Netflix Sending HD DVD Softly Into that Good Night

Alas, poor HD DVD owners. The last major source for new-to-you HD DVD titles is soon to be no more. Netflix just announced that effective December 15, 2008, they will no longer carry HD DVDs. Rent now  or forever watch Blu-ray. HD DVD owners are in for a blue Christmas.

Actually, they're going to replace any HD DVD titles in your playlist with standard DVDs. According to Netflix, "We will automatically replace any HD DVD titles in your Queue with standard DVDs when available. You don't have to do anything...Last February, we announced that since most of the major movie studios had decided to release their high-def movies exclusively in Blu-ray, we were going exclusively Blu-ray as well and would be phasing out our HD DVDs."

This is an interesting move because . . .

Netflix still has the HD DVD titles in their inventory. Why not let folks keep renting them until they become unplayable? Or give HD DVD owners a chance to buy up this old stock? Do HD DVD owners go dumpster-diving outside their nearest Netflix distribution center on December 16th? There certainly is a market for used HD DVDs, especially since many titles have not yet been released on Blu-ray.

HD DVD owners - head over to eBay. There are still about 26 discs available there. Or go here. They seem happy to be living in fantasy-land.

It just might be time to face the music, man up, and buy a Blu-ray player. I'm just saying . . . —Leslie Shapiro

Netflix

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