Two Takes on Blu-ray/HD DVD 2006 Hardware Sales

[jed]

Just posted this story about the different spins the Blu-ray and HD DVD camps are putting on their respective installed bases.

Blu-ray's clear advantage is the sheer number of PS3s on the market, while the HD DVD camp is arguing that their much smaller installed base is much more likely to buy high-def discs because they actively chose to buy in to the format.

More here:
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...im_Victory/423

[dobyblue]

...studios supporting HD DVD see significant value in the player, as a great way to bring "The Look and Sound of Perfect" to gamers

Yikes! How can the add-on be described as delivering the "Look and Sound of Perfect" when it's limited to a lossy optical connection?

[HarakoMeshi]

HD DVD announced 175,000 after just last week some analyst said over 300,000.

Blu-ray backing studio Fox said this morning in a new press release (look for a separate story on that topic shortly) that Blu-ray disc sales surpassed HD DVD for the first time the week of December 24 -- by a healthy 20%. The studio also cited internal research indicating a growing sales gap that would see Blu-ray outselling HD DVD by a 3.5-to-1 ratio by the end of March this year.

This is commensurate with the hints we've been getting from places like DVD Empire, and more recently Amazon.

Yesterday for the first time in 5 months Blu-ray achieved the highest Amazon rank, and today managed to pass HD-DVD on average rankings too.

http://www.hdgamedb.com/amazon/history.aspx

[Gnome]

Originally Posted by HarakoMeshi

HD DVD announced 175,000 after just last week some analyst said over 300,000.



This is commensurate with the hints we've been getting from places like DVD Empire, and more recently Amazon.

Yesterday for the first time in 5 months Blu-ray achieved the highest Amazon rank, and today managed to pass HD-DVD on average rankings too.

http://www.hdgamedb.com/amazon/history.aspx

Of course there will be more BD sales, there are more PS3's in the home and at least some of them will be purchasing BD movies.

That Fox Announcement is based on a laughable chart that among other things assumes no growth of HD-DVD sales.

[firelizard]

A 3.5-to-1 ratio is a healthy lead. Really wish someone would make some sort of independent study to coroborate some of these numbers.

[jayntampa]

They said Blu-ray discs ... not movies. I wonder if they are including PS3 games on BR discs in their counts?

[Gnome]

Wouldn't they have too?

[Gnome]

Originally Posted by firelizard

A 3.5-to-1 ratio is a healthy lead. Really wish someone would make some sort of independent study to coroborate some of these numbers.

You're right a 3.5 to 1 ratio is a large lead, the only problem is that that is based on an assumption that there will be a steady increase in BD sales based on how they have done since December, and no increase in HD-DVD sales, which is laughable at best.

[rpcor2]

Of course the BluRay camp would claim victory! Just like their main supporters - the Sony zombies - they love to lie and bloat the truth!

The figure of 1 MILLION is based on the amount of PS3's that Sony have SHIPPED TO RETAIL stores.

NOT SOLD!!!!!

HD DVD has better quality and much better sales, regardless of how many players are out there!

As usual, Sony DOESN'T KNOW how many PS3's have sold across the US! They have just stated their 'shipped into retail' (and still sitting on shelves!), figure - and the Blu Ray camp have fallen for it!

I'm in the Uk and have only had my 360 HD DVD add on for a month - yet I already have 13 films on the format! So as an average, times that by the 'so called' 175,000 + (more like 300,000+), and that should tell anyone that HD DVD is kickin' BluRay's BUTT!!!!

[Pat H]

Originally Posted by jed

Blu-ray's clear advantage is the sheer number of PS3s on the market

It's so laughable how Sony keeps touting their PS3 as BD's powerhouse product. I'll believe their hype when I stop seeing a crap load of PS3s on the shelves collecting dust. That's not even considering the fact that many PS3 gamers bought their consoles for GAMES, not Blu Ray.

[hmurchison]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Yikes! How can the add-on be described as delivering the "Look and Sound of Perfect" when it's limited to a lossy optical connection?

Yikes! How can the BDA market "Beyond HD" when they don't support resolutions beyond 1080i?

Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

[Kenshiro]

Originally Posted by hmurchison

Yikes! How can the BDA market "Beyond HD" when they don't support resolutions beyond 1080i?

Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

What BD player are you talking about?

[lifeat30fps]

Ars Technica breaks down the real issue with Sony's 1 mil PS3 number:

edit: I can't link to it because I don't have 10 posts yet.

[firelizard]

Originally Posted by Gnome

You're right a 3.5 to 1 ratio is a large lead, the only problem is that that is based on an assumption that there will be a steady increase in BD sales based on how they have done since December, and no increase in HD-DVD sales, which is laughable at best.

Well, it would be premature for any of us to assume that HD DVD sales would go stagnant. It maybe possible to predict a slow down in HD DVD sales due to CES announcements and Sony's double up effort to release more titles and 2nd gen players. However, none of us can discount the current success of HD DVD plus similar announcements for new titles and players. HD DVD's lead will be trimmed, but it's difficult to predict a total market overtake by BD.

[Gnome]

Originally Posted by firelizard

Well, it would be premature for any of us to assume that HD DVD sales would go stagnant. It maybe possible to predict a slow down in HD DVD sales due to CES announcements and Sony's double up effort to release more titles and 2nd gen players. However, none of us can discount the current success of HD DVD plus similar announcements for new titles and players. HD DVD's lead will be trimmed, but it's difficult to predict a total market overtake by BD.

There is simply a lack of data to determine any kind of trend, and most especially to determine the impact the PS3 is having on BD sales. We will simply have to wait for a year before that can be determined.