Blockbuster goes Blu-ray, HD DVD=beta?,

Jaybo, The question is who is "they". Walmart is unlikely to make an arbitrary decision. Either Walmart will receive an offer they can't refuse or the customers will vote with their wallets. If sales are uneven enough Walmart may drop one format. And that will be bad for that format and hasten its final days but it may only be an indicator that the format has already lost, not the actual cause.

By offer they can't refuse, I mean some exclusive deal. But who in either camp (HD DVD or Blue Ray)is big enough to make an exclusive deal to the exclusion of the other? I do not understand the distribution model but is there a single distributor of either format that is large enough to create an exclusive deal with the big "W"? That sure wouldn't make the other retailers happy.

Snooker14, I think that I screwed up...was it 720p, now going to 1080i? And I thought that the maximum HD channel bandwidth allowed for either 720p or 1080i, but NOT 1080p.

After some research, I found these interesting websites:

1080i vs. 1080p #1

1080i vs. 1080p #2

This is almost reason enough for me to buy an HD-DVD machine and some disks. I absolutely dispise Blockbuster and am enjoying watching them suffer from Netflix.

I think this will hurt HD but I also think that there are lots of people like me who don't patronize BB anymore due to the poor service they have received over the years.

I hope all those late fees were worth it Blockbuster - you will never get another penny of my money.

Unlike, Beta v VHS there will be universal players that do both formats. Walmart's percentage of the market is huge. As for Walmart's customers not being market makers just remember Joe Six Pack chose VHS over the higher picture quality Beta. Don't forget the international market's influence on if one format comes out on top.

Personally, I expect the high def disc market to be a niche product like LaserDisc, SACD, and DVD-A. Many can't tell that much difference between a regular DVD and high def discs. You need a 1080p set to get the most out of Blu-ray/HD-DVD. The penetration of HDTV much less 1080p displays is still fairly low. Joe Six Pack hasn't likely even run Avia/DVE on his HDTV much less had it calibrated. Then he's still watching so much SD on his HDTV that standard DVD looks really good in comparison.

I think it can be either an excellent move for Blockbuster or a horrible one.

Many people still do go to blockbuster, i do. Reason being is no fricken late fees meaning i can rent a video game for almost 30 days and it will only cost me an extra 1.25... and new movie tuesdays are huge becuase the only time i ever go in is on tuesdays so i can keep the new 2 day rentals for an extra 5 days.

Believe or not blockbuster is still a powerful video company and this decision may altar the race a little. i know for a fact if one of the 3 blockbusters in my area begins to carry blu ray i will surely begin renting them.

Though if somehow blu ray loses the format war. blockbuster is semi-skrewed because they can still sell off their blu ray movies used...but who would buy if hd-dvd wins... nonetheless this will have an impact on blockbuster...