Blu-ray Disc Sales Surpass HD DVD

[AdverseDeviant]

Data from Nielsen indicates that sales of Blu-ray media for the first time has outpaced that of HD DVD; however, as expected, both camps in the high-definition format war have different ways of interpreting the data.

For the week of February 18, Blu-ray sold 100 units for every 98.71 units of HD DVD. That culminates a several week period where sales of the disc format began to catch up to HD DVD after nearly a year of slow sales.

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Analysts credit the launch of the PlayStation 3, which includes a Blu-ray drive, as helping to boost sales. The resurgent format also seems to have a five-to-one advantage over HD DVD in actual player sales.However, this is where supporters of HD DVD step in to defend their own format.

"Given that the life to date title sales ratios are close to 1:1, and given that Blu-ray has a 5:1 ratio right now on the hardware side due to the PS3, it poses an interesting question for the Blu-ray studios of why Blu-ray software sales are not outpacing HD DVD by a similar ratio?" Universal's HD DVD chief Ken Graffeo told BetaNews.

He noted that while sales are now basically even, HD DVD players still sport an attach rate than is five times higher than Blu-ray's. Furthermore, the #1 selling title across either format is Batman Begins, available only on HD DVD. The #2 title Superman Returns, while available in both formats, shows higher sales for HD DVD copies than the Blu-ray version, the HD DVD Promotional Group noted.

Representatives for Sony's Blu-ray format sing a different song, saying that surpassing HD DVD in disc sales was no big surprise. Chief among its newfound dominance, they claim, are the technical superiority of the format, the launch of the PS3, and better availability of titles and players.

It should be noted that so far this year, Blu-ray titles have outpaced HD DVD releases by a 2-to-1 margin.

http://www.betanews.com/article/Bluray_Dis..._DVD/1172267610

[TDQuiksilver]

Data from Nielsen indicates that sales of Blu-ray media for the first time has outpaced that of HD DVD; however, as expected, both camps in the high-definition format war have different ways of interpreting the data.

For the week of February 18, Blu-ray sold 100 units for every 98.71 units of HD DVD. That culminates a several week period where sales of the disc format began to catch up to HD DVD after nearly a year of slow sales.

<script language="javascript" src="

http://ads.betanews.com/adserve.iframejscript/www.betanews.com/MPU@Top?735631848"></script>

Analysts credit the launch of the PlayStation 3, which includes a Blu-ray drive, as helping to boost sales. The resurgent format also seems to have a five-to-one advantage over HD DVD in actual player sales.However, this is where supporters of HD DVD step in to defend their own format.

"Given that the life to date title sales ratios are close to 1:1, and given that Blu-ray has a 5:1 ratio right now on the hardware side due to the PS3, it poses an interesting question for the Blu-ray studios of why Blu-ray software sales are not outpacing HD DVD by a similar ratio?" Universal's HD DVD chief Ken Graffeo told BetaNews.

He noted that while sales are now basically even, HD DVD players still sport an attach rate than is five times higher than Blu-ray's. Furthermore, the #1 selling title across either format is Batman Begins, available only on HD DVD. The #2 title Superman Returns, while available in both formats, shows higher sales for HD DVD copies than the Blu-ray version, the HD DVD Promotional Group noted.

Representatives for Sony's Blu-ray format sing a different song, saying that surpassing HD DVD in disc sales was no big surprise. Chief among its newfound dominance, they claim, are the technical superiority of the format, the launch of the PS3, and better availability of titles and players.

It should be noted that so far this year, Blu-ray titles have outpaced HD DVD releases by a 2-to-1 margin.

http://www.betanews.com/article/Bluray_Dis..._DVD/1172267610

Very nice! :yes:

[L3thal Veteran]

Go Blu-Ray!

[Sn4k36]

Wasn't this like post a few weeks ago? or last month.. But anyways, just wait until those 10.4 million people who bought the xbox360 get there hands on the HD-DVD player.. :)

[*John*]

Awesome! I like Blu-Ray, the technology is better :)

[DaveBG]

Excellent!

Go Blu-ray, the better technology should win!

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Old News. . .

[ToneKnee]

To be honest, I wouldn't of liked Blu-ray pull away. Sony get a bit cocky when they are the Big Dog and start messing things up. :(

[KoL Veteran]

I think this is like a month old hehe

Very nice for Blu-Ray group :)

[Mathiasdm]

Wasn't this like post a few weeks ago? or last month.. But anyways, just wait until those 10.4 million people who bought the xbox360 get there hands on the HD-DVD player.. :)

HD-DVD for XBox360 is an add-on, right?

That probably means most people won't buy it.

Well, I'm curious as to how this will evolve...

[Crazysah]

Yeah if they have it intergrated then I think HD-DVD sales will surpass Blue-Ray!@

[Glassed Silver]

uuurgh... blu-ray, no offence, but IMO HD-DVD is by far better... ok less capacity but for a HD movie its ALWAYS enough and *-Rs never offer full capacity anyways and I'll switch to HD storing only (for all the multimedia things at least).

