81:19 Nielsen/VideoScan Weekly Sales Numbers

[SavagePotato]

Right, hd-dvd will quickly turn things around now that paramount has switched and transformers will instantly spur massive adoption. Oh wait..

No hd-dvd will quickly turn things around when players hit the magic $200 number. Oh right..

No hd-dvd will surely turn things around with $99 players now it's truly over for blu-ray. Oh.. hmm

Ok you can't count all those predictions because the real fact of the matter is all those players sold won't have their effect felt till after christmas. yeah thats it, after christmas, blu-ray is so done after christmas.


I think the hd-dvd bunch is going to have to excuse me for not holding my breath for that "magic" hd-dvd adoption moment to occur.

It's probably already been said but the HD in HD-DVD doesn't stand for high definition, It stands for heavy denial.

[edgebsl]

Originally Posted by richard lichtenfelt

That was a Walmart promotion.
My response was in regards to someone else's post which was bashing the BDA for supposedly giving away free movies in-store with player purchases when hd dvd released Transformers, and Shrek 3.
Actually, Nielsen does estimate Walmart sales by way of data they receive from distributors. That is how they are able to refute total movie sales per title, ala Transformers on hd dvd.

WOW!!

I didnt know that!
Can you give me more info on that?
How they estimate on Wal Mart.

There is so much whining and crying about Wal Mart being counted out it's like listening to a nursery.

[gand41f]

Originally Posted by edgebsl

WOW!!

I didnt know that!
Can you give me more info on that?
How they estimate on Wal Mart.

There is so much whining and crying about Wal Mart being counted out it's like listening to a nursery.

No, Nielsen does not include or even estimate Wal*Mart sales. That's not their job. They just sell the numbers they collect (for an exorbitant amount of money, I must add).

However, other parties who use Nielsen numbers often extrapolate to include the entire market (which includes WM). That's what Home Media Magazine did with Transformers numbers, for instance.

enjoy
gandalf

[Imakida]

Originally Posted by SavagePotato

It's probably already been said but the HD in HD-DVD doesn't stand for high definition, It stands for heavy denial.

LOL! That's the first time I heard it. I would add

HD-DVD Heavy Denial Dude Very Disturbed! The look and sound of Psychotic I think it's off topic sorry..

But hey, they really does have a problem.. some are quite Paranoid, thinking Nielsen's results are trunked by the Big Bad Sony...

[Clark Kent]

Most of the outside analysts estimate Wal-Mart sales at anywhere from 15-20% of the Nielsen sales figures for High Definition media. There is no reason to believe that Wal-Mart is any bigger than that for Blu-ray and HD DVD and that there ratios look any different than what other retailers are selling. Ever look at the rough split in most Wal-Mart stores? It's usually around 60% Blu-ray to 40% HD DVD stock, right around what Nielsen says is the since inception split(actually 62% Blu to 38% Dud after last week).

So if Nielsen says 100,000 BDs were sold in a week, add 20,000 BDs sold at Wal-Mart for that week in your head. It's why Paramount's Transformers numbers were complete lies. Going off the Nielsen numbers and estimating Wal-Mart's numbers one comes well short of 190,000 that first week.

[darinp2]

Originally Posted by JAGUAR1977

One final one from me, this time from Midnightwatcher:-
...
Now just how many firesales have HD-DVD had, didn't they even have a BOGO last week!

I learned long ago not to put much stock in what Midnightwatcher says, as it was clear that he was willing to try to deceive people. He complains about Sony including Open Season with the PS3 when some people might not use it for watching that, when the exact same week Toshiba offered 2 free HD DVDs with laptops, whether people would use it for that or not. And they had the 3 extra free with Toshiba players on amazon.com and bestbuy.com, so might have actually had more free movies included in last weeks numbers than Blu-ray (although spread out over more titles since people got their choices).

It is interesting that he complains about Sony including a Blu-ray movie with the PS3 when it is a Blu-ray player, when in the past Microsoft even went so far as including the combo version of 300 with XBOX360s. That's right. Not just XBOX360s with add-ons or add-ons by themselves, but XBOX360s by themselves, where people could only play the DVD side unless they got an add-on or a player.

And Toshiba was doing these free movies that would count for Nielsen at least as far back as May when there were deals where people could pick 2 free HD DVDs if they bought a player and one of the Matrix box sets.

One of the main ways that the HD DVD camp was able to keep things as close as 55:45 in Transformers 2nd week (the week ending October 28th) was by giving away Heroes with the XBOX360 add-on. And in some cases, Heroes and then 2 more free movies of the person's choice. That week Heroes showed up as #2 amongst all titles. It was a little less than half of Transformers and over 3 times as many as the 4th place title. That was definitely due to the give-aways given that it had dropped out of the top title list long before that and only came back the week of the give-aways.

Even right now Toshiba players at Best Buy have 3 extra free movies included in a way that makes them count in the Nielsen numbers (although the HD-A3 is then $299).

If he wants to claim that Toshiba's multiple instances of giving away free movies in a way that would count in Nielsen haven't been very successful, he can, but that wouldn't say much for them.

Based on past experience, Midnightwatcher might be ignorant of this stuff, or he might be hoping he can fool people. I have a hard time imagining he doesn't realize that Toshiba has used the free movie thing multiple times, but I guess it is possible that he really is that ignorant.

--Darin

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by darinp2

Based on past experience, Midnightwatcher might be ignorant of this stuff, or he might be hoping he can fool people. I have a hard time imagining he doesn't realize that Toshiba has used the free movie thing multiple times, but I guess it is possible that he really is that ignorant.

Isn't it ridiculous that some of these folks are so off the wall that you cannot figure out whether they are deliberately being deceitful or whether they are complete idiots.

I've felt that way so many times...many months ago I just gave up even responding or trying to figure out what was going on.

