Dallas - In a blow to Toshiba's next-generation HD DVD disc format, video rental giant Blockbuster announced on Monday that it will expand its inventory of titles in Sony's rival Blu-ray Disc format to 1,700 stores next month.

The company said it will continue to offer both Blu-ray and HD DVD titles through its online rental service, and will carry both formats at the initial 250 stores where it launched both high-definition formats.

"We intend to meet the demands of our customers and based on the trends we're seeing, we're expanding our Blu-ray inventory to ensure our stores reflect the right level of products," said Matthew Smith, senior vice president of merchandising at Blockbuster.

"While it is still too early to say which high-definition format will become the industry standard, we will continue to closely monitor customer rental patterns both at our stores and online."

Related Links:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070618/lam072.html?.v=96

http://www.blockbuster.com

http://www.blu-raydisc.com

http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/hddvd