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Hardware Best Buy to Push Blu-ray Titles, Hardware
Brandon Hill (Blog) - February 11, 2008 5:18 PM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 97 comment(s) - last by crystal clear.. on Feb 13 at 6:29 AM
Blu-ray gets yet another supporter

Earlier today, DailyTech reported that Netflix took the bold step to go to a Blu-ray exclusive model for online high definition rentals. Netflix cited Blu-ray's emergence as the clear front-runner in the race and its wish to provide the "best experience for subscribers."

It now looks as though the Blu-ray camp is getting yet another supporter in its fight against HD DVD. Best Buy today announced that it will give preferential treatment to Blu-ray movies and hardware when it comes to floor space and positioning in its stores.

“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 Best Buy President and CFO Brian Dunn. “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.”

Like Netflix, Best Buy says that Blu-ray is the clear choice for consumers, so it will refocus its resources to promote Sony's increasingly-powerful brainchild.

"We believe our move to feature Blu-ray should help consumers feel confident in their hi-def content choices,” said Best Buy Home Solutions Senior VP Mike Vitelli. “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 says that it will continue to carry HD DVD hardware and titles, but customers may have to fight through heavy Blu-ray defenses to reach the goods. On top of that, Best Buy sales reps will do their best to make sure that you know that Blu-ray is the clear direction for the future.

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Just what I need
By Bioniccrackmonk on 2/11/2008 5:30:00 PM , Rating: 4
quote:
Best Buy sales reps will do their best to make sure that you know that Blu-ray is the clear direction for the future.


Some one who makes just above minimum wage to tell me the what the "clear direction for the future", technology wise. No thanks, I will stick to my own research.

*This is not a rip on all Best Buy employees, but anyone who frequents there can tell you some of them don't know their arse from their elbows.




RE: Just what I need
By deeznuts on 2/11/2008 5:39:45 PM , Rating: 3
Well, what is your research telling you? Exactly what the average Best Buy associate is being told to tell you, I assume.


RE: Just what I need
By TomZ on 2/11/2008 5:43:12 PM , Rating: 3
In the end, the "research" is kind of irrelevant. The "format war" is essentially a popularity contest, since all parties have been saying for a long time that they don't want to see two hi-def formats in the marketplace.

Therefore, it seems like BD won over HD-DVD because of the PS3 strategy, not because of any technical superiority or benefit to the customer. In theory each customer evaluates both options and makes a choice, but in reality for most people the decisions are not made with so much information.


RE: Just what I need
By oab on 2/11/08, Rating: -1
RE: Just what I need
By Bioniccrackmonk on 2/11/2008 9:58:29 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
Well, Warner jumped ship because Sony paid them 500m to do so..... (as seen on DT back in January), and then blamed high gas prices.


I don't remember reading that on here, you have a link to this?


RE: Just what I need
By vhx on 2/11/2008 10:09:55 PM , Rating: 3
That was just FUD spread by HD-DVD websites after Warner went exclusive, pay no attention to him or the article. Warner even came out and said they received no payoff... multiple times. Also there has been no proof of said transaction. 500M is a lot to cover up.


RE: Just what I need
By IntelGirl on 2/12/08, Rating: -1
RE: Just what I need
By DingieM on 2/12/2008 3:40:41 AM , Rating: 1
I don't know if they payed that much, but I'm certain Sony dumped a lot of cash to Warner.
Before that, Warner was on the brink to "defect" to HD-DVD, at least the probability was very high.

In any case, thats how the big companies work. If people don't see that, well they should slap themselves and maybe they will wake up.

But its good that the market goes to one standard format. No more confusion. There is no denial needed; at the end of this year HD-DVD will be almost gone.
C'mon MS, bring out your Blu-Ray add-on!


RE: Just what I need
By IntelGirl on 2/12/08, Rating: -1
RE: Just what I need
By Chernobyl68 on 2/11/2008 5:44:52 PM , Rating: 3
you know, just last week when I was in best buy buying my 8th entertainment weekly subscription, I was saying to the CFO, "I sure wish Best Buy would Lead The Way in regards to my future entertainment decisions, because I sure hate thinking for myself!"

gimme a break.


