Best Buy rated as top high-def disc retailer

Port Washington (NY) - Best Buy has outpaced behemoth retailers like Wal-Mart and Amazon by a "large margin" when it comes to HD DVD and Blu-ray, according to a new report from NPD.

According to trade publication Video Business, NPD’s newest report shows Amazon is second place and Wal-Mart in third. Though specific numbers were not disclosed, the report said Best Buy "is far in front" of these two.

Circuit City and Target respectively followed Wal-Mart on the list. Best Buy spokesperson Brian Lucas told the publication, "We generally have an audience that loves movies, where they are not casual fans, and these people are likely to have a great home theater experience."

On the flip side, an Amazon spokesperson said, "There has been much written in recent days about customer confusion surrounding high-definition." The online giant failed to eclipse Best Buy’s sales despite having a much wider selection of movies on both formats.

Target, fourth on the list, has announced that it will not fully support HD DVD, and will instead give more shelf space to Blu-ray. This holiday season will see some of the most decorated high-def disc sets as well as new hardware from both formats.