HD DVD Sales Tumble After Warners Defection

Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:27AM EST

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The first HD DVD sales figures since Warner Brothers jumped ship to Blu-ray are starting to trickle in, and the news is bleak: both HD DVD disc and player sales have plummeted since Warners' surprise pre-CES announcement.

Engadget HD has the numbers from Nielsen VideoScan, which details disc sales for both Blu-ray and HD DVD. The latest word, for the week ending January 15: Blu-ray snagged a whopping 85 percent of disc sales, compared to just 15 percent for HD DVD, with no HD DVD titles at all in the top-10 list. Now, the numbers represent only one week's sales, and as Engadget HD points out, HD DVD didn't happen to have any big titles coming out that week; still, given that the historical Blu-ray/HD DVD split has been more like 60 to 40 percent, that's a sharp drop.

Meanwhile, NPD Group (via High-Def Digest) has sales numbers on the hardware side: for the week ending January 12, Blu-ray players represented an overwhelming 92 percent of all HD decks sold, compared to less than 8 percent for HD DVD. Compare that to the previous week, when Blu-ray and HD DVD player sales chalked up a 50-50 split. Ouch. That said, Toshiba announced an HD DVD player fire sale on January 13, so we'll have to see if that kicks up next week's sales a notch.

Again, we're just talking one week of figures here, but the numbers pretty much speak for themselves. Looks like the format war may be drawing to a close, rapidly.

Related:
Nielsen VideoScan High-Def market share for week ending January 13th, 2008 [Engadget HD]
Blu-ray Commands 93 Percent of Weekly Hardware Sales Post-Warner Announcement [High-Def Digest]

Comments on HD DVD Sales Tumble After Warners Defection

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  • 6 Posted by trickfoot24 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    Too bad the media is a day late and a dollar short with this article. Shelves at BestBuy, CC and Wal-Mart have been emptying with the 50% price cut of HD-DVD. The HD-A3 is also in the top 10 of all electronics sales at Amazon... and the #1 for both DVD, and HD-DVD player categories. Just like VHS came from behind with their massive price cuts in the late 70's (no, it wasn't porno), HD-DVD will prove again that the consumer trumps all. Sorry Sony. You can pay off all the studios you want, but consumers and free markets are what drive things here in America. You think you would've learned by now. Tsk, tsk.

  • 7 Posted by hedo4three2002 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    To trickfoot24, if my memory serves me correct, and I am basing this totally on memory not fact but I used VHS because I could copy 6 HRS of programming. Nobody bought movies back then. You could buy a few titles, I remember a marquis advertising Star Wars for $84.95 and that was a bargain. We rented. I am not to sure where you are getting your facts but VCRS weren't inexpensive until the mid 80's. I bought a demo for $350 + in '84 and was the only one on my dorm floor who had one. How will HD-DVD prevail when all studios drop the format? and they will because we need only one type of HD and Blu-ray won which is why Paramount put the clause about "Warner Bros" switching in their contract. As for Sony paying, I thought Toshiba was the one who paid the studios? Blu-ray won because it is the better technology (specifically the wavelength of the laser)Some pratices by SONY DRM wise will concern us enthusiast but they try to come up quality technology eventhough some fail. Although the UMD didnt take the market by storm , some are still amazed by the video quality of those 1.8G discs and still trying to figure out how they did it. The studios pickd the winner of this war not Sony, not Toshiba, not us just be thankful the better technology is winning and will soon have one format.

  • 8 Posted by staticx_1981 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    Dont forget the $500 millinon that "Sony" gave to Warner bros to go to Blu-ray..... Plus alot of people are going to be Disappointed when the blu-ray 2.0 players come out since the 1.0 player will be out of date and wont be playing the 2.0 movie. WOW wish they had a Ethernet hook up so it could be updated huh?

  • 9 Posted by taller226 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    Actually the ps3 is looking better and better. I work at toy store that has seen a sudden rush on them as people can use that blue ray player. It also has an internet connection for future updates.

