81:19 Nielsen/VideoScan Weekly Sales Numbers

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Chris Beveridge

Regardless of how well it sells on either format, which format will it have more legs on? Historically, titles seem to sell better on the long term on the BD side.

Currently it's #3 for Blu-ray, and #10 (wow, it's dropping fast) for HD DVD on Amazon.com. And I've never seen anything in the Nielsens that didn't exceed the results on Amazon in favour of Blu-ray. Sometimes by a lot.

This is a 3-4 week dominant title (perhaps longer). It's also potentially a killer app. There could be new PS/3 and BD stand-alone buyers purchasing NOW simply because of this title.

And the reports of problems playing 300 on HD DVD are absolutely poison.

[Pilam69]

Originally Posted by CptGreedle

What if HD-DVD actually does sell better than BD because of lack of stock?

I'm not one to reject other points of view but does anyone REALLY believe that would be possible?

[Deciazulado]

Talking about potential killer apps, a friend of mine already pre-ordered Blade Runner (on BD) and he still doesn't own a BD player. Some titles have those effects on you: The title that makes you buy into a format. PS3 owners having a choice between 300 on BD and 300 on DVD. A combo is bait for non HDef player owners. Will they bite? Most everybody wants this title, it will be a good indicator of the momentum

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Pilam69

I'm not one to reject other points of view but does anyone REALLY believe that would be possible?

I'm of the opinion that the HD DVD PRG would already be out with a press release if it was true.

That Warner very deliberately concealed the split, speaks volumes.

[Xerious]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

Talking about potential killer apps, a friend of mine already pre-ordered Blade Runner (on BD) and he still doesn't own a BD player. Some titles have those effects on you: The title that makes you buy into a format. PS3 owners having a choice between 300 on BD and 300 on DVD. A combo is bait for non HDef player owners. Will they bite? Most everybody wants this titlle, it will be a good indicator of the momentum

hmmm, the combo disc thing... for those who have yet to buy an HD-DVD device... i donno, shellin' out an extra 15 bucks for a side you can't use, i don't know if the SD'ers are really that intrested... as much as ahbor it, i buy Universal SD DVDs before I commit to an add-on and buy their wretched HD-DVDs... combo discs are buggy... and coverart is essential for me... flippers are so 1998

[LeoneFan]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

I'm of the opinion that the HD DVD PRG would already be out with a press release if it was true.

That Warner very deliberately concealed the split, speaks volumes.

Exactly!! Remember Warner can't be trusted in this format war, they are HDDVD all the way. Their actions thus far speak volumes regarding which side they are really on. There are still many titles they released on HDDVD which haven't been released on Blu-ray, even almost a year later.

[Xerious]

Warner releases stuff for BD only because they're greedy... they're definately HD-DVD partial... how else can you explain the crippled, half assed releases they have been spitting up for us? they may or may not be shifting gears, but man, they've been bending Blu over for too long...

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

That Warner very deliberately concealed the split, speaks volumes.

Bingo!!!

However, while the split may be closer than a lot here think, history also does suggest that longer term the BD will easily vastly outsell the HD DVD version. I'm going to say 55:45 in favor of BD this week, but longer term it will be 67:33 in favor of BD.

[whippersnapper]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

Talking about potential killer apps, a friend of mine already pre-ordered Blade Runner (on BD) and he still doesn't own a BD player. Some titles have those effects on you: The title that makes you buy into a format. PS3 owners having a choice between 300 on BD and 300 on DVD. A combo is bait for non HDef player owners. Will they bite? Most everybody wants this title, it will be a good indicator of the momentum

A GREAT movie. I hope the encoders do the quality of transfer/encode that this movie deserves - both for the movie's great audio as well as its fantastic video.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Esox50

Bingo!!!

However, while the split may be closer than a lot here think, history also does suggest that longer term the BD will easily vastly outsell the HD DVD version. I'm going to say 55:45 in favor of BD this week, but longer term it will be 67:33 in favor of BD.

David Vaughn (reviewer on HomeTheaterSpot) is reporting his insider contact is saying 65:35 for Blu-ray.

