What’s Hot: Target Gets Blu-Ray

In a surprising move, Target announced plans to get into high-definition DVD hardware during the holidays by carrying Sony’s Blu-ray player (pictured). Target will not carry Toshiba’s HD-DVD player.

In a statement issued July 26, Sony said that Target would carry Blu-ray players beginning in October and continue stocking them “at least through the holiday season.” The basic Blu-ray player currently sells for $499, but the price is likely to drop by October.

Target said in a statement that its decision to carry just the Blu-ray player isn’t an endorsement of one high-definition format over the other and that it would continue to carry both HD-DVD and Blu-ray movies in its stores, which it started doing last fall.

Wal-Mart currently sells Toshiba’s HD-DVD player on its Web site for $298 but does not stock Blu-ray players.