ray machines. if you looked at both formats from a purely technical point of view I think you would have to agree the Toshiba HD DVD format is the s
Feb 11, 11:11pm
Well, Best Buy, my choice is HD DVD. I don't want to have to deal with the issues involved in 'trying' to play standard DVD's on a Blue ray player.
Feb 12, 7:32am
Dale commented: > I am utterly outraged... < You shouldn't be. You've misinterpreted the poster's reference to "you". The news piece was about a decision that _Best Buy_ had made, not that HDTV Magazine had made.
Feb 12, 9:11am
You don't say "Hi there, why are you pushing Blu ray over HD DVD" if you're talking about Best Buy.
Feb 12, 9:53am
Dale commented: > I am utterly outraged... < I see your point...but for the record stand my gound. For the record, this magazine does NOT accept anything of any kind in exhange for a
Feb 12, 11:40am
Hi there, me again, thanks Tim for pointing out the bleeding obvious. Sorry I am new at this sort of thing The comment was obviously aimed at Best buy, not you guys ok, sorry if I ruffled your feathers. How about a reply from Best buy. Nobody has taken
Feb 12, 7:20pm
I just received an E-mail from Net-Flix-which I have used since their inception, that they are going Blu-ray ONLY. I have threatened to stop my subscription. (ALL I can do). I don't like other people making decisions for me! NEVER HAVE/ NEVER WILL! But
Showing only excerpts from 10 out of 14, Read More

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About Dale Cripps

Dale Cripps is a professional journalist who has focused two thirds of his career on the subject of high-definition television. Upon completing his education in business and service in the military he formed Cripps and Associates, South Pasadena, California, in 1964, which operated as a market-development company for aerospace services. In 1983 he turned to television and began what has become a 20 year campaign to pioneer HDTV. For fifteen of those years he published the well-regarded HDTV Newsletter (an international monthly written for television professionals). During much of this same time he also served as the HDTV-Technical Editor for "Widescreen Review Magazine." On November 16, 1998 he launched the Internet distributed HDTV Magazine, which remains the only consumer publication devoted exclusively to high-definition television. In April of 2002 he co-founded with Tedson Meyers of Coudert Bros, the High-definition Television Association of America, which is presently based in Washington DC. Cripps is the president of this organization. Mr. Cripps is a charter member of the Academy of Digital Television Pioneers and honored by that organization with the DTV Press Leadership Award of 2002. He makes his home in Oregon.