IGN: HD-DVD Movie Sales Only 2k Behind Blu-ray

April 25, 2007 - The recent pres-release-bickering between the HD-DVD and Blu-ray camps isn't terribly new, though most previous spats have gone down in the midst of large trade shows. The most recent squabbling began when HD-DVD celebrated the format's birthday by announcing that 100,000 dedicated players had been sold, preserving the format's hardware lead, not counting the PlayStation 3 (story). Blu-ray fired back, announcing that Blu-ray movie sales had reached the 1,000,000-sold milestone, and added a little salt to the wound with the data that 70-percent of Q1 HD-movie sales were thanks to Blu-ray

[ITR]

Well at least HD-DVD is fighting back.

2k isn't far from 1 mil.

HD-DVD will probably announce next week it's over 1 million.

[jahcure]

You need to get outdoors and just visit BB or Walmart, they are both not stocking anymore HD-DVDs, at least in my area. The hd-dvd add on is now below 80 bucks, the toshiba A2 is now $295 and on clearance. If HD-DVD were only 2k behind i think they wouldn't be on clearance. But that's just me

[Torch]

Our Best Buys and Wal-Mart (Toronto area) still carry both formats, although that the burgundy-coloured section appears to be shrinking more and more, while the blue boxes continue to devour HD-DVD's place.

One thing that does stand out heavily in favour of HD-DVD, is that stand-alone HD-DVD players are currently SO MUCH cheaper than the Blu-Ray counterparts. I'm very, very surprised that they're not selling significantly more stand-alones than the Blu-Ray camp.

If those Blu-Ray player prices do drop to a truly competitive level any time soon (they're waaay to expensive considering the competition's offerings), how can one resist NOT choosing blue over burgundy? Only the most devoted of brand worshippers can decline.

Because then, it truly would be about the titles (of which Sony has more (studio support), and at arguably cheaper prices.)

[cookiemonster]

" 1.1 - You actually believe this?
You need to get outdoors and just visit BB or Walmart, they are both not stocking anymore HD-DVDs, at least in my area. The hd-dvd add on is now below 80 bucks, the toshiba A2 is now $295 and on clearance. If HD-DVD were only 2k behind i think they wouldn't be on clearance. But that's just me "

When you start off with "you actually beleive this, you need to get out more" and end with "but that's just me", you have lost all credibility

[ITR]

It's on clearance to make more room for new stock.

I've been at Target and have seen both Blu Ray and HD-DVD movies go for $10-15 bucks on clearance at Target. The pricing team does this every day Mon-Fri.
Wal-Mart does this as well.

Our BB and Target still sell both. Wal-Mart here doesn't even stock either. You might see 1-2 blu or HD movies here and there.

Walmart.com lists 200 HD-DVD and 216 Blu Ray movies.
Thats about equal considering Sony has more studios right now.

[Merovee]

My area is going through the same scenario as torchy's. Still around but ever shrinking HD sections.

[uuuunvnv2]

even though im not going to buy eather till there is only 1 winner. I cant help to think that with wal-mart backing HD-DVD, bluray wont be able to stand the test of time.not that eather is better than the other. there are just A LOT of people that only shop at wal-mart

[jahcure]

Honestly where do you get your info on walmart supporting HD-DVD? Go visit a walmart today, don't take my word for it, just get up...and go visit a walmart and take pics too. THEY ARE NOT carrying much hd-dvd and what they do have is on clearance.

[cookiemonster]

here's a link for reference to the speculation he is talking about.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs...

[XxZxX]

cookiemonster it can be both way, the chinese put it as Blu-ray HD DVD, which is which we don't know however. In taiwan, they have this news
http://www.n4g.com/tech/New...

an american company just ordered 2 million of the players.

"美國知名廠商一口氣訂了2百萬台，
A famous American production factory has ordered 2 million devices. "

it can go both way.

[cookiemonster]

i never said it was a statement of fact. I was just referencing where the news started.

btw i'm chinese. and it's definitely talking about HDdvd in context. the reporter doesn't entirely understand the formats, but the words blue lasers isn't what they are talking about

[XxZxX]

藍光 = Blu-ray
not to confuse with
藍激光 = Blue laser

clearly talking about blu-ray not HDDVD.

