Kmart: We're Purple

Responding to reports that it would stock only one standalone high-def disc player this holiday (an HD DVD player), Kmart says it has no plans to choose to sides in the high-def format war.

In a statement released late Thursday, Kmart VP Jonathan Magasanik said the following:

There have been numerous statements in the media today, attributed to Toshiba, indicating exclusive support for the HD DVD format in Kmart stores. These statements are false. Kmart intends to support both the HD DVD and Blu-ray platforms, and has no plans to support either platform exclusively.

Kmart's dual-format pledge comes on the heels of widespread reports that it had chosen to stock Toshiba's HD-A3 player as its only stand-alone high-def disc player this holiday season.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the retailer's statement meant it planned to stock stand-alone Blu-ray players alongside the Toshiba deck, but as we've previously reported, the chain already sells the Blu-ray enabled PlayStation 3 in its gaming department.

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