> 1 million+ Blu-ray discs sold to date - March Blu-ray sales stronger than HD DVD

[Tekman]

See our complete list of upcoming titles on HD DVD and Blu-ray.

APRIL 19 | Blu-ray Disc sales continued to outpace rival HD DVD in March, something HD DVD backers say will continue until later in the year when a wave of cheaper players and big summer sequels reach disc.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Casino Royale was the top Blu-ray seller in the month, surpassing 59,000 units, according to studio sources. (Sony has said it shipped 100,000 units of the title to retail.)

Warner Home Video’s The Departed held its place as the top-selling HD DVD title, selling 16,000 units in March, surpassing the 13,000 it sold in February, sources said.

HD DVD backers blame Blu-ray’s lead partly on the release slate. HD DVD didn’t have any new releases until the end of the month when Universal Studios Home Entertainment’s Children of Men and Warner’s Happy Feet debuted. Blu-ray backers have counted on having a larger release slate since launch and promoted it as an edge over HD DVD..........
More than 1 million Blu-ray movies had been sold through April, studios say.
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6435141.html

[nhaase]

I wonder why we haven't heard more about the "more than 1 million blu-ray movies..." part?

From that article: ...backers say HD DVD continues to gain ground.
The only reason they're "gaining ground" is because now they actually release movies. Sure, they're going to "gain ground" in April when you compare this month to March, when they had one week of releases! Also, when did they start "gaining ground?" Sales keep going towards BD, as the latest Videoscan numbers show. I guess they're gaining ground relative to where they were a few months ago, not comparing their sales to BD.

That's something I want to see. I like BD's market share increasing due to its better performance, but I want to see it gain also due to HD-DVD's performance slipping. And I want to see that when they're releasing movies, so that even though new content is their, people are turning away.

From the article: “We think retailers will start to dedicate more space to Blu-ray, rather than split it half and half,” Sony worldwide president David Bishop said. “That will further send a signal to consumers that it is the dominant format.”

I've seen this. As I've mentioned, BB doesn't have video displays of HD-DVD, and they only sell the HD-A2, the add-on, and the LG combo for that format. Circuit City, which is in financial trouble, sells the 2nd gen. players on their website, but BB doesn't even list them.

[Ascended_Saiyan]

IMO, we haven't heard more about the million BDs sold because MS has a lot of reporter/journalist in their pockets. Anything great for BD must be buried while anything potentially negative for Blu-ray or great for HD DVD must be brought to the forefront.

But that's just MY theory.

[buckshot]

hd dvd gaining ground because they can't lose anymore ground. when you're at the bottom you have nowhere to go but up. I think we just need to get more ps3 owners excited about bd. I am loaning CR and others to my ps3 owning friends to show them how amazing it. spread the gospel and 2 million comes real quick.

[dialog_gvf]

“We’ve been asked, doesn’t it cost more to produce in both formats, which is so much the wrong question,” Warner president Ron Sanders said. “If we were only releasing in Blu-ray, you would just off the top take 30% to 40% of revenue out of the titles. For us, it’s paying off nicely.”

Selling "neutrality".

[simcal]

maybe somebody should tell this to Universal! I know they have interests in only dedicating to one format but it would be nicer to let the people decide which format they want to pick instead of forcing the undereducated to buy the lesser format.

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by Warner president Ron Sanders
If we were only releasing in Blu-ray, you would just off the top take 30% to 40% of revenue out of the titles. For us, it’s paying off nicely.

Is nice to hear confirmation directly from Warner that Blu-ray is selling twice as much as HD DVD even for the biggest neutral studio titles.

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by buckshot

hd dvd gaining ground because they can't lose anymore ground. when you're at the bottom you have nowhere to go but up. I think we just need to get more ps3 owners excited about bd. I am loaning CR and others to my ps3 owning friends to show them how amazing it. spread the gospel and 2 million comes real quick.

Loaning CR or other BD discs to your PS3 friends with HDTV is really a good move. Just don't loan 'em like you're the local BlockBuster.

Also tell 'em that if they have Netflix or something they can always rent those BD discs. High rental turnarounds also affects the overal sales of BDs as they have to be purchased by Netflix.

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

Is nice to hear confirmation directly from Warner that Blu-ray is selling twice as much as HD DVD even for the biggest neutral studio titles.

And the fact that they KNOW this yet still haven't backed out of HD-DVD clearly shows that they are NOT format neutral. Warner want the format war to end but not at the expense of HD-DVD.


fuad

[MatrixS2000]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

Is nice to hear confirmation directly from Warner that Blu-ray is selling twice as much as HD DVD even for the biggest neutral studio titles.

Exactly!