[cookiemonster]

You're looking at a taiwanese company making blu-ray.

This isn't in reference to the wal-mart deal. Fuh Yuan

[eques judicii]

well.. the chinese for blue ray and blue light is the same... so really we are still left in the dark

[ITR]

My Chinese friend said it meant Blue Light.
Thats why you see it next to LED's and MP3 players.

Otherwise we have blue ray everything.

[Phantom_Lee]

if u ask me, this article is about wal mart
http://www.n4g.com/tech/New...

because the inventor is the same 鄧鴻吉
and they are talking about Blue ray
the blue light is blue ray in chinese

btw...this is out of topic, but anybody from Taiwan here? Im thinking about going back to visit my family, and i know i dont wanna go back during election season( so messy )..so anybody know when is better time to go back?

[Phantom_Lee]

http://taiwan.cnet.com/news...

this article prove 藍光=Blue Ray

[jedicurt]

walmart sells blu-ray dvd's... atleast they do in Oklahoma, USA

[Mr Murda]

You sound like your ability to live depends on Blu-Ray being the adopted next gen format. Are you OK? Just call the cops and Sony will be forced to stop holding the gun next your head.

How bout this....Why don't YOU go to Wal-Mart and take pictures for me? I want to see the clearance HD-DVD's and $80 HD-DVD add on. I'm sure your right, but I just want to see it. I own the HD-DVD add on and a PS3. I'm at Best Buy, Circuit City, and Wal-Mart weekly to look for new movies on both formats. I promise you, if I found clearance/discounted movies on either format then I'd buy them. Hell, if I found an $80 HD-DVD add on then I'd buy another one just for heck of it.

I'm calling shenanigans on your comments until I see proof.

The truth, at least for the rest of the world, is that both formats are neck and neck. Blu-Ray will probably succeed in the end, due to the amount of studio support. HD-DVD, right now, is a superior format but lacks studio support. This is why I own both and enjoy as many HD Movies as I want.

[xfrgtr]

"According to Home Media Magazine, 70 percent of the high-definition discs purchased during the first quarter of 2007 were Blu-ray, leaving HD DVD in the dust.ccording to new market research from Home Media Magazine, Blu-ray discs significantly outsold titles in the rival HD DVD format during the first quarter of 2007—and Home Media Magazine says the contest wasn't even close, with some 70 percent of high-definition discs sold being in Blu-ray format.According to the figures, consumers purchased nearly 1.2 million high-definition discs in the first quarter of 2007; of those, 832,530 were Blu-ray titles and 359,300 were HD DVD discs. Home Media Magazine says Blu-ray took the sales lead on February and that, by March, the format accounted for nearly three out of every four high-definition discs sold, racking up 335,980 disc sales compared to HD DVDs 119,570 discs.
Since introduction in 2006, more than 2.14 million high-definition discs have been sold; 1.2 million of been Blu-ray and and about 937,500 have been HD DVD."
http://news.digitaltrends.c...
http://www.eproductwars.com...
http://www.dvdempire.com/Co...
"both formats are neck and neck":I don't think so

[OC_MurphysLaw]

So taking into account the launch of the PS3 in Europe in March it would stand to reason that they would have exceptionally higher sales in March don't you think? I think the thing to really watch is if those sales figures level out again as they had before after the NA launch of the PS3.

Also, in terms of sales over all figures 1.2 million and 937,500 is fairly neck and neck. Sure Blu-ray is ahead in those figures but that is not a substantial lead by any stretch.

[Mr Murda]

You managed to make yourself look like a fool in 1 post as compared to most fools, which it typically takes a dozen posts.

You just proved my point about Blu-Ray and HD-DVD being neck and neck. There was an obvious increase in Blu-Ray sales following the PS3 launches in US, Japan, and Europe. Now that the dust has settled we are seeing sales level out again. Thanks for proving my point.

That being said, you seem to be rooting for one product over another. I don't get that!? They both have great things to offer. Enjoy Both!

