Today's High-Def Headlines

Best Buy To Push Blu-ray Over HD DVD In Stores - TWICE
Best Buy stopped short of announcing exclusive support for Blu-ray Disc, but starting in March the chain will begin “prominently showcasing” Blu-ray Disc hardware and software in its retail stores and online. The giant CE retail chain said the decision was made to give consumers direction and clear up confusion that remains in the ongoing HD disc format war. The company noted that it will continue to carry an assortment of HD DVD products for customers who want them.

All-Star LED Team Quietly Working on Blu-ray Successors - CNET News.com
Blu-ray is finally getting some momentum in the market, and two secretive start-ups are already looking at ways to replace the standard, or at least retrofit it. Kaai and Soraa are trying to develop lasers and LEDs that could, conceivably, replace conventional LEDs in the lighting market and serve as a standard for optical data storage, Ford Tamer, the newest partner at Khosla Ventures, said in an interview. The firm has invested in both companies.

Smithsonian Channel Inks Distribution Deals With Charter, FiOS - MCN
Smithsonian Channel has reached an affiliate agreement with Verizon FiOS TV and gained additional distribution on systems owned by Charter Communications. The addition of these new distributors, according to network officials, makes Smithsonian Channel available to 22 million households. The network, which offers historical, cultural and scientific programming, already had carriage on satellite leader DirecTV and on Charter systems in the New Orleans area. The new deals, terms of which were not disclosed, also include Smithsonian Channel On Demand, which is available in both standard and high-definition formats.

Wal-Mart Stocks DTV Converters - MCN
Wal-Mart Stores said Monday it has stocked Magnavox digital-to-analog TV converters in its 3,400 U.S. retail locations, as the government prepares to start issuing $40 coupons for the boxes starting next week. The boxes will allow analog TVs to continue receiving over-the-air broadcasts after Feb. 17, 2009, when local TV stations are required to cease their analog broadcasts.