Gary

[stockstar1138]

Originally Posted by Xerious

Warner releases stuff for BD only because they're greedy... they're definately HD-DVD partial... how else can you explain the crippled, half assed releases they have been spitting up for us? they may or may not be shifting gears, but man, they've been bending Blu over for too long...

i think this is changing. they cannot not appreciate the revenue they are getting from BD. There are a few bad seeds that are big guys in HD DVD at Warner other than that, I think they don't do a bad job...as long as they come through with what they promised: Batman, V, Matrix, etc. I want AVC though not VC-1.

[dialog_gvf]

If the war would end DAMNIT we could really pump up with numbers.

Warner is playing games here, but Universal is screwing with an industry right now

Gary

[stockstar1138]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

If the war would end DAMNIT we could really pump up with numbers.

Warner is playing games here, but Universal is screwing with an industry right now

Gary

Universale is? or MS and Toshiba are. Face it we will all buy Universal blu-rays in the future, they are going to get our money anyway, in 10 years its not going to matter if they sold a ton of blu-rays in 07 or in 08. However, it they sell them in 08, the are probably gettting millions from one or both of those two to reap the profits later vs. sooner.

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

David Vaughn (reviewer on HomeTheaterSpot) is reporting his insider contact is saying 65:35 for Blu-ray.

Gary

Shows you what I know!!! I tend to be more conservative in my estimates on everything, since I am, at heart, a cynic.

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

Warner is playing games here, but Universal is screwing with an industry right now

Gary

Exactly. Like you posted above and to which I agreed, WB "hiding" the split is all you need to know. Since just abuot everything they do favors HD DVD, I'm sure had it been the other way, that they'd be providing the split (or maybe even if it were closer to 50/50).

The pressure has been mounting on Uni for some time, but this has to be really amping up the pressure though. As some of you pointed out in the other thread (where you broke down what a studio stands to gain by going neutral from BD or from HD DVD) and which I said a while ago...there is not much of an incentive for BD only studios to go neutral. If the BD studios hold the line, Universal will be forced to come over to BD just based on sheer sales of BD. The momentum for BD is only getting stronger.

What's going to be great is watching all of this unfold. If Fox really does get back in the BD game by 4Q, Sony and Disney "keep on keeping on", and all of this interactivity (BD1.1 type stuff) gets worked out by late this year or 1Q next year...it's all over.

[tvted]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

we will all buy Universal blu-rays in the future, they are going to get our money anyway, in 10 years its not going to matter if they sold a ton of blu-rays in 07 or in 08.

I personally want a lot of what Universal has to offer, but if they do not upgrade the encodes they have recently provided I certainly can live without them.

ted

[stockstar1138]

Originally Posted by tvted

I personally want a lot of what Universal has to offer, but if they do not upgrade the encodes they have recently provided I certainly can live without them.

ted

good to see you take a stand, i agree. im not going to take poor PQ and AQ for THEIR mistake.

[LeoneFan]

Seriously though, how stupid is Universal purely from a business stand point? I mean, I can understand the BD exclusive studios not going neutral since they are enjoying far better sales, but what excuse does Universal have. How do they justify to their stock holders or parent company that what they are doing is right? I just don't understand it.

[richteer]

Originally Posted by LeoneFan

Seriously though, how stupid is Universal purely from a business stand point? I mean, I can understand the BD exclusive studios not going neutral since they are enjoying far better sales, but what excuse does Universal have. How do they justify to their stock holders or parent company that what they are doing is right? I just don't understand it.

The current working theory is that Universal has signed some sort of HD DVD exclusivity contract, probably for 2007, hence their lack of apparent interest in Blu-ray.

The ironic thing is that if/when they go neutral, the war will be over and (I reckon) sales will go through the roof because everyone waiting on the sidelines for the war to be over will hop on board. Everyone will win (except Toshiba)! The only downside is that they might keep HD DVD in mind when preparing their releases, and compromise in the AQ/PQ due to HD DVD's lack of bandwidth and storage space (i.e., BD will get the same crappy encode as HD DVD because the studio in question is too cheap to do a separate encode for each). Ditto if dual-format players become the norm (which I doubt).

[What'sHD]

300 rank on amazon is now 4 to 11 in favour of BD and both are in stock (good news).