[OC_MurphysLaw]

So what Walmart are you talking about specifically that is no longer supporting HD-DVD? Just curious because in searching Walmarts website I found some very interesting things being sold ....called HD-DVD's and players. Links to support.... so what again is it you said Walmart was no longer supporting?

Link to players:
http://www.walmart.com/cata...

Link to 360 add on...which I might add is listed at $199:
http://www.walmart.com/sear...

Link to a whole section selling HD-DVD movies:
http://www.walmart.com/cata...

**EDIT NOTE: In case anyone wonders yes they have a blu-ray section too. And the number of titles offered by both formats weighs in at 175 for Blu-ray and 174 for HD-DVD. Hardly seems like they are supporting one more than the other now does it?

So ...Jachure. I can appreciate your fanboy need to defend your format to the death. But please do not make crap up just to try and prove your fanboy love is not mis-guided.

[Blasphemy]

Well thats pretty pathetic considering how long HD-DVD has been out compared to Blu Ray. Blu Ray has surpassed it and has not been on the market as long as HD-DVD.

[ITR]

That probably has more to do with HDTV buying and prices then anything.

Why buy HD if you can't use it.

I'm still price watching.

[Snake_Doctor]

@ITR
I think it is probably more about the lack of HD-DVD releases. If the people bought stand alone players (assuming the have HDTVs) why wouldn't they be able to use it. HD-DVD had an advantage of being earlier to the market and lower price. BR was still faster to get to 1 mill pretty simple to understand.

[Gears]

HD-DVD is the leader, think about it! With around 250,000 HD-DVD players being sold they are doing extremely well. If they had as many HD-DVD players sold as PS3's Blu-Ray would have their a$$ handed to them on a silver platter. Wal-Mart won't sell enough PS3's to market Blu-Ray over HD-DVD. That is why Wal-Mart struck the deal with the Chinese manufacturer. They will sell more HD-DVD movies than Blu-Ray, oh and the HD-DVD discs are cheaper to manufacture due to almost double the successful yields of Blu-Ray discs. So all in all you can produce more HD-DVD discs than Blu-Ray even though they produce 100,000 each off the line 90% successful yields with HD-DVD compared to 50% for Blu-Ray.

[JCDenton]

Anyway, if BluRay doesn't win this war, PS3 will probably be in the very tough position having to justify it's high price...

[DJ]

"Well those Blu-ray sales don't count because a lot of PS3s have been sold. If it wasn't for PS3, HD-DVD would be winning, not Blu-ray."

But that's exactly the point. The fact of the matter is that not only are more Blu-ray movies being sold, but more Blu-ray (i.e. nonPS3 units) are being sold as well. Walk into standard electronics stores like Best Buy, or Circuit city, and you'll see that Blu-ray movies are being used to sell HDTVs. Making up scenarios where PS3 doesn't exist in order to devise an excuse of why HD-DVD is doing so horribly is essentially pointless.

Retailers hate format wars even more than consumers, and I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the year HD-DVD simply disappears off of store shelves as large Electronics Chains clear out old stock. It would make room for the format with higher sales and greater selection, which thus brings in more customers. It's logical business practice.

[kewlkat007]

I don't see why your waiting for surprises.Just say it like it is. You want HD-DVD to be dead.

Here is my say:
If people are actually going out to buy a Stand alone player, then that says a lot. Everybody that does buy a PS3, I would hope they wanna game first, then watch movies. Of course I don't expect every gamer to go out and start buying blue-ray movies(quite expensive over DVD)just because they have a PS3.($60 games + HD format movies is not cheap)

I'll take a consumer that is a video buff and actually goes out of his way to purchase a stand-alone HD DVD/Blue-Ray player(because he/she is HD ready) as being more credible as opposed to a Gamer that just happen to have a console that plays an expensive format.

If that is the case, then we know they are going to purchase movies because they have a sole purpose of purchasing that player, and wanting to giddy up on next-gen HD video. I just can't say the same for a gamer.

