NEW YORK (Reuters) - Online video rental company Netflix Inc (NFLX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday it would exclusively stock Blu-ray high-definition DVDs after a decision by some the world's biggest movie studios in favor of the Sony Corp (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) developed format.

Netflix has stocked DVDs using both Blu-ray and the competing HD DVD format developed by Toshiba Corp (6502.T: Quote, Profile, Research) since they first came on the market in early 2006.

Four out of six major Hollywood studios have recently decided to publish high-definition DVDs only using Blu-ray.

Netflix said that with such a clear signal from the industry, it will only buy Blu-ray discs going forward and will phase out stock of HD DVD by about the end of the year.

I still have Face/Off HD DVD - wonder what they are gonna do with all those HD DVDs?

The landfill with the E.T. cartridges.

Well, at least Netflix actually stocked both as long as it was feasible. They did their part to not play favorites.

hopefully Toshiba will soon just kill it's HD-DVD format and just join the BD bandwagon like everyone else is doing, yay for blue.

Thank goodness....the sooner this stupid farce is over, the sooner other people will feel confident buying HD. I know that when Warner went blu exclusive, I felt so much better about all the purchases I had made (72 blu-rays). Nobody wants to worry about wasting $1000's on the next Betamax or Laser Disc.

Now Toshiba needs to swallow its pride, throw in the towel, and work on building the best blu-ray player they can. They build good electronics--so do everyone a favor and give up on the past and focus on the future.

im not into the whole format war but thats a hell of a win for Blu since NF rent out ridiculous amounts of dvd's

 did Sony come out and kill off Betamax?

 No, in fact, more than a few people still use it (mostly professionally), but we all know it's dead.

Agreed. Toshiba is basically throwing away their money with HD-DVD now. I see no possible way for HD-DVD to win.

Blu-ray has one, thanks to PS3. This should boost PS3 sales a bit, now they just need to work on getting Star Wars and LotR to Blu-ray

I can't wait for the day the ps3 gets to $299. HD adoption in terms of players and media not talking about TVs, is about to skyrocket.

hopefully, Toshiba will finally drop it now