[TBoneCapone]

Originally Posted by Ascended_Saiyan

IMO, we haven't heard more about the million BDs sold because MS has a lot of reporter/journalist in their pockets. Anything great for BD must be buried while anything potentially negative for Blu-ray or great for HD DVD must be brought to the forefront.

But that's just MY theory.

Believe in conspiracy's much? I don't think it is that monumental to be honest. Just my opinion.

[buckshot]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

Loaning CR or other BD discs to your PS3 friends with HDTV is really a good move. Just don't loan 'em like you're the local BlockBuster.

Also tell 'em that if they have Netflix or something they can always rent those BD discs. High rental turnarounds also affects the overal sales of BDs as they have to be purchased by Netflix.
.


fuad

I only loan them to show what the difference is. ''i don't know what the big deal is'' one friend who shall remain nameless had said. I loaned him CR and the mission impossible set. he now owns 10 bds. also the screening I had for the searchers and unforgiven with my dad and his friend yeilded 2 more BD fans. they haven't bought any yet because they're trying to find the right tvs to get first. but with rio bravo, the professionals and the untouchables coming out on bd they may buy any tv and ps3 just to see them. if we get tombstone then its all over for fans of westerns I think.

giddyup to 2 mill.

[GaS]

Didn't the Warner guy proclaim at CES this year that HD-DVD sales would continue to outpace BD? And where is all the hoopla on places like highdefdigest. They made such a big deal about a MEASLY 100K HDdvd players being sold.

[becomingwater]

Once Warner releases Harry Potter to Blu-ray, HD DVD will start falling away. It's sad, but I don't understand why people are backing the format when Blu-ray is the way to go. If HD-DVD's had the same storage, then this would be a whoile new ballgame. HD-DVD supporters need to realize and stop now before they lose money. Just my opinion.

[marzetta7]

Blu-ray sells stronger than HD DVD in March

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6435141.html

Some interesting tidbits in here...

Blu-ray Disc sales continued to outpace rival HD DVD in March, something HD DVD backers say will continue until later in the year when a wave of cheaper players and big summer sequels reach disc.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Casino Royale was the top Blu-ray seller in the month, surpassing 59,000 units, according to studio sources. (Sony has said it shipped 100,000 units of the title to retail.)

...Blu-ray has been outpacing HD DVD sales by a more than two-to-one margin throughout the first quarter. However, Universal, the only studio releasing movies solely on HD DVD, hasn’t given any indication it plans to support both formats, and backers say HD DVD continues to gain ground. Retailers also continue to devote equal shelf space to both, though that could soon change.

“We think retailers will start to dedicate more space to Blu-ray, rather than split it half and half,” Sony worldwide president David Bishop said. “That will further send a signal to consumers that it is the dominant format.”


Changes in Q4

Ken Graffeo, Universal executive VP of marketing and head of high-definition, said that until the fourth quarter, Blu-ray is likely to continue its sales lead, though HD DVD will still to grow. Consumer electronic sales are slow outside of the holiday season, and the summer’s blockbuster sequels will reach disc then, helping to drive new sales.

“Fourth quarter is really going to be a telling time,” he said.

...Warner has grabbed an exaggerated share of the high-def market by releasing movies in both formats.

“We’ve been asked, doesn’t it cost more to produce in both formats, which is so much the wrong question,” Warner president Ron Sanders said. “If we were only releasing in Blu-ray, you would just off the top take 30% to 40% of revenue out of the titles. For us, it’s paying off nicely.”

Whoa. Warner is basically saying that 60 to 70% of their revenue is coming from Blu-ray...and they've been giving the Blu-ray format the shaft since the beginning with releases like this missing from Blu-ray disc (while being on HD DVD)...

Batman Begins
Troy
V for Vendetta
Poseidon
A Perfect Storm
Terminator 3
Casablanca
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I think this is quite telling if I'm a studio. If I was Warner and gave the quality titles above its fair shake on Blu-ray, I could very well see the revenue of Blu-ray discs going upward to 80%- 90% for them, and seeing the HD DVD revenue dwindle to 10%-20%. Wow, amazing that Warner stated this given their lack of Blu-ray releases, it just goes to show you that the disc sales whether neutral or exclusive are quite telling in that they favor Blu-ray.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by TBoneCapone

Believe in conspiracy's much? I don't think it is that monumental to be honest. Just my opinion.

then why do all the articles that bash BD in comparison to HD-DVD all put out incorrect info about BD and try to slight them with incorrect numbers....?

the ones that favor HD-DVD and put out the correct info about both formats are fine...they are misled, themselves IMO of course....but they are at least honest...

the ones that spread negative misinformation or disinformation are the ones he is referring to...

[Blu_Ray_UK2007]

Are you listening Universal??