Now, imagine if the HD-DVD drive was put into an Xbox 360, with the numbers sold and the stand-alones still selling...Yes imagine. I feel like MS would of, if they weren't pressured to come out early against the beast.
What does it take for developers to make games for consoles or go Multi, well user-base.
What does it take for Studios to change platform or go multi, User-base as well.

This saying puts it simple "HD DVD appears to be positioning itself as the more practical high-def DVD solution, an extension of the format rather than a leap beyond it. The Blu-ray group, for better or worse, is taking the bait and campaigning on technological superiority. Unfortunately, as a result, the press has jumped on the whole VHS vs. Betamax analogy -- you know, the old "the best technology doesn't always win" story, which doesn't help Sony."

[EZCheez]

How many supporters here of the HD-DVD format actually own one?

Or do you just have some vengeance against Sony?

[kewlkat007]

any corporation to dislike a certain tactic, strategy, or business views.

While I dislike sony's strategy this time around,(I mean I've had all Playstations created up till now), I really hate the whole "we will stick it to the gamers that have supported us for the last 10 years, just for the sake of adding our own prepriatory drive, so we can win, yet another format war against Toshiba.

That's the sole reason Sony went with the blue-ray in there, then to try to justify it.(let's face it extra storage is nice but I can live with it this gen.(I'm not some lazy turd that will complain about switching a disc, and use that as justification.)

As quoted this is some of the reasons why I see the HD-DVD as the better choice for consumers.(Gamers aside)
1.The name itself, HD DVD, is far more consumer-friendly than Blu-ray.
2.HD DVDs carry the same basic structure as current DVDs, so converting existing DVD manufacturing lines into HD DVD lines is supposedly simple and cost effective.
3.HD DVD seems to be more of a practical high-def DVD solution, an extension of the format rather than a leap beyond it.

To keep things cheap I would of rather a "evolutionary approach to the next HD media, as opposed to a revolutionary one." ( This would of benefited us all)Even if added an HD-DVD player, the PS3 would of been cheaper in the long run. Since I don't own a 1080P HD TV, I don't care as much. Most of my movies are on my HDD and is streamed.(I hate disc personally)

The major differences comes down to space, the again with both formats reaching 50GB+, how much do we really need?
so really how many times are we gonna have to purchase a copy of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, yet again?

[Boink]

and let's not forget, hddvd's being made now are actually backwards compatible, so you can still watch the regular dvd from the same disk in your old player. it just seems like such a consumer friendly, easy upgrade path, where as with bluray, if I want to watch a movie at my friends place, or on any other tv, I need a bluray player for every tv. that's annoying IMO.

don't get me wrong, I still think both formats are junk, and digital distribution is the far superior method. but if forced to chose, HDDVD just seems to be the easier path.

[EZCheez]

Why is it so hard for some people to believe that maybe Sony actually thought that within the next ten years (I say ten because that is how long Sony says the PS3 will last) a game would require double digit GB's to make a game? Is it really that hard of a concept to grasp? I think games will be at that stage for the PS3 at the end of this year! If PS3 stayed with the DVD9 format, both Sony and Microsoft would hit a huge wall when it comes to game development. And guess what that would lead to. Buying yet another console within the next four to five years with yet another format. That is something I am not really willing to do and since I am being given the option to proceed to level 2, I am taking it. That is why it was so easy for me to decide to spend over 600 on this machine. Because I do plan on using it for the next decade. And given Sony's track record with the PS1 and PS2, I believe they have somewhat of an idea what they are doing.

Also, I see arguments but no answer. Who here owns a stand-alone HD-DVD player?

AND ON A SIDE NOTE- HD-DVD is not the better name. Makes people sound like they are stuttering. Blu-Ray rolls off the tongue.

SAY THAT FIVE TIMES FAST!!!

[Gears]

And about 40 HD-DVD movies, just pre-ordered the matrix trilogy.

[Kyur4ThePain]

PS3 as a stand-alone Blu-Ray player, you can't count the 360 add-on as a stand-alone HD-DVD player.

[power of Green]

Agreed!, HD-DVD is doing well considering its not as hyped and has less supprot from the studios yet its neck and neck with the majority.