  • 10 Posted by sailkeuka on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    I dont believe this...price always wins. HD DVDs and players cost less. I think this is wishful thinking of the blue rays boys.

  • 11 Posted by tiredoldman1954 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:11PM EDT Report Abuse

    Well,IF Blue Ray has won, then some people have lost. Blue ray costs more than we are willing to pay. So, I guess we'll just have to wait for those movies to be run on TV. Now as for all the movies we already have in HD-DVD (1126), well, I guess they can be donated with the HD-DVD players to our local shelters for abused women and kids. When the cost comes down to same costs as we paid for the HD-DVD stuff, THEN we will buy "Blue-Ray". It ain't the Picture, It's the costs.

  • 12 Posted by m.jun50 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    The competition between HD and BD will not last long and both of them will just fade away with no winner. Why? because, I can see the trend of the game at this time. Those companies who adapt the SSD/Flash memory are the one not involve in the HD/BD war. The canon and samsung are producing now the flash memory camcorder, some companies laptops. Then another indication is the latest Mcbk air with no optical drives, shows that it is not necessary and that flash memory is sufficient. Why not just manufacture a FLASH MEMORY/PEN DRIVE/CARD PLAYER? Why go with expensive HD/BD player. Your imono card reader is more than enough to bring around with the newly manufactured (I hope) player. Which I think if there is such a flash memory player must be cheap, handy, reliable and sturdy.

  • 15 Posted by bertramgp on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    THEY ARE TO EXPENSIVE. TWICE THE PRICE OF REGULAR DVD'S. NO ONE WILL PAY THESE PRICES.

  • 16 Posted by blackcameron on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    So we are to feel sorry for the HD DVD makers? I purcahsd a HD DVD player and it doesnt' compare to Blu-ray. They coild atleast sale the HD-DVD's at half price now and make some money instead of nothing.

  • 17 Posted by kkeeling101 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just like the vcr, hd-dvd or normal dvd is starting to become out dated. It's only natural for the next generation of video entertainment to take over, and that is blu ray. Nothing really surprising there to be honest. If any body thought it would stick with hd-dvd or normal dvd then the shock is going to be big for them. As Hedo said, they should just admit defeat.

  • 18 Posted by trigger968 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    Does it really matter? Blue-Ray and HD-DVD will both go the way of the Cassett, CD-ROM, and 8 Track for more digital media like the iPod. We are already seeing the industry move in that direction with HD Downloads, anyone that invests in either of these technologies is simply not looking into the near future. Don't waste your money on either, all your movies will soon be on a HardDrive that you can carry anywhere and not worry about cases or scratching........... The Future is now and it's not in a DVD.

  • 19 Posted by mcse2020 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    and the once promising Sony BETA uttered to the last breath, "AVENGE ME!!"

  • 21 Posted by stockhawk420 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    Did you guys live in a closet the last few years? Some braindead comments on here. blu-ray already has won, end of story -- hd-dvd will be obsolete in two years. Do Remember, the early adopters always pay big and cheapskates like me wait a couple years and pay 1/3 the price for 3 times the quality, just like I did with flat panel LCDs. In two years time, Hi-def will be far more mainstream, Blu-ray players will be $99 bucks a pop and I'll pick up a 50 inch 1080p LCD TV for $799 to go with it. Technology advances quickly, and gets cheaper even faster -- this will be no exception.

  • 23 Posted by kvaich on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    i think sony with their sony playstation 3 has helped bluray sales in some ways:)you only have to walk into our local video shop to see why: they have a large sony screen t.v setup with a playstation 3 connected playing blueray disk movies and a few blueray titles near it on the shelves not many hd ones.What i heard it has a wow factor when people see it lol... plus i have heard theres more bluray disks in stock then hd ones

  • 24 Posted by jlennonyea on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:36PM EDT Report Abuse

    Price only matters to people who are poor! But for the rest of us we buy what is better for the money. And that is Blu-Ray!

  • 25 Posted by samvickroy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm going to stay with my regular old dvd player, so what if I can't see the pimples on there face. Does change how much I enjoy the movie. hehe

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