Target To Carry Sony BD Decks
By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 8/6/2007
SAN DIEGO — Target has agreed to sell Sony Blu-ray Disc players as its exclusive next-generation high-definition disc players this holiday season, according to Sony.
The exclusive deal, which will begin this fall and continue "at least through the holiday season," will feature Sony's $499 BDP-S300 Blu-ray player, which is scheduled to arrive at Target in October, and the currently available PlayStation3 video game console, which also plays Blu-ray Disc movies.
Target will support the players with an "expanded assortment of Blu-ray Disc movies."
"We're extremely excited that Target chose to carry Sony Blu-ray Disc players," stated Randy Waynick, Sony home products division senior VP. "Target's decision to add Sony's Blu-ray Disc player to the shelf, in addition to the already available Playstation3 video game system, illustrates how this leading retailer is in tune with American consumers who are interested in the latest high-definition technologies."
The BDP-S300 Blu-ray Disc player will be used in a holiday feature endcap designed to communicate the consumer benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology, Sony said.
The endcap will also feature an expanded list of movie titles from a variety of Hollywood studios.
Commenting on the decision, Ken Graffeo, HD DVD Promotional Group co-president said: "Target will continue to carry the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive as well as HD DVD titles so we don't see much of a change in their plans to carry both formats. In fact, they continue to sell Toshiba HD DVD players on their Web site. Sony appears to have bought an end cap, just as HD DVD has in retail stores such as Best Buy and Circuit City. What's important is that stand alone HD DVD players are still much more affordable than Blu-ray players."
