If you're one of the millions who didn't heed our warnings about buying into the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray format war, and ended up making the wrong choice, you may be getting a little medication to help ease your pain. Those who purchased an HD-DVD Player or XBOX-360 add-on drive at Best Buy before February 23, 2008 will automatically receive a $50 gift card good towards anything in the store.

"At Best Buy, we understood and shared our customers’ frustrations as they were being asked to choose one format or the other," says Brian J. Dunn, president and COO for Best Buy. "Now that the format war is over, we hope these gift cards will reassure our customers that we will help them make a smooth transition into the right technology for their needs."

Some may look at the $50 gift cards as a token gesture, considering that HD-DVD playback devices sold between $180 and $500 until Toshiba pulled the plug back in February. It's important to remember that early adoption of new audio, video, and gaming formats is a risky move for any consumer. Retailers aren't required to give anything back to consumers who invest in a technology loser... and they usually don't.

What makes the death of HD-DVD different among other tech failures of yore (like DVD-Audio, SACD, Dreamcast, and a host of others) different is beside me. Will compensation for early adoption of dead formats become commonplace in the future, or is this one-time gesture to increase sales during this economic downtime? Either way, early adopters should count their blessings they get anything at all while still getting to keep their original purchase.

Most won't have to do a thing to receive their $50 gift card; Best Buy will proactively mail the card customers they can identify as having purchased an HD-DVD player. Meaning if you used your Best Buy Rewards Zone card or purchased a product protection plan at the time of purchase, you'll get your card automatically. For those who paid cash or fear they did not give Best Buy personally identifiable information can "call (888) BEST BUY to receive their gift cards with proof of purchase through a credit card or their Best Buy receipt."

The Best Buy love continues for those who also no longer wish to keep their HD-DVD player. Beginning March 21st, anyone (BestBuy customer or not) who has an HD-DVD player or HD-DVD movie they don't want can get a trade in quote from Best Buy's Online Trade-In Center. If you like the estimate you get, you can ship your unwanted HD-DVD items to them free and get extra gift cards. Don't get your expectations too high on what you'll get for it though... I can't imagine it will be a lot.

While I believe the true motive behind this customer love-fest is really the need to spur in-store sales during this time of low consumer spending, you can't argue with being tossed a cookie for making a bone-headed choice.

Just do me a favor and don't spend it on the HD-DVD movie fire sale. Remember, players don't last forever.

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