Do the Math! Amazon reports selling 144K hi-def players for Nov/Dec

[Ilka]

Edit: OK, Amazon didn't report that number, I inferred it (and hence the title of this thread) from the following analysis:

Amazon just reported that they have sold the equivalent of 7 football fields equivalent of hi-def players:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix....861&highlight=

- A football field is 160' x 360', or 57,600 sq. ft.;
- Thus, 7 of them would be 7 * 57,600 sq. ft., or 403,200 sq. ft.

- As a box standard, I used the "Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player" as a typical box dimension for a hi-def player:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PALZE0/

- with "Product Dimensions: 19.5 x 20.7 x 8 inches ;";
- which is 403.65 (19.5" x 20.7") sq. in. (ignoring depth of packaging);
(where a sq. ft. is 144 (12 x 12) sq. in.);
- which is 2.803125 (403.65 sq. in. / 144 sq. in ) sq. ft. per box;
(so each box occupies ~ 2.803125 sq. ft.);

So, with a total of 403,200 sq. ft. and each hi-def player unit occupying ~ 2.803125 sq. ft., the approximate number of players is:

- Total # of players = ~ 144,000 ( 403200 sq. ft. / 2.803125 sq. ft. )

[Razzy]

I wonder if they're including the PS3 & the 360 add on in those numbers

[quetzalcoatl]

One thing to consider that number will not include the PS3 since on their site it is not a player it is a video game system.

[Ilka]

Originally Posted by Razzy

I wonder if they're including the PS3 & the 360 add on in those numbers

Excellent point ... I had just assumed they were referring to standalone players ... rofl

I was surprised at how low those numbers were, anyways.

If they did include the PS3 (about same size as a hi-def player box, I would expect), and the 360 (obviously smaller), the numbers would increase a tad (given the relative sales of HD DVD standalone players + BD standalone players + PS3's vs. 360 HD DVD addon, I'd expect no more than ~10-15% at best).

Still, hardly a banner year for sales of hi-def players at Amazon.

[finalfantasy]

Originally Posted by Ilka

Amazon just reported that they have sold the equivalent of 7 football fields equivalent of hi-def players:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix....861&highlight=

- A football field is 160' x 360', or 57,600 sq. ft.;
- Thus, 7 of them would be 7 * 57,600 sq. ft., or 403,200 sq. ft.

- As a box standard, I used the "Sony BDP-S300 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player" as a typical box dimension for a hi-def player:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PALZE0/

- with "Product Dimensions: 19.5 x 20.7 x 8 inches ;";
- which is 403.65 (19.5" x 20.7") sq. in. (ignoring depth of packaging);
(where a sq. ft. is 144 (12 x 12) sq. in.);
- which is 2.803125 (403.65 sq. in. / 144 sq. in ) sq. ft. per box;
(so each box occupies ~ 2.803125 sq. ft.);

So, with a total of 403,200 sq. ft. and each hi-def player unit occupying ~ 2.803125 sq. ft., the approximate number of players is:

- Total # of players = ~ 144,000 ( 403200 sq. ft. / 2.803125 sq. ft. )

why would you actually do the math? I am sure someone at Amazon actually calculated before making a statement...I mean, they were so specific, why would you even doubt that? If they said "sold enough to cover a corn field", then I can see someone calculating the dimensions...

Oh well...thanks?!?????

[Seretur]

Ilka, I think your knowledge of planar geometry VASTLY outweighs that of any PR-type person currently in existence.

[Ilka]

Originally Posted by quetzalcoatl

One thing to consider that number will not include the PS3 since on their site it is not a player it is a video game system.

As just noted, an excellent point! I hadn't considered those, but as explained in my last post, since the packaging of a PS3 is likely to be similar to that of a hi-def disc player, it's likely a wash, and given that the 360 add-on is such a tiny percentage of overall sales of hi-def player systems, the numbers might increase, but only slightly.

Either way, I'm astounded by these relatively low numbers ...

[Ilka]

Originally Posted by finalfantasy

why would you actually do the math? I am sure someone at Amazon actually calculated before making a statement...I mean, they were so specific, why would you even doubt that? If they said "sold enough to cover a corn field", then I can see someone calculating the dimensions...

Oh well...thanks?!?????

LOL!

Well, they didn't actually say how many players they sold ... all they said was that they sold enough hi-def disc players to cover 7 football fields.

Did you know, immediately, instinctively, how many that *might* be?

I didn't!

I did the math, and thought others might be interested also, as it was one of the few things on these silly internet forums that we might be able to infer, given the marketing blather.

Enjoy!

[MarekM]

Originally Posted by Ilka

LOL!

Well, they didn't actually say how many players they sold ... all they said was that they sold enough hi-def disc players to cover 7 football fields.

Did you know, immediately, instinctively, how many that *might* be?

I didn't!

I did the math, and thought others might be interested also, as it was one of the few things on these silly internet forums that we might be able to infer, given the marketing blather.

Enjoy!

+1

Marek

[JadedRaverLA]

Originally Posted by Seretur

Ilka, I think your knowledge of planar geometry VASTLY outweighs that of any PR-type person currently in existence.

That's my fear. I don't really know if Amazon put ANY kind of thought into their calculation, or if they just said it because it sounded good.

Originally Posted by Ilka

LOL!

Well, they didn't actually say how many players they sold ... all they said was that they sold enough hi-def disc players to cover 7 football fields.

Did you know, immediately, instinctively, how many that *might* be?

I didn't!

I did the math, and thought others might be interested also, as it was one of the few things on these silly internet forums that we might be able to infer, given the marketing blather.

Enjoy!

It is interesting, though I again wonder if they actually put any thought (or math) into the quote, or if it just sounded good, as you can bet no one in the press was going to do what you did and try to calculate how many that might be. Still, fun to know.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by Ilka

Amazon just reported that they have sold the equivalent of 7 football fields equivalent of hi-def players

Is that American football fields? Canadian football fields? or British (soccer) football fields?

[Ilka]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

American football fields? Canadian football fields? or British (soccer) football fields?

What? You don't even know the size of your own football fields?

Go to ask.com and ask "What are the dimensions of a football field" and you'll be enlightned by the ORACLE, as I was ... check out the ncaa specs, or are they wrong too?

[CGYBLU]

Originally Posted by Ilka

What? You don't even know the size of your own football fields?

Go to ask.com and ask "What are the dimensions of a football field" and you'll be enlightned by the ORACLE, as I was ... check out the ncaa specs, or are they wrong too?

I think you're missing the point here, all three of those listed fields maintain different dimensions

[Ilka]

Originally Posted by CGYBLU

I think you're missing the point here, all three of those listed fields maintain different dimensions

OK, fair point again!

Duh! USA dimensions. Although I am Canadian (and you had no hint of that), that's what the world expects (other than our soccer/football crap)

[Icemage]

All in the spirit of good fun, I'll note that the original press release was from Amazon in the USA, where the term "football" refers to American style football, and thus Ilka's calculations are correct.