Blockbuster to start renting Blu-ray and HD DVD discs

Early adopters won't have to buy the discs to use their players

8 November 2006 11:57 GMT / By Amber Maitland

Blockbuster wants a piece of the high-definition action. Several store locations in the US are going to stock Blu-ray and HD DVD titles for sale or rent.

With 40 titles for each format, early-adopters will now be able to use their expensive pieces of hardware without having to shell out to buy the expensive discs. The high-definition discs will be available at the same price as normal rentals.

Although Blockbuster has over 250 stores across the US, only a select number of them, based on which areas were the first to adopt DVD technology when it was rolled out, will stock the high-def discs. However, if Blockbuster finds there is a demand for Blu-ray and HD DVD, they will likely add them to more stores soon.

No need for Blockbuster to start stocking the shelves with high-def content in the UK yet, as we’ve only just gotten Samsung’s Blu-ray player, and are eagerly anticipating HD DVD courtesy of Toshiba and Microsoft.