81:19 Nielsen/VideoScan Weekly Sales Numbers

[The Don]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

Try looking at the top 25/50/100.

I do...

but just looking at top 10 it looks better than I can ever recall...

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by marzetta7

Holy crap. Batman Begins is still the #2 HD DVD disc. If Warner pulled their head out and finally released it on Blu-ray, it would totally demolish HD DVD for weeks.

not at all, it is more a factor of how terribly HD DVD is doing and especially this week.

if Premonition is 100% then PE is 39.62 and BB is 49.96% of that so it is 19.79%.

let's go a bit more in detail, if Premonition sold around 30k (and so sold much more then 140k - the top 9 is there) then BB would have sold less then 6k
if Premonition sold 20k (top 9= 93k ) then it is less then BB is <4k

[Anthony P]

Does anyone notice how the 'neutral' Warner has stopped releasing numbers on how each title sells on its respective format? When was the last time they released an actual breakdown of sales per format?

GoldenRedux: I don't think they ever really give numbers (maybe one or two in a "look how good we are doing")

[Anthony P]

The release of Casino Royale pushed them above 80%. Had Toshiba not had their firesale we'd probably not have dipped so far low. Notice the top discs on HD DVD are really key basic movies. That means a lot of new people coming in buying up movies they love. Blu-ray's sale numbers seem to come from a large pool of casual buyers.

MrBogey: that would be true if people were actually buying HD DVDs. I think those "key" titles are doing "well" because "well" in HD DVD is crap. If a "key title" sold on BD the same numbers as on HD DVD they would not show up anywhere. Because we only have three tables that give us BDs -top5, top 10HD and top 10 HD combined. Even if we had top 10 BDs a title selling as well as BB did would not show up (the departed is in the top 10 combined, it is 94.12% PE, since the HD DVD portion must have sold worst (or equal) to Breach that means the BD portion>=62.91% of PE

[darinp2]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

if Premonition is 100% then PE is 39.62 and BB is 49.96% of that so it is 19.79%.

let's go a bit more in detail, if Premonition sold around 30k (and so sold much more then 140k - the top 9 is there) then BB would have sold less then 6k
if Premonition sold 20k (top 9= 93k ) then it is less then BB is <4k

My guess is more like 1200 for Batman Begins and 6000 for Premonition. Getting BB on Blu-ray would help skew the numbers toward Blu-ray even more as I would expect it to sell 10k copies in a small number of weeks.

Originally Posted by Anthony P

GoldenRedux: I don't think they ever really give numbers (maybe one or two in a "look how good we are doing")

I remember them releasing something about The Departed sales which skewed toward Blu-ray and then I think Amir said they got some flack and had decided not to release relative numbers anymore. I'm guessing that some inside Warner wanted to release the numbers for Planet Earth but weekly sales have now moved toward more on Blu-ray for that title.

Originally Posted by TheDon

... but just looking at top 10 it looks better than I can ever recall...

They are doing well for the top 10 and I attribute it to some good releases around now. Just 3 good releases can skew that top 10 a lot. But the other numbers aren't showing an upswing like they should if HD DVD was doing better across the board, so I think it can mostly be attributed to common titles plus Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, and Heroes. While the good news for HD DVD is that the top 10 average is doing well, I think the bad news for them is that common titles released the same day seem to be doing better for Blu-ray on Amazon that how common titles like that used to do (usually favoring HD DVD early on even if it got outsold by Nielsen numbers).

--Darin

[Blu Titan]

Thanks for the info regarding Amazon and the HD-DVD (AVS) boyis. Ummm I think that those are desperate tactics. Thankfully, the Nielsen numbers account for total sales. I would like to share my experiences regarding the effect that the PS3 can have on Blu-ray sales. For the last ten months I had been debating whether to purchase a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player. Honestly, I wanted a Blu-ray player. However, I wanted to delay my purchase until a "winner" in the hd war had been declared. My wife knows my likes very well and for father's day she bought me a PSR . I currently, own 18 Blu-ray movies (no freebies), and have two more on preorder. I have only gone in the AVS forum a couple of times, but I noticed how fast a lot of the posters dismiss the potential effect that incresed sales of PS3 can have on the Nielsen numbers. Now I see the reasoning behind their madness

[Anthony P]

My guess is more like 1200 for Batman Begins and 6000 for Premonition. Getting BB on Blu-ray would help skew the numbers toward Blu-ray even more as I would expect it to sell 10k copies in a small number of weeks.

I have not been keeping track as well, and even more importantly it is hard to judge at this point. It could be easy to make Premonition small and BB inconsequential but I think it inconceivable that Premonition did as well as the two numbers I mentioned, And even at those large numbers by the time we reached #2 BB has an extremely small number of sales.

