If I had to pick, I'd be in the Blu-Ray camp but this is very good news for the HD DVD fans

HD DVD Sails Into Stores, Sells Out

The first wave of next-generation DVDs washed through retailer Best Buy this weekend, as Toshiba's first HD-DVD player arrived and quickly sold out.

Actual sales figures were not available, as a Best Buy spokeswoman referred calls to individual stores. An informal poll of sales representatives in some NoHo and Midtown New York locations, however, revealed that the Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD players sold out soon after they went on sale.

Best Buy representatives also reported that only two HD DVD titles were in stock as of Tuesday: Phantom of the Opera and The Last Samurai. Both films are from Warner Home Video and retail for $24.99. Originally the company also advertised that it would offer Million Dollar Baby, although the title hasn't yet hit shelves.

Toshiba, the brains behind the HD-DVD standard, is going head to head with Sony's Blu-Ray technology, both of which are vying to become the next generation of DVD storage formats. Last month, Toshiba decided to delay the launch of its player to coincide with the release of the movie titles, following an earlier delay that was caused by licensing negotiations regarding the use of the AACS digital-rights-management technology used by both players. Toshiba has already launched its own player in Japan.

Between HD-DVD getting to market first and the suggested price disparity, I sometimes have to be reminded Blu-Ray has a chance.