2x1TB HDDs in Raid-1 yummy :)

Glassed Silver:mac

[Aero Ultimate]

uuurgh... blu-ray, no offence, but IMO HD-DVD is by far better... ok less capacity but for a HD movie its ALWAYS enough and *-Rs never offer full capacity anyways and I'll switch to HD storing only (for all the multimedia things at least).

2x1TB HDDs in Raid-1 yummy :)

Glassed Silver:mac

Indeed, HD-Dvd is much better - cheaper players and cheaper media.

This article smells like a big FUD, I bet Sony bribed Nielsen so they publish this nonsense.

[Elliott]

The Universal guy has a point. It's pretty sad when you have so many Blu-ray players out there (PS3's) and you still can't move the discs that well. Sony's trojan horse technique isn't getting them as far as it should be.

[Glassed Silver]

The Universal guy has a point. It's pretty sad when you have so many Blu-ray players out there (PS3's) and you still can't move the discs that well. Sony's trojan horse technique isn't getting them as far as it should be.

:rofl: :yes:

may the better one win this battle

or to make it short: HD-DVD ftw :p

Glassed Silver:mac

[DaveBG]

Indeed, HD-Dvd is much better - cheaper players and cheaper media.

This article smells like a big FUD, I bet Sony bribed Nielsen so they publish this nonsense.

Better with what?

Blu-ray has better image quality and sound quality (see reviews) and also is not more expensive. There are cheap players for Blu-ray too, while hd dvd has no choice - only glitching Toshibas...

And Blu-ray has double the capacity. hd dvd is 15-30GB while Blu-ray is 50GB and can go 100GB and 200GB in future...

Why do you think 90% of the world companies support Blu-ray and most studios do so too? Simple, because its better!

[WelshBluebird]

Wasn't this like post a few weeks ago? or last month.. But anyways, just wait until those 10.4 million people who bought the xbox360 get there hands on the HD-DVD player.. :)

Do you really think that many people are going to buy the HD-DVD add on?

I'd be suprised if about a quater of those who have a 360 now will buy it.

[TheElite]

I thought that people were saying NO WAY, no porn on bluray so its gonna lose.

Yeah, right. **** porn.

[Chad]

Indeed, HD-Dvd is much better - cheaper players and cheaper media.

This article smells like a big FUD, I bet Sony bribed Nielsen so they publish this nonsense.

Bribe Nielsen? Now that's freakin hilarious. Who gives a crap if the players are cheaper when Blu-Ray has more support from the movie studios. THAT is the biggest difference between the two. Prices and visual/audio quality are negligible.

[Joel]

Better with what?

Blu-ray has better image quality and sound quality (see reviews) and also is not more expensive. There are cheap players for Blu-ray too, while hd dvd has no choice - only glitching Toshibas...

And Blu-ray has double the capacity. hd dvd is 15-30GB while Blu-ray is 50GB and can go 100GB and 200GB in future...

Why do you think 90% of the world companies support Blu-ray and most studios do so too? Simple, because its better!

Amazing. Nothing you just typed is actually accurate.

If you think that BD has better picture and sound quality, you are the one who needs to read reviews. Until BD finally started using the correct codec, they sucked compared to HD-DVD and since they've matched codecs, they've been on par, not better.

Capacity means nothing for quality of movie image and sound, so what difference does it make if there's more capacity?

Your percentage of backing companies is also not accurate.

[TDQuiksilver]

I thought that people were saying NO WAY, no porn on bluray so its gonna lose.

Yeah, right. **** porn.

Vivid has already agreed to do both Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Others are sure to follow considering how big Vivid is. :shiftyninja:

[Malisk]

This article smells like a big FUD, I bet Sony bribed Nielsen so they publish this nonsense.

It's not really; they really are surpassing the HD-DVD sales. It's been documented. But it's no big surprise to me really. The PS3 sales probably help a lot.

And people need to drop the porn thing, it'll happen for both formats. :)

It already is, and Sony also clarified their stance, and at least they didn't have anything special against it.

[spenser.d]

HD-DVD for XBox360 is an add-on, right?

That probably means most people won't buy it.

Well, I'm curious as to how this will evolve...

Just because it's an addon doesn't mean people won't buy it. From my understanding, a lot of places have had a hard time keeping them in stock, so it seems to be just the opposite.

I also wonder if all the free BD movies that were given away with PS3's were counted here...

-Spenser

[libertas83]

Vivid has already agreed to do both Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Others are sure to follow considering how big Vivid is. :shiftyninja:

Others are not really going to follow Vivid. Vivid is one of the biggest companies and can afford to go blu-ray. Most companies are going HD-DVD and the smaller ones can only go HD-DVD because of the costs.

Lets put the sales in perspective. Combined sales of Blu-Ray and HD-DVD have yet to reach 1% of DVD sales. UMD did really well when PSP first was released, but it is a dead format now. HD media have not yet reached mainstream.

HD-DVD will get cheaper players quicker and who ever gets the first in the $100 and less range will win.

[L3thal Veteran]

We'll just have to give them a few more months so we can see if Blu-Ray continues to outsell HD-DVD.