Blu-ray ascendent, continued

Sometimes, things just start to look inevitable -- like the next-gen DVD format war. The latest news is that Netflix is phasing out HD-DVD, opting to carry Blu-ray exclusively. This article also includes the tidbit that Best Buy stores will begin to "recommend that customers choose Blu-ray," which is less impressive but still noteworthy. Certainly if they're hiding the $200 Toshiba HD-DVD players behind a massive Blu-ray display featuring the likes of Ratatouille, it's possible some consumers won't even realize they have a choice.

Then came this weak rejoinder from the HD-DVD camp:

We have long held the belief that HD DVD is the best format for consumers based on quality and value, and with more than 1 million HD DVD players on the market, it's unfortunate to see Netflix make the decision to only stock Blu-ray titles going forward. While the Best Buy announcement says they will recommend Blu-ray, at least they will continue to carry HD DVD and offer consumers a choice at retail.

Yep -- that's the whole thing. No blustery statement about future prospects, no mention of the lower cost of HD-DVD players, nothing about Paramount still hanging on as supporting HD-DVD exclusively. (Things look a little bleak on the Universal front, too.) I can't believe how sad and dejected the language is. "At least they'll continue to carry HD-DVD. Aw, shucks." You can practically see the spokesperson shoving his hands in his pockets and kicking a pebble.

It's getting hard to ignore the data as it accumulates in Blu-ray's favor. But the death blow won't come for a few months, and when it does, it's coming in the form of this movie:

Blu-ray ain't got time to bleed.

Note: Apparently it's officially formatted as "Blu-ray," so that's what I'll start doing unless somebody has a counterargument.