BS Spin at IGN

[BTBuck1]

http://gear.ign.com/articles/805/805703p1.html

HD-DVD Promo Group Announces Record Sales
HD-DVD gains while Blu-ray falls between Q1 and Q2.
by Gerry Block

showUSloc=(checkLocale('uk')||checkLocale('au'));d ocument.writeln(showUSloc ? 'US, ' : '');July 17, 2007 - The HD-DVD Promotions Group announced today at the EMA Home Media Expo that the format has experienced record sales gains in both hardware and software. According to the group, which derived its data from NPD, Nielsen, and point of sales data, HD-DVD hardware sales increased 37% from Q1 to Q2 2007, while HD-DVD software (movies) grew by 20% in the same period.

The same sales data apparently reveals that Blu-ray slowed in the same period, with hardware sales down 27% and Blu-ray software down 5%. The HD-DVD gains were fueled by the group's spring marketing push that brought dedicated HD-DVD hardware players down to $299. The group states that there are now more than 180,000 dedicated HD-DVD players installed across the country.

The group also proclaims confidence in the future of HD-DVD, which will benefit from a more feature rich version of "300" than Blu-ray will receive, as well as the fact that almost 1,000 titles will be available on HD-DVD by the holiday season.

Is this Gerry Block a HDDVD shill? I am starting to think so.

I posted a nice reply check it out...i encourage you all to reply too!

[Spankey]

The article states 180,000 HD-DVD players sold. Now what was the target number for HD-DVD player sales by the end of this year? Was it 1 million? Two million?

Now, anyone wanna take a stab at how many of those players were replacements for clunky gen 1 hardware or second purchases? At half, that is an insignificant number.

Hey, if HD-DVD can play games and make up fantasy Blu-ray numbers so can I....My conclusion. There are only 90,000 people who own HD-DVD players in the US. That is less than two sold out games at Yankee stadium.

[Blubaru]

Originally Posted by BTBuck1

http://gear.ign.com/articles/805/805703p1.html



Is this Gerry Block a HDDVD shill? I am starting to think so.

I posted a nice reply check it out...i encourage you all to reply too!

Block is a HD-DVD turd. He really needs to disappear.

[Spankey]

Ya know, if you ever worked for a dot.com you would remember this type of BS...

We are doing great. We have plenty of funding. We are going to be the hottest revenue grower on the net. Wait till we go public...

The next day you get your pink slip as computers are being rolled out the front door.

Would you want to work for HD-DVD, Inc.?

[WickyWoo]

He seems to be someone they hired to be hip, rather than someone who actually knows what he's talking about

that ludicrous mohawk just adds to it

[snoupee]

i don't even see the point in this any more.. makes you wonder why hd duds still support a dying format.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by sltmag

The article states 180,000 HD-DVD players sold. Now what was the target number for HD-DVD player sales by the end of this year? Was it 1 million? Two million?

Yeah, about a million, down from 1.8 million (spring), down from 2.5 million (CES)

The most optimistic way to look at the press release would be you take the 150K number from mid-June, and this 180K number from this release and conclude they sold 30K units in a month. That's only 360K a year.

At the end of 2006 there were 175K total HD DVD devices, of which 92K were Xbox add-ons. So, 80K CE players (leaving 3K for laptops, etc.)

So, for the first six months of 2007 they've sold 100K units. Only 900K more to go to hit the twice reduced targets. At a sustained 30K a month, they'll get another 180K of that 900K.

And of course, they'll have those 1000 titles too.

Gary

P.S. Rather poor PS/3 numbers were 82K per month for Q2 and a total of 750K for the first half. And we know a pretty large blip (along with a 5 free movie usage incentive) has just started, as well as HD DVD reductions due to Blockbuster and Xbox 360 reliability issues.

[Branden]

i say let them believe whatever fudged numbers they want to be believe.
the more they think they're winning the more complacent they'll get, the more complacent they get the quicker their demise, the quicker HD-DVD's demise comes the sooner a single unified format finally emerges, the quicker one format becomes universal the better for consumers.

GO HD-DVD!! spew that fud!!

[Spankey]

I know it has been posted here before but I don't remember where, BUT, HD-DVD's strategy right now is not to defeat Blu-ray, but to delay its victory.

[gand41f]

Originally Posted by sltmag

I know it has been posted here before but I don't remember where, BUT, HD-DVD's strategy right now is not to defeat Blu-ray, but to delay its victory.

Actually Microsoft's strategy was to delay BD's victory from the get-go. Toshiba seems to have caught in on it recently.

As for the numbers -- I don't think they are lying, they just a slicing it in a particular way (maybe the only way) that can make HD DVD look good. In Q1, HD DVD were reeling from the disastrous CES and complete lack of releases from Universal. When you are so far down it's easier to go up a bit.

