Best Buy said Wednesday it will offer US$50 gift cards to U.S. consumers who bought
HD DVD players and accessories, a month after the retailer abandoned HD DVD to
push the rival format, Blu-ray Disc.

The gift card will be available
starting March 21 to consumers who bought HD DVD players or accessories
before Feb. 23, Best Buy said. The gift card can be used to make in-store or
online purchases from the retailer.

Best Buy expects to distribute more than $10 million in gift cards to U.S.
customers, the company said.

The offer comes after Toshiba and movie studios abandoned the HD DVD format,
conceding to Sony's Blu-Ray Disc format. Video rental companies like Netflix
and Blockbuster and major electronics vendors including Wal-Mart and Circuit
City have already abandoned HD DVD, expressing preference to distribute Blu-ray
Disc products.

"The DVD format war has divided our customers in a way we haven't seen
since Betamax took on VHS more than 20 years ago," said Brian J. Dunn,
president and chief operating officer for Best Buy, in a statement.

Best Buy will mail cards to customers that purchased HD DVD players, the company
said. The company may not be able to identify all customers, but a user can
call Best Buy with a proof of purchase.

Owners of Toshiba HD DVD player models including the HD-A1, HD-A2, HD-A20,
HD-XA2, HD-A3, HD-A30 and HD-A35 qualify for the offer. Users who purchased
the Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD player accessory model 9Z5-00013 also qualify
for the offer, according to Best Buy.

The offer does not extend to HD DVD-equipped computers and laptops, or "the
so-called 'dual-format' or 'universal' high-definition disc player models designed
to play both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD media," Best Buy said.

Best Buy will also allow customers to trade in their HD DVD players at Best
Buy's Online Trade-In Center.

IDG News Service

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