Kmart: We're Backing Blu-ray, Too
The company denies that it's supporting HD DVD exclusively.
By Swanni
Home Media Magazine last week quoted Toshiba spokeswoman Jody Sally as saying that Kmart had decided to carry HD DVD instead of Blu-ray because of its lower price.
The Toshiba entry-level HD DVD player retails for $299, but is now available for $198 at several stores including Circuit City and Wal-Mart.
A standalone Blu-ray player (HD DVD's rival in the format war) starts at $499, although the Play Station 3, which has a Blu-ray player inside, is now available for $399.
Kmart issued a statement on Friday from Jonathan Magasanik, a vice president at Sears, which owns Kmart, that says the Home Media Magazine report is not true.
"There have been numerous statements in the media today, attributed to Toshiba, indicating exclusive support for the HD-DVD format in Kmart stores. These statements are false," the statement said. "Kmart intends to support both the HD-DVD and Blu-ray platforms, and has no plans to support either platform exclusively."
Kmart did not elaborate on how it would support both formats, but it's now selling both standalone HD DVD players and the Play Station 3 in most stores.
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