Think of it this way, when you have an apple that went mostly bad, but not 100% rotten, you can probably still find a way to slice it so that only the non-spoled parts are showing. Just make sure the rest of the apple is hidden.

eew
gandalf

[Pilam69]

Blu's #'s may have been down as they say, but if you are down 20% from 100,000/month then you are at 80,000/month and if HDDVD is up 50% from 30k/month then that is only 45k/month. See, it's not the percentages that matter, it's the real #'s.

[Blu-Ray Buckeye]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

He seems to be someone they hired to be hip, rather than someone who actually knows what he's talking about

that ludicrous mohawk just adds to it

I would refer you back to sltmag's dot.com comparison just before your post. They often hired people for their "energy" regardless of competence.

[ottscay]

I expect that these "massaged" numbers were rushed out to reduce the hemorraging of support HD DVD is seeing. If dominos keep falling (especially a few more high-profile cases like Blockbuster) then this war could end via retailer action before the holidays...and without Universal going neutral (though neutrality would be sure to follow).

What do you expect them to say? "Well, this looks sh!tty"???

[The Don]

this is like when radio stations get paid to play certain songs pretty much every half hour or so...this way people get brainwashed into thinking it's good when it is complete garbage...

if people are being told HD DVD is superior over and over again...they will believe it...

....or not

[Anthony P]

Think of it this way, when you have an apple that went mostly bad, but not 100% rotten, you can probably still find a way to slice it so that only the non-spoled parts are showing. Just make sure the rest of the apple is hidden.

but if you sell it as a perfectly good apple you are still lying. Obviously this is PR and they are here to manipulate the numbers. But it is pure BS any way you slice it.

I can write an IOU for 1B$ to you and you right one for me and we can show it to people saying we are bilionairs but it won't be true (ebven though we each have paper evidence taht someone ows us 1B$

[Sylin]

This "article" isn't really an article at all. It's almost word-for-word from a press release that came out over the wire last night.

The PRESS RELEASE does mention that their data did not include the PS3. It also states that Blu-ray movies are out-selling HD-DVD by over 2:1.

What's disturbing and a bit pathetic (but not uncommon from IGN) is that all of THAT data was IGNORED by the writer. He is obviously pro-HD-DVD and doesn't give a care at all about being OBJECTIVE.

The OP had it right... this IS a spin by a HD-DVD shill.

[Lord_Stewie]

so HD DVD claims victory, whats next?!!!

I see a nice deal coming up soon you buy an HD DVD player for as low as 50 bucks, and 20 hdduds all exclusively from Universal, plus you will get a shoe shine from the salesman while purchasing the product.

all this because HD DUDS promotional group are trying TO CATCH UP WITH BLU RAY WHOPPING DISC SALES.....

'NUFF SAID.

[BLu-Balls]

Doesn't matter as long as we know the truth. Today's consumers aren't so ignorant. Lazy... but not ignorant.

[Lord_Stewie]

Originally Posted by BLu-Balls

Doesn't matter as long as we know the truth. Today's consumers aren't so ignorant. Lazy... but not ignorant.

its not just the consumers. now guys don't get me wrong, But HD DVD have been on top of the game on one thing MARKETING. the Bluray promotional group have been silent for a while NOT educating the public about their products (I am actually glad that now you see a new site dedicated solely to bluray, hollywoodinhidef.com, and Blu-ray.com) but the look and the sound perfect was out way before. again i remind you DO NOT GET ME WRONG. the bluray group didn't educate the public well at first, HECK i didn't know about bluray till i bought my first HDDVD player (and i regret it by the way.), the salesman was telling me how it was very economic and definitely the winner of the format war (I didn't know what he meant by format war.) when i learned about bluray, i decided to go with that format. when i went to Best Buy and circuit city to ask some questions about it. they both told me that it would be risky spend / to buy one and here is why, HD DVD released their first gen crap back in march, [B]sony keeps delaying their bluray player[B] which is not a good sign, a sign that shows that they are hesitant about the technology. the first sony player came out after the ps3. samsung came out with their first BD player, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

the point i am trying to make, BD Promo Group must step up to the game. I see its great how disney started a BD promo and marketing. but BD group got attack the HD Group. again the way i look at it it seems to the HD group looks at this whole thing as a CHESS GAME, AND THEY PLAY DIRTY.

[darinp2]

Originally Posted by ikcizokm

This "article" isn't really an article at all. It's almost word-for-word from a press release that came out over the wire last night.

The PRESS RELEASE does mention that their data did not include the PS3. It also states that Blu-ray movies are out-selling HD-DVD by over 2:1.

Where do you see that? I got the press release sent in email from a marketing company that sends these out for the HD DVD group and it doesn't say either of those. And I checked and got confirmation from them. Their data for the 27% decline for Blu-ray hardware does include the PS3.

Are you talking about a different press release than the one that came from the HD DVD promotions group?

--Darin