More strangeness in Empire (UK) magazine

[Zazou]

Don't know what to make of this. Empire is the number 1 selling movie magazine in the world, so I was concerned to read the following in the latest issue which came out Jan 2nd.

The view in HD #7

The European HD-DVD promotional group have claimed that HD-DVD titles are outselling Blu-ray discs 11-to-one in Europe, hinting that BD consumers are gamers first, movie fans second. Europe's Blu-ray Disc Association hit back, claiming that "year to date" sales were three-to-one in Blu-ray's favour. However, even Blu-ray's inventor, Sony, has blinked, with the company's US head Howard Stringer stating that he wished he could go back in time to unite the two formats. Adding to BD's woes is the discovery that HD-DVD players, now under £150 are region free allowing Brits to access imports such as the range of extras-loaded Kubrick movies and all five Harry Potter films at two dollars to the pound. Makes you think.....David Hughes

11 to one? Possibly on one single day during a BOGO sale, but even so, very doubtful in my mind. The whole article paints the picture that HD-DVD is in the ascendancy whereas BD is struggling. I don't get that impression anywhere else at the moment? I enjoy this magazine and can't believe they are being corrupted in any way. Maybe this guy is just being fed dodgy information. The only positive in the article is BD's rebuttal of the HD-DVD figures and that is just a single sentence.

What do you guys think?

Lee

[Zazou]

Oh, and in the same magazine, the HD Top 20 chart. 15 titles are Blu-ray, 5 are HD-DVD. Hmmmm.

[Grubert]

Attach rates typical BS.

http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/ne...released.phtml

[Zazou]

Ah of course, they are still using that desperate tactic aren't they? Oh well, they're only digging their own grave. Let them get on with it.

[JonD7]

my English friend told me that HD has to win because Blu-Rays are too grainy *rolls eyes*... I think he said he just got like 16 free HD's as well when he bought his player recently? eek

[mattym]

dunno where 11-1 comes from, thats a stretch isnt it?! Got o hmv and asda, can you see more bluray to hddvd? Yup, woolworths? Yup...so its more FUD from the HDDVD Parrallel-Universe Group

[gandley]

according to the guys at play. com, BD is killing there HD DVD sales.

[mattym]

Originally Posted by gandley

according to the guys at play. com, BD is killing there HD DVD sales.

ha! good!

very interesting stuff, im trying to get some numbers out of some of the retailers that i work with, no-ones giving me hard figures, but the general trend seems to be Blu standalones selling better now.

Retronana used to have great figures, not seen or heard of him/her for a while now though

[Zazou]

The March '08 edition of Empire states :

The view in HD

The announcement by Warner Bros. in January that they are going Blu-ray exclusive once their current HD DVD line-up has been released, rather than supporting both formats, sent shivers through the industry. The most popular interpretation of the move, which gives Blu-ray 75 per cent of studio support, is that it has basically ended the format war and HD DVD's chances of winning, and it's certainly a crippling blow. HD DVD's exclusive deal with Universal has also ended, and Paramount has a get-out clause - but both studios are pledging their support, at least for now. Only one thing is sure: invest in a new HD DVD system with caution and at your own risk.

In the HD Top 20 in the same magazine, all 20 are Blu-ray titles.

Lee

[Fozziwig]

Originally Posted by mattym

Retronana used to have great figures, not seen or heard of him/her for a while now though

I doubt you will either. She/he is a hardcore HD DVD fanperson (I know it was well disguised) and is presently in a big sulk somewhere.

You can tell by the negative way that Retrobanana (that's how I always read it!) responded to the Warner announcement.

Some of Retro's 'neutral' comments:

Duel format was and still is the way to go IMHO.

Whilst the majority of BD players continue to be PS3's the chances of seeing anything outside of popcorn movie on BD is unlikely.

I really can't see Warner bothering with Citizen Kane on BD given it will shift very little when marketed to the PS3 generation....

I'm tempted to post a thread over on the official PS3 forums and see how many PS3 owners are up for buying a Hi-Def version of Citizen Kane, bet you the first post that comes back asks if its the one about the Tooting Popular Front with Robert Lyndsey in it

Just to stimulate the thread a little:

Warner Bros HD-DVD Market Share UK 2007 - 40.2 % 101,604 units
Warner Bros Blu-Ray Market Share UK 2007 - 18.6 % 140,528 units

FWIW, Warners have sold nearly as many HD-DVD titles in the UK as Disney and Fox (each) have sold BD in 2007.

The duel format approach clearly pays in the UK

That's all from the first few pages of the locked 'Warner' thread at AVF.
http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=681920

These are comments that are typical of other deluded souls at that forum (those that know the place know who they are). Any new figures are bound to show Blu-ray destroying the failed HD format and Mr./Mrs. Banana won't want to publish those.

[mattym]

thats a big shame. You would think that any real film fans would get behind bluray now that the dominos are falling

[partridge]

In the latest Empire the have suggested that HD-DVD players may well end up as expensive paperweights and elsewhere warn against investing in the format.

They also publish the HMV HD top 20 and every entry in the chart is blu-ray. Not one HD-DVD title appears, which makes me wonder when HMV will stop selling them too

[Bullseye]

On the main I have found magazines in the UK to be pro-HD-DVD including Empire, Total Film, T3 and Stuff. At least Empire was good enough to post that WB had went BD exclusive and buying a HD-DVD player is a risk. No mention of it in this months total film.

[aristotles]

People still buy magazines?

By the time they hit the shelves their information is 3-4 weeks out of date.

[aygie]

Damn i love Empire but sh*t they really piss me off with format war thing. Lots of bullshit, and like aristotles says its all changed by the time the mags gone to print.

[partridge]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

On the main I have found magazines in the UK to be pro-HD-DVD including Empire, Total Film, T3 and Stuff. At least Empire was good enough to post that WB had went BD exclusive and buying a HD-DVD player is a risk. No mention of it in this months total film.

I agree, but have no idea why they are, surely they can see the benefit of the additional storage? It's beats me why they are so upset about blu-ray doing well, still, tough for them - by the end of the year blu-ray will be the default HD movie format.

[Crim122]

I am thinking of getting a subscription to this magazine...is is worth it?

[Aaron]

Old thread is old.

[stockstar1138]

Originally Posted by Crim122

I am thinking of getting a subscription to this magazine...is is worth it?

are you f***ing serious crim.

[SellmeyourDVD]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

are you f***ing serious crim.

Lmao. I was reading this and thinking " what the flying hell hddvd is still around?"