I remember them releasing something about The Departed sales which skewed toward Blu-ray and then I think Amir said they got some flack and had decided not to release relative numbers anymore. I'm guessing that some inside Warner wanted to release the numbers for Planet Earth but weekly sales have now moved toward more on Blu-ray for that title.

I am just hoping Sony or HMM does a quarterly review at the end of the next quarter so we can have some real numbers and then use them to judge the weeks of the quarter.

[darinp2]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

I have not been keeping track as well, and even more importantly it is hard to judge at this point. It could be easy to make Premonition small and BB inconsequential but I think it inconceivable that Premonition did as well as the two numbers I mentioned, And even at those large numbers by the time we reached #2 BB has an extremely small number of sales.

I based my guess partially on BB averaging around 1000-1200 per week this year according to Nielsen and Premonition got pretty bad reviews (8% thumbs up on rottentomatoes) and I believe it dropped pretty quick at the box office, so 6k for the first week might be considered good for that title. That range also seems reasonable to me as far as what Planet Earth did.

--Darin

[marzetta7]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

not at all, it is more a factor of how terribly HD DVD is doing and especially this week.

if Premonition is 100% then PE is 39.62 and BB is 49.96% of that so it is 19.79%.

let's go a bit more in detail, if Premonition sold around 30k (and so sold much more then 140k - the top 9 is there) then BB would have sold less then 6k
if Premonition sold 20k (top 9= 93k ) then it is less then BB is <4k

While I agree with your assesment, week after week, Batman Begins is in the top of high def movies for HD DVD,...all I'm saying is is that it would certainly make a killing on Blu-ray, and dwarf HD DVD sales by even a further margin for weeks on end.

[Footloose301]

Originally Posted by marzetta7

While I agree with your assesment, week after week, Batman Begins is in the top of high def movies for HD DVD,...all I'm saying is is that it would certainly make a killing on Blu-ray, and dwarf HD DVD sales by even a further margin for weeks on end.

Thought I reckonized your name on appleinsider! lol Nice avatar, hopefully thats the way Apple is headed. I'll be very disappointed if they go HD DVD.

[lanion]

I'm one of these new PS3 owners who jumped on the price drop.... and I've ordered about 6-7 Blu-Rays on top of the 5 free ones. Joining the fight!!!

[Chris Beveridge]

Welcome aboard! I'm finding it to be just like when I got into DVD in that I'm getting even more out of my experience than I did from the switch from LD/VHS to DVD.

[ra1024]

Originally Posted by Chris Beveridge

Welcome aboard! I'm finding it to be just like when I got into DVD in that I'm getting even more out of my experience than I did from the switch from LD/VHS to DVD.

It's funny how much HD changed me. I was never an enthusiast and rarely bought movies. Once I got hooked on ota HD (mainly football then tv shows), I wanted movies in HD. Now I've got a 1080P projector and every Tuesday I'm up at Fry's buying the latest releases before they're sold out. I'm a well known cheapscape amongst my friends which shows just how much I enjoy blu-ray.

I think HD has the potential to draw people in even more than dvd did. It turned me into an enthusiast from an average (cheap) consumer.

[WriteSimply]

It's another Friday folks. Just don't get too excited if the HMR Nextbook doesn't go online on the dot. I just hope y'all be prepared for what's going to be inside it.


fuad

[MouseRider]

Originally Posted by Footloose301

Thought I reckonized your name on appleinsider! lol Nice avatar, hopefully thats the way Apple is headed. I'll be very disappointed if they go HD DVD.

Errr, Apple has been in the Blu-ray camp since 2005 and they aren't just supporters, they have a seat on the Blu-Ray Disc Association's Board of Directors.

[monkyman]

I'm curious about the numbers this week, even though they won't include 300.

[ra1024]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

II just hope y'all be prepared for what's going to be inside it.


fuad

You know something we don't?

[Jimbo976]

Originally Posted by ra1024

You know something we don't?

Yeah I was wondering the same thing. Are you predicting that the 3:1 ratio will continue?

[elwaylite]

I just hope he doesnt mean they are 1:3

[The Big Blue]

Releases included w/today's numbers:

Blu-ray Disc
The Host (Magnolia)
Out for Justice (Warner)
Purple Rain (Warner)
Weeds: Season Two (Lionsgate)

HD DVD
The Bourne Identity (Universal)
The Contract (First Look)
Deep Purple: Live at Montreux 2006 (Rhino)
The Host (Magnolia)
In Good Company (Universal)
Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps (Universal)
Out for Justice (Warner)
Purple Rain (Warner)
Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux 2004 (Eagle Vision)
Scent of a Woman (Universal)
Streets of Fire (Universal)
Yes: Live at Montreux (Rhino)

Weeds S2 v The Bourne Identity