Netflix going exclusively Blu-ray for HD movies

It looks like this one is all but over. In another major blow to HD DVD, Netflix announced today that by the end of the year they plan to phase out their stock of HD DVD and go exclusively Blu-ray.

The decision comes after most of the major Hollywood studios dropped HD DVD and decided to only use Blu-ray for upcoming high-definition DVDs.

“The prolonged period of competition between two formats has prevented clear communication to the consumer regarding the richness of the high-def experience versus standard definition,” said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix.

He also added, “We’re now at the point where the industry can pursue the migration to a single format, bring clarity to the consumer and accelerate the adoption of high-def. Going forward, we expect that all of the studios will publish in the Blu-ray format and that the price points of high-def DVD players will come down significantly. These factors could well lead to another decade of disc-based movie watching as the consumer’s preferred means.”

Netflix seems to believe that Blu-ray has won, and this has us completely convinced. With such a major company standing behind Blu-ray, expect HD DVD to die out soon.