RE: Just what I need
By TomZ on 2/11/2008 5:56:50 PM , Rating: 2
Exactly, BB made this decision so they could focus their floor/shelf space on a single HD format, so they could reduce returns associated with customer purchase mistakes, and so they could benefit from the higher costs/margins of BD player hardware.

To benefit the customer? Please!


RE: Just what I need
By Hydrofirex on 2/11/2008 6:37:35 PM , Rating: 2
Well, the lower the cost of doing business the more a company can theoretically charge you less. Less churn would help. Yeah, Best Buy isn't too good at doing this I know... hence the margins they take.

CompUSA was just as bad. I've been in my local Comp for 2 months now digging for deals with them going out of business and even at 30-40% online stores are usually a little cheaper still. This seems to be the case a little more every year in terms of selection. I know Amazon has done wonders in this way for books.

Beyond that, a decision needed to be made and it's better if it's done now instead of later. Economies of scale should dictate media and buners/players should be cheaper with the 'combined' demand from both formats.

Should being the operative word.
25 Gigs FTW!

HfX


RE: Just what I need
By geddarkstorm on 2/11/2008 8:50:30 PM , Rating: 2
Wow, talk about your cynicism. Don't be so unrealistic. A business has to go with what is selling best if it wishes to make a profit, or the consumer can just go elsewhere (note, the alternative is to cater to a nitch market, like with vinyl records). Considering BD has been outselling HD-DVD for months on the disc side, and players recently, the consumer has chosen. You may favor HD-DVD personally, but the majority doesn't, and a smart business (that is general and not a nitch) will try to serve up products to the majority. Seriously, Best Buy is just one retailer; if HD-DVD was doing that well, people would just skip Best Buy and its BD and go purchase their hi-def elsewhere (something you can still do, or just wade through their displays), but apparently that is not happening.


RE: Just what I need
By KamiXkaze on 2/11/2008 8:57:49 PM , Rating: 2
Agreed format wars tend to hurt most companies bottom line. Since there seems to be a clear winner. For BB it is a easy decision to support BD.

KxK


RE: Just what I need
By someguy123 on 2/11/2008 5:42:09 PM , Rating: 2
i think its safe to say 80% of people working there know just the bare minimum (aka names, what wire (hdmi etc) you need to buy, cost of warranty). Every time I ask for something specific they read me stuff off the sign (as though I couldn't read something directly in front of me) or they'd direct me to the one person in the store that knew about electronics so I'd have to wait for him to be done helping other people before I could get my questions in. Ever since then the only time I go to best buy is when i know exactly what I want beforehand.


RE: Just what I need
By othercents on 2/11/2008 5:51:29 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
i think its safe to say 80% of people working there know just the bare minimum

However I suspect that 80% of the people who shop there know less than the 80% of the people working there. This is why there are support organizations like Geeksquad or home install companies that I personally wouldn't ever pay for, but enough people need them to make them profitable.

David


RE: Just what I need
By someguy123 on 2/11/2008 5:55:14 PM , Rating: 2
thats true. I just wish that people who worked there worked there because they wanted to be around what they were interested in, and not just because there was either no other option or they wanted a relatively easy job.


RE: Just what I need
By geddarkstorm on 2/11/2008 8:53:13 PM , Rating: 4
If the pay was higher and the bar for hiring far more stringent, then that would probably be the case. But that's just how retail is.


RE: Just what I need
By KamiXkaze on 2/11/2008 11:20:42 PM , Rating: 4
Agreed most retailers tend to higher bodies anyone that can read a script. However BB has hired some smart ones from time to time but they're of the minority.

KxK


RE: Just what I need
By enlil242 on 2/11/2008 6:02:42 PM , Rating: 3
Best Buy has been giving preferential treatment to BluRay for quite some time. I've seen associates use the word BluRay like "Kleenix" when pushing TV sales to consumers... "...um, with this tv you can watch high definition TV and watch BluRay movies..."

Plus, they never stocked ebough A-List HD-DVD titles. Seems like they were always out of anything I was interested in.


RE: Just what I need