The nation' s top retailer will phase out its HD DVD support by early summer.
That' s the official word this morning from Wal-Mart, first announced on the company' s gadget blog, CheckOut.com.

According to Wal-Mart execs, the company will begin emphasizing Blu-ray in both brick-and-mortar stores and online over the next thirty days, with plans to completely phase out HD DVD movie and hardware sales by June 2008. The company will continue to sell DVDs and standard-definition hardware.

Today' s announcement from the retailer comes on the heels of news earlier this week that both Netflix and Best Buy had endorsed Blu-ray.

" An announcement is coming soon," said one source close to the HD DVD camp. " It could be a matter of weeks."

Several phone calls to Kevin Collins, Microsoft' s normally accessible " HD DVD evangelist," were not returned. Nor were calls to Ken Graffeo, the Universal Studios Home Entertainment executive who doubles as co-president of the HD DVD North American Promotional Group.