Retailers unwilling to give up on HD DVD yet

Although it has lost backing, not everyone is so ready to write off HD DVD.

Although many have already written off HD DVD, most major US and European retailers aren't being so quick to abandon the underdog.

According to a Reuters report, the majority of retailers will still carry HD DVD products on store shelves and aren't convinced that the future of HD will revolve around Blu-ray.

Can we say it's over?

"I don't think we're in a position to go out and declare a winner," said Steve Eastman, Target Corp's vice president of consumer electronics, in an interview.

Citing relatively flat sales on both sides of the high-def format war, major retailers simply don't know what the future will hold for this battle and are afraid of losing out if a sudden shift occurs in the market. That said, none of the retailers is hoping the war lasts much longer.

Retailers hope for ceasefire

"It would be our hope that by this Christmas there would be a clearer choice for the customer, instead of battling back and forth" between the formats, said Gary Severson, senior vice president in charge of electronics for Wal-Mart US. "I don't know if that's going to happen or not," he added.

Although it's backed into a wall, some people still have some hope for HD DVD. And it's for that reason that maybe now is not the time to start writing that obituary.