Best Buy to recommend Blu-ray format

A model displays a Sony Corp's new 50 gigabyte (GB) Blue-ray disk during an unveiling in Tokyo September 12, 2007. Best Buy Co Inc, the largest U.S. consumer electronics chain, on Monday said that it will recommend that consumers choose Sony Corp's Blu-ray high-definition video format.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N), the largest U.S. consumer electronics chain, said on Monday it will recommend that consumers choose Sony Corp's (6758.T) Blu-ray high-definition video format.

The decision gives Sony yet another victory in the battle with Toshiba Corp's (6502.T) HD DVD to be the high-definition DVD format of choice.

Earlier on Monday, online video rental company Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) said it would exclusively stock Blu-ray DVDs after some of the world's biggest movie studios decided in favor of that format.

Best Buy said it believes consumers will benefit from the choice of one HD DVD format.

"Because we believe that Blu-ray is fast emerging as that single format, we have decided to focus on Blu-ray products," Brian Dunn, Best Buy's president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.

Best Buy will prominently feature Blu-ray hardware and software beginning in March, but will also carry an assortment of HD DVD products for customers who want those, Best Buy said.

(Reporting by Brad Dorfman; editing by Carol Bishopric and Braden Reddall)