Best Buy Picks Up HP TVs

New York — Hewlett-Packard will expand its HDTV retail presence with the introduction of five SKUs into Best Buy, starting in April. Jan Luc Blackborn, HP’s consumer digital entertainment director, said the rollout will take place over a period of several months, but by late summer three LCD and two plasma models will be on sale throughout the Best Buy chain. All five models were introduced in January at International CES and include one that is Wi-Fi equipped. “This is the next step in our TV strategy to place HP on a national stage and bring the IT experience to the HDTV arena,” Blackborn said. Prior to this announcement, HP’s TV line had sold only through specialty and regional retailers. Best Buy opted not to pick up any of HP’s rear-projection units, Blackborn said.