[power of Green]

Cool i did not know that thanks!. That changes everthing when it comes to Blu-ray supporters reaching for anwsers.

#6.2 you say its pretty simple to understand yet it seems you don't get it. Blu-ray was hyped up for years and the great new PS3s image went hand and hand with Blu-ray, it had a following months before the first players started to luanch.

What we're seeing is everybody that wanted support BR in the past are supporting it now and those are the results we're seeing now. Blu-ray isn't crushing/winning/killing anything its bearly able to pass up the default underdog with 3 million PS3 owners and all the studios support.

Sure HD-DVD was out first and as a default underdog ofcourse it seems like Blu-ray is tearing it up when all the people that were going to support it now have their chances thus BR's temporary success.

200 hundred thousnad lead!, surely PS3's pulling BR's weight and barely at that with PS3 running out of gas so to speak.

Walmart and Porn will finish of whats left later on. Don't confuse the Chinese deal with WalMart with Blu-ray supporters looking for taiwan deals.

[Phantom_Lee]

the taiwan article and chinese-wal mart is the same
because both article mention the inventor 鄧鴻吉

http://www.n4g.com/ClickOut...
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/ar...

not only that, TDK also help them ( and TDK didnt jump ship, go check out their site, they still support blue-ray disc and no mention of HD DVD )

[Phantom_Lee]

http://www.tdk.com/consumer...

[Kyur4ThePain]

The latest figures show porn DVD sales have dropped 30% in the last year.
I don't think they add that much to a format any longer.

[sabbath420]

below 80 bucks? right! Get a grip people, the war has just begun. For the person that stated "Only the most devoted of brand worshippers can decline" I think that only sony fans are the true brand worshippers. How could you follow a company so faithfully that has lied so much about the products they sell, and look at the past record for sony forcing a peticular format on people for an outrageous price.

[OneBubbleBastard]

HDDVD has no chance. Period.

haha stupid xbots saying that HDDVD is doing well despite the horrible sales, but when the article is about the PS3 they only say how bad the PS3 is selling..

xbots are the worse plague my friend..

BluRay is kicking the sh*t out of HDDVD and will continue to do so.

Enjoy them HD movies while you can cause i don't think HDDVD will survive for next year..

[SETBAK]

Nothing is over! Nothing! You just don't turn it off! It wasn't my war! You asked me, I didn't ask you! And I did what I had to do to win! But somebody wouldn't let us win! And I come back to the world and I see all those maggots at the airport, protesting me, spitting. Calling me an xbot and all kinds of vile crap! Who are they to protest me? Who are they? Unless they've been me and been there and know what the hell they're yelling about!

[tk]

I had the request from my family to get a DVD player. I bought a PS2, and did not buy games for it the same day. The day I bought the PS2, we rented DVD's. It was first a DVD player, and then we bought games for it.

With PS3, it is a BluRay player. Most who buy it will not go of and buy a HD-DVD player. They will buy BluRay titles. Every PS3 sold, is a BluRay player sold. End of story. Most who get a PS3 will be a BluRay consumer, and never look at HD-DVD. End of story.

[FirstknighT]

Well the new Toshiba HD Dvd player has gotten rave reviews and considered as the BEST player on the market. So anybody who is serious about movies should consider purchasing the Toshiba and picking up hd-dvds. Last I checked, HD-dvd still beats out Blue Ray in quality.

[tk]

For crying out loud - it is not possible for the one to give better "quality" than the other.

It is digital, not analogue. The electronic file on it is EXACTLY THE SAME. It is like storing a short HD video clip on a CD, DVD, HD-DVD or BluRay, and then claim the HD-DVD one is somehow "better". Last time I checked people who make these statements are totally clueless fan boys with not a clue about the underlying technology. The only two factors that come into play is the transfer speed, and the size. That is it, and the transfer speed is just a spec, like - how do you think newer DVD drives transfer data faster than the original spec? Simply because the spec is the minimum baseline - that is it. So it boils eventually down to one simple point - space. And there BluRay wins. That is it. No more to discuss. Claiming that the same file is somehow better on the other format just proves that you did not check anything before you wildly started typing to support your preference.