Target revealed last week that it would begin carrying
the Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray Disc player this October. The announcement was
significant as the Sony player would be the retailer’s only standalone
high-definition movie player product throughout the holiday season.
As much as some may mark this as a victory for Blu-ray Disc
supporters, the HD DVD Group views it as just another marketing initiative by
Sony.
“All they are announcing is they are merchandising an endcap
with Blu-ray, which is normal merchandising at any retailer,” Ken Graffeo,
co-president of the North American HD DVD Promotional Group, said to Home
Media Magazine. “Just like HD DVD has a dedicated endcap at Best Buy,
and a dedicated endcap at Circuit City, and dedicated space and fixturing at
Wal-mart.”
“Target is not making any statement about the format. They
are merely providing an endcap, with a cost associated with it,” Graffeo
continued. “The question I ask is, knowing that HD DVD is the most affordable
high-definition format, it will be very interesting to see how the Sony player
will appeal to Target guests.”
Sony, on the other hand, sees the move as a considerable
victory and a sign of retailer preference. David Bishop, president of Sony
Pictures Home Entertainment, said, “I think what you’re seeing is that
retailers are deciding... This is the beginning of a trend. Retailers are very
impatient now.”
“It’s not like DVD sales are in rapid growth mode the way
they were three or four years ago. They are flat or in a state of decline, and
retailers can no longer wait for us to figure this out,” said Bishop. “We think
this is a big step in clarifying the decision to the consumer.”
Target spokeswoman Brie Heath said
last week, “We are not proclaiming one format vs. the other as the
preferred consumer technology, and software will continue to be available to
our guests in both the Blu-ray and HD DVD format,”
“HD DVD players are the most affordable,” added Graffeo. “It's
one thing to have a player featured, but it's another if it doesn't sell.”