Some of the biggest companies backing the Blu-ray format for high-definition movies are hedging their bets by introducing players that can also show Internet video, which is making surprising inroads in the home-entertainment market.

Electronics retailers and manufacturers including Best Buy Co., Samsung Electronics America Inc. and LG Electronics USA Inc. are selling Blu-ray disc players that tap into movies from online rental companies. The devices provide an alternative to pay-per-view cable services.

The hybrid movie players tap a growing library of online movies and television shows from Amazon.com Inc., which screens movies for as little as 99 cents, and from Netflix Inc., which allows unlimited movie streaming for $8.99 a month.

Blu-ray supporters fought a bruising and expensive battle over competing formats a few years ago. Now, to salvage those investments, they're incorporating a feature, Internet video, that threatens to make the players IRRELEVANT over time but allows them to sell the disc players as multi-purpose machines.

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