[PrinceLH]

Originally Posted by Esox50

Isn't it ridiculous that some of these folks are so off the wall that you cannot figure out whether they are deliberately being deceitful or whether they are complete idiots.

I've felt that way so many times...many months ago I just gave up even responding or trying to figure out what was going on.

I find MidnightWatcher to be one of the enforcers that the HD DUD acolytes use, when you are discrediting one of their fudmeisters, like Lee Stewart, RDjam, Kosty, etc. He likes to go on the attack, when your not expecting it. It is indeed a co-ordinated effort from a small group of troublemakers, that we all know so very well.

[AaronSCH]

Add Johnsteph and Plazman to the troublemakers list. I really grew tired of fighting all of the trolling in the Blu-ray forum and it reached its peak with the phony disc rot issue.. AVS Forum is biased and Blu-ray fans should boycott them and their advertisers until things change. Every time you even look at that site you help increase their ad revenue. Just boycott. Spend your time at friendlier sites.

[aristotles]

Originally Posted by AaronSCH

Add Johnsteph and Plazman to the troublemakers list. I really grew tired of fighting all of the trolling in the Blu-ray forum and it reached its peak with the phony disc rot issue.. AVS Forum is biased and Blu-ray fans should boycott them and their advertisers until things change. Every time you even look at that site you help increase their ad revenue. Just boycott. Spend your time at friendlier sites.

+1
I think my ban ended some time last month but I have not gone back.

[john_nemesh]

Originally Posted by aristotles

+1
I think my ban ended some time last month but I have not gone back.

I stopped going there when they gave me a "demerit" for talking about censorship in the forums! What a load of bull! If I can not speak my mind (within reason, not attacking or threatening anyone) without some geek censoring me, why on earth would I want to participate in a forum like that? I much prefer the climate over here, where a free exchange of ideas is possible!

[CptGreedle]

it is funny that HD DVD advocates are now spouting that Walmart is not in the Nielsen numbers and therefor must be making 40%-60% of the HD DVD sales.
They say this, and yet conveniently forget that Walmart is not exclusive to either format. In fact, my local Walmart does not carry ANY HD DVDs, and only has a handful of BDs.
If the ratio is as I suspect, then Walmart will raise both numbers about the same, or Blu more, and not HD DVD. It is sad to see that they keep trying to use information without any sources, evidence, or backup.

[JAGUAR1977]

Originally Posted by Esox50

Isn't it ridiculous that some of these folks are so off the wall that you cannot figure out whether they are deliberately being deceitful or whether they are complete idiots.

I've felt that way so many times...many months ago I just gave up even responding or trying to figure out what was going on.

That's the saddest part, are they simply uninformed, or deceitful.

when you are discrediting one of their fudmeisters, like Lee Stewart, RDjam, Kosty, etc

Please stop, my blood pressures rising already, lol

[JAGUAR1977]

Originally Posted by CptGreedle

it is funny that HD DVD advocates are now spouting that Walmart is not in the Nielsen numbers and therefor must be making 40%-60% of the HD DVD sales.
They say this, and yet conveniently forget that Walmart is not exclusive to either format. In fact, my local Walmart does not carry ANY HD DVDs, and only has a handful of BDs.
If the ratio is as I suspect, then Walmart will raise both numbers about the same, or Blu more, and not HD DVD. It is sad to see that they keep trying to use information without any sources, evidence, or backup.

It's their last hope, you have to feel sorry they are left with such flimsy hopes.

[WickyWoo]

Please save *****ing about other forums for the HD rant thread in Off topic

[Blu Titan]

I am excited about this week. POTC 3 has been on pre order for four months and Disney has been promoting the Blu-ray version extensively (the movie grossed $309 Million in the US with almost $1 Billion in total gross). Add Superbad with $121 Million, and that will lead to some huge numbers for Blu-ray. HD DVD exclusives are the documentary Arctic Tale and Battlestar Galactica. Star Trek Season 1 HD DVD sold less that 7K, don't expect Battle star to sell more than 15K.

[Steverhcp02]

Originally Posted by BlueNeon

I am excited about this week. POTC 3 has been on pre order for four months and Disney has been promoting the Blu-ray version extensively (the movie grossed $309 Million in the US with almost $1 Billion in total gross). Add Superbad with $121 Million, and that will lead to some huge numbers for Blu-ray. HD DVD exclusives are the documentary Arctic Tale and Battlestar Galactica. Star Trek Season 1 HD DVD sold less that 7K, don't expect Battle star to sell more than 15K.

well if amazon tracks box sets well due to prices.......BSG hasnt risen as high as ST has it?

[Seretur]

And unlike ST: Season One, BSG: Season One doesn't offer any added value to the fans, apart from the (compromised) HD picture. I've been a very big fan of Ron Moore's version of Galactica, but I would find it very difficult to justify an expense like this partway during the series' arc. And Universal are showing their commitment to HD DVD by not releasing the Razor telefilm on the format, when in all probability it would have netted them significantly larger sales than Season One.

Also of note -- I don't see many BOGOs or freebie promotions going on at the moment. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) So these two weeks will probably give us a truer sense of the state of the market than any have recently.

[Grubert]

Some software sales on this Video Business article:

According to the BD camp, total BD disc sales in the U.S. since launch topped 4 million units in November, about the same time HD DVD software sales passed just 2.5 million units.

I'm waiting for some third-party confirmation of those figures, but they are pretty much in line with the most recent SI data we have from Home Media Research (3,010,000 vs 1,970,000 by the end of September).

[WickyWoo]

And Universal are showing their commitment to HD DVD by not releasing the Razor telefilm on the format, when in all probability it would have netted them significantly larger sales than Season One.

The movie wasn't finished in time to get it into the HD pipeline