Circuit City gives HD DVD buyers more time to return players

Saying it wants to take care of its customers, Circuit City announced Thursday that it would extend its standard 30-day return policy to 90 days for buyers of HD DVD players.

Toshiba disclosed last month it would stop producing HD DVD players, effectively ending the high-definition format war that it was waging against Sony for the past three years. Although early adopters of HD DVD knew there was a risk that Blu-ray would come out on top, it wasn't until January -- when Warner Bros. went Blu-ray exclusive -- that Sony gained the advantage.

The move by Circuit City means that anyone who purchased an HD DVD player over the holiday season when prices dropped to near $100 would be eligible to return the unit for store credit. The retailer is likely hoping many buyers will come back and swap for a Blu-ray player, spending more money in the process.

HD DVD discs cannot be returned, although Combo discs can still be played in standard DVD players.

Interestingly, Circuit City said that while it expected some returns, many consumers were actually buying remaining inventory because prices had fallen well below $100. HD DVD player stock was almost entirely depleted at a handful of Best Buy stores visited by BetaNews this week, with many selling their floor sample units at heavy discounts.

Separately, Samsung said Wednesday it would not launch the combination HD DVD/Blu-ray player it announced in January at CES. The BD-UP5500 was slated to be an upgrade to the BD-UP5000, which Samsung will continue to make available. The company said that while a combination player remains the best option, the "window of opportunity is smaller."

Combination players failed to catch on in the marketplace due to their high costs; the BD-UP5000 had an MSRP of $799. It is considerably cheaper simply to buy separate HD DVD and Blu-ray players.