Just in case you needed further proof that HD-DVD was dead as a format, Netflix has announced they are dropping the high definition format. In place, Netflix will continue to support the Sony backed Blu-Ray format. It’s really just another nail in HD-DVD’s coffin.

What was once a format war has devolved into a format mopping up session. With HD-DVD firmly defeated by Warner Brothers going Blu-Ray exclusive, recent announcements have seemed more like cleaning out the last cobwebs. All the while, Sony has been laughing to the bank.

While Sony once seemed to be stumbling by including Blu-Ray into every PS3 system, the recent format war win continues to bode well for the future of the PS3. With its main competitor out of the way, Sony has even more incentive to make sure the format is a resounding success, and that includes making sure the PS3 is in as many homes as possible.

Netflix currently stocks over 400 Blu-Ray titles and claims their customers had chosen it by “a majority.” Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, said of the decision,

“The prolonged period of competition between two formats has prevented clear communication to the consumer regarding the richness of the high-def experience versus standard definition. We’re now at the point where the industry can pursue the migration to a single format, bring clarity to the consumer and accelerate the adoption of high-def. Going forward, we expect that all of the studios will publish in the Blu-ray format and that the price points of high-def DVD players will come down significantly. These factors could well lead to another decade of disc-based movie watching as the consumer’s preferred means.”

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2. Sony’s clever plan for the PS3, your new center of entertainment
3. Online game rental service expanding
4. Sony’s game division turns a profit, and everyone pretends like it’s big news
5. How Sony got their groove back

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