Blue-Ray vs. HD-DVD - Sales Numbers?

snash22 · 12-10-2006, 10:39 AM

I went to BB, CC & a boutique HT shop this weekend. All of them were pushing Blu-Ray over HD-DVD. That small slice of anecdotal evidence leaves me thinking that Blu-Ray is going to win.

I have no skin in the game so far, I just want to buy the format that will win, regardless of which is better.

Does anyone have a link to the the following numbers?

# of players sold in each category
# of movies sold in each category
# of titles available in each category

Vincent_P · 12-10-2006, 11:45 AM

I don't have the numbers you seek, but speaking of Best Buy, my local BB had a very misleading Blu-ray "demo" running in their Magnolia home theater room the last time I was in there (this is the BB in Holmdel, NJ). They were playing the HD-DVD of KING KONG on a big rear-projection set, but the set-up they had it running on had the Sony Blu-ray player underneath with no HD-DVD player in sight. Obviously, they were trying to sell the idea that KING KONG was being played on the Sony Blu-ray.

What really struck me about this was that it was completely unneccessary for them to be so dishonest with that set up. There are now any number of stunning-quality BD movies out there that they could have actually been playing. If they were looking for a big action hit, they could've been running X-MEN III on that Blu-ray player, for example. Why play an HD-DVD of KING KONG and try and make it seem like it was a Blu-ray demo?

Vincent

Quote:

Originally Posted by snash22

I went to BB, CC & a boutique HT shop this weekend. All of them were pushing Blu-Ray over HD-DVD. That small slice of anecdotal evidence leaves me thinking that Blu-Ray is going to win.

I have no skin in the game so far, I just want to buy the format that will win, regardless of which is better.

Does anyone have a link to the the following numbers?

# of players sold in each category
# of movies sold in each category
# of titles available in each category

Dave Moritz · 12-11-2006, 04:36 AM

There are aproximently 126 titles available for HD-DVD and 115 titles for Bluray. IMHO there are stronger titles coming out on the Bluray format for the most part. But there will be some good titles for HD-DVD as well. And for the time being Pirates Of The Caribbean will be a Bluray only title which will be a big draw for Bluray. If you check out the HD-DVD release list Robert has provided for us. It shows The Lord of the Rings Trilogy being a HD-DVD release but I would not be surprised if it ends up being a Bluray release instead. Or it may end up on both formats? But if Lord Of The Rings ends up on Bluray only along with Pirates. That could mean more Bluray players sold and less HD-DVD players being sold.

I would be interested in how many players are being sold as well. But I would not want that to affect the outcome if the better format is affected. I feel that the better format should win and one should not pick a format solely based on the feeling that it will win, but thats just my opinion.

I own a HD-DVD player and will purchase a Bluray player around March hopefully. Approximately 70% of my HD purchases will be Blu-ray unless its only available on HD-DVD or Bluray only provides a standard Dolby track. And HD-DVD provides a Dolby True HD track, then the HD-DVD version will be chosen. I have gone from 1% of my HD titles being Bluray to about 25% being Bluray. I would like to see more of the people that are buying new 1080p displays, buying HD players and movies. Preferable I would want them to buy Blu-ray but even HD-DVD would be welcome. We need to have a adopted and supported HD format along with good hardware to enjoy these HD titles on. One of the things that I feel hurts HD-DVD is the lack of choice on the hardware side. There is also a very small number of Dolby True HD titles available as well. Bluray is quickly pulling away from HD-DVD with the number of lossless titles offering DTS-HD. If this continues there will be a huge gap by the end of February 07.

Bluray has more players to chose from and there will be more players next year. Besides Toshiba and the Toshiba with a RCA badge on it. What other company is going to offer a HD-DVD player? I would say its a safe be in 2007 you will see no other company offering HD-DVD players! I do not see Microsoft's support for HD-DVD translating into victory for HD-DVD. There are a lot of good size companies behind Bluray and lets not forget that slightly well known company, Sony. I have heard a few people say that HD-DVD will win because Microsoft is a big company. Well Microsoft may be a big company especially in the software/ computer business. But on the audio / video side Sony is a really big company as well so I would not use Microsoft's backing of HD-DVD or Sony's backing of Bluray as a reason why ether format succeeding.

While I would like to see Bluray win this format war, if for what ever reason it doesn't. I would at least like to see HD-DVD survive as it is clearly superior to DVD. And the picture is right up there with Bluray so when ever I have the chance to tell people about Bluray and even HD-DVD I will take that time to tell them how great they are! I am just your local neighborhood HD pimp!

ppltd · 12-11-2006, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Moritz

There are aproximently 126 titles available for HD-DVD and 115 titles for Bluray. IMHO there are stronger titles coming out on the Bluray format for the most part. But there will be some good titles for HD-DVD as well. And for the time being Pirates Of The Caribbean will be a Bluray only title which will be a big draw for Bluray. If you check out the HD-DVD release list Robert has provided for us. It shows The Lord of the Rings Trilogy being a HD-DVD release but I would not be surprised if it ends up being a Bluray release instead. Or it may end up on both formats? But if Lord Of The Rings ends up on Bluray only along with Pirates. That could mean more Bluray players sold and less HD-DVD players being sold.

I see things a little differently, as I am in the group that believes exclusivity in titles will be a very short lived. As far as which studios have the stronger titles, it is entirely in the eye of the beholder. As far as the LOTR trilogy, I doubt we will even see a release until next year Christmas, and I would think it will be released over both formats, assumming they are both here.

I don't see the exclusive studios holding much longer. If Disney were as locked into BD as many think, and want the format to win, we would have seen day for date release of Priates last week of SD and BD. These studios are still taking a wait and see stance.

Dave Moritz · 12-11-2006, 12:32 PM

Quote:

I don't see the exclusive studios holding much longer. If Disney were as locked into BD as many think, and want the format to win, we would have seen day for date release of Priates last week of SD and BD. These studios are still taking a wait and see stance.

This is one thing that actually does not make sence to me at all. Disney is backing Bluray and has released titles. But at the same time has not release dates for ether Pirate movie or Cars. Why exclusively back a format and then not release at least one really big title? If it is a wait and see stance then why not release on HD-DVD as well. I wish someone from Disney would come on this forum and let us know what is going on.

And I would agree that if LOTR comes out in HD it most likely will not be until the end of 07. But I would not put it past them to wait until 08 ether.

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chuckamuck · 12-12-2006, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ppltd

If Disney were as locked into BD as many think, and want the format to win, we would have seen day for date release of Priates last week of SD and BD. These studios are still taking a wait and see stance.

One reason is perhaps that because "Pirates" and other titles of theirs are so popular, holding off on releasing them for a short while gives them something major to tout at CES, which is only weeks away (and according to Bill Hunt at The Digital Bits, Disney does intend to use CES to make major BD release announcements).

I think we'll be seeing this title on BD in the next few months.

Mark Zimmer · 12-12-2006, 05:24 PM

It gives them a chance to sell the SD version to the clueless, then get them to buy the BD version a month or two later, which in the eyes of studios is a Very Good Thing.

Dave Moritz · 12-12-2006, 08:52 PM

While I purchased the SD version of Pirates Dead Mans Chest I only purchased the standard edition for $14.99 and not the two disc set. When the HD version comes out for both Black Pearl and Dead Mans Chest. And when Battlestar Galactica hits HD I will be buying that as soon as it hits the shelf.

I am not sure what the sells numbers look like right now but unfortunantly IMHO most people are staying away from both formats. I am also interested in seeing what new HD titles and harware are anounced at CES this January.