Analyst have suspected that much of this has been in the works since Warner went Blu and VB has given a number of retailers a call and discovered that this is just the case. It seems most retailers have been preparing for the end of the format war since Warner's announcement just before CES, but now that things are officially over, retailers aren't wasting any time. Some of the big boys in retail like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Netflix, were quick to make their intentions known before Toshiba gave the word, but the rest are falling in line quickly and we're not just talking about Amazon and DVD Empire, but smaller retailers around the country like Texas electronics store Bjorn's which is getting more creative and allowing its customers to return HD DVD players for store credit towards a Blu-ray player. Some retailers immediately returned its stock for credit while others have marked it as clearance and are quick to communicate to its customers that HD DVD is to be discontinued. Whatever the plans, one thing is for sure, most retailers knew this was coming long before some HD DVD fans did.

[Via Format War Central]

Yeah, we pretty much expected every big box retailer known to man to carry these things, but just in case you were worried about locating a TV converter box in preparation for the upcoming cutover, here's some comforting news. Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City, Kmart, RadioShack, Target, Sears and Sam's Club are all on the list to carry equipment necessary for analog TV owners to receive OTA programming after February 2009, and just in case one of the aforementioned giants aren't anywhere near you, around 100 more smaller retailers have been certified to stock 'em. Also of note, you can start the new year off right by reminding your great grandparents (or other family members, too) that they can go on and apply for up to two coupons -- which should arrive around six weeks later -- worth $40 apiece to purchase the required boxes. Or, of course, you could just pick them up a new television this holiday season and be done with it.

[Via BroadcastingCable]

My, how things have changed in just a few short months. While we once groused over retailers not devoting enough attention to high-definition film, it wasn't too long before the SACD and DVD-A kiosks were canned (hey, it's our best guess, anyway) and HD DVD / Blu-ray titles received expanded exposure. Now that both formats are still holding (relatively) strong, it looks like the major players are seeking to provide an equal amount of promotion for each "until customers tell them they shouldn't." Jim Litwak, president and CEO at Trans World, was even quoted as saying that while Blu-ray sales were currently trumping HD DVD, "the customer is still saying that they want HD DVD." Firms such as Amazon, Best Buy, and Virgin Metastores were all noted as companies unwilling to "snub" one format while the war raged on, and that sits just fine with us.

Life can be hard for upper-end electronic relaters these days. Well with Walmart poking fun at 'em in commercials and Home Depot contemplating getting into flat screen sales but we strongly feel that stores like Tweeters will find that niche they need to survive. They will not, and shouldn't, compete with big box pushers like Best Buy and Circuit City's but rather focus in on custom installations and competent salesmen. Their restructuring plan includes shutting the doors of 49 stores, two regional locations and exiting certain regions of the country. The company is closing all the stores in California, Tennessee, Alabama, New York, and most of Georgia within two to three months. While we don't understand how some of those states are not preforming for Tweeter, they know their company a whole lot better than we do. The rest of the plan includes retooling other stores into their Digital Playground layout and "significant reinvestment in its people." Hopefully Tweeter can survive these low price/low revenue days cause as nice as it is to get a low price, it's almost as nice as shopping in a professional, knowledgeable atmosphere.

[via CE Pro]

Ah, Black Friday. Two incredibly delightful sounding words in the ears of bargain hunters everywhere, and this year's episode promises to emphasize HDTVs more than ever. With the big day looming, certain retailers have already disclosed attractive pricing on LCD and plasma sets, including the magical "$999" price point for 42-inch displays (albeit probably ED). Best Buy is hoping that the increase in volume will lead to increased demand for in-home installations, and with a new wave of gaming consoles hitting the market just a week earlier, HDTV sales could see a huge boost from gamers looking to take advantage of that 720p/1080i/1080p bliss. LCDs seem to be the biggest draw this year, as plasma pricing has hit a bit of a wall, while LCD technology continues to get cheaper. Marketing analysts have also predicted that consumers may see the stellar one-day deals as good reason to upgrade their old sets in order to take advantage of Blu-ray / HD DVD technology, and have also noted that this year is likely the "last hurrah" for EDTV sets. Regardless, getting your hands on any of the hotter deals will likely be a chore, and if you're not exactly keen with lining up outside a retailer's door at 3:00AM, just hold tight for that soon-to-come Cyber Monday, cool?