Do DVD's outsell VHS tapes? (1 Viewer)

[Dean L]

Anyone know if a DVD sells more than its VHS counterpart?

Example; how many copies does a LOTR-FOTR DVD sell compared to the VHS version...also Anime, Concert Vids, Cult films, etc?

I'm just a consumer, but I think DVD wins.
Always a crowd looking through DVD movies at Best Buy these days and the VHS section looks pretty desereted to me.

Please discuss...

 

[Brendan Brown]

I know for a fact that Anime is like the poster-child for DVD success. They're the first market to almost completely switch over, they don't even bother releasing a lot of stuff onto VHS anymore.

 

[GarySchrock]

I don't have any numbers, but I'd be suprised at this point if VHS sales are doing better than DVD's. Based on my last trip into Best Buy, I'd say VHS is almost dead. They had only about one row of shelves that still have tapes on them, everything else had migrated to DVD's. If they're not on the shelves, they sure aren't selling.

 

[Brian E]

Most store managers I've talked to have said there companies are looking to either phase out vhs or only carry a top 25 & new big release type of selection.

CC dumped it already IIRC.

 

[SvenS]

It's been at least two years since DVD's over took VHS tapes in sales numbers and I would hazzard to guess they do at least a 2-1 ratio over tapes by now. Probably even more!

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

You have to realize that there are two "sales" markets here - direct sales to consumers through retail stores, and sales to rental stores.

VHS has been in a steady decline in direct sales almost since the day that DVD arrived. It has hung on longer in rental sales, because the segment of the market that tends to rent rather than buy includes the segment of the market that tends not to have bought a DVD player yet.

You'll notice that a lot of new release ads say, "Rent it today on VHS, own it today on DVD" - that's because the rental window is still in effect on the VHS side, whereas the DVDs tend to go to rental stores and retail outlets on the same day.

Given that DVD all-but owns the direct or "sell-through" market, and has a growing share of the rental market, I'd say that DVDs far outsell VHS tapes.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Sven Opitz]

The (more or less) official numbers for germany said, that in 2002 two thirds of sale came in from DVD.
So I guess, that DVD is the winner

 

[Scott L]

Another question- is Gladiator still the best selling DVD to date? (2 yrs old & still awesome DVD by the way!)

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Assuming most movies sold about like the top 20 last year, DVD outdoes VHS by about 2:1 in the US as well.

 

[TedT]

yes

 

[Angelo.M]

In addition, last year DVDs outsold music CDs in the US. In fact, just a handful of DVD releases together (Spiderman, Lord of the Rings) outsold all CDs in the US.

 

[Stephen Heath]

In addition, last year DVDs outsold music CDs in the US. In fact, just a handful of DVD releases together (Spiderman, Lord of the Rings) outsold all CDs in the US.

That's not too surprising considering the prices of CD's compared to the prices of movies. For anyone with a finite entertainment budget, which would you choose, an hour and a half of a movie you enjoyed where the studio crammed all kinds of neat things to fill up the available space for $25, or an audio only CD with 30 minutes of music, out of which 6-7 minutes is "excellent" for $18.

I haven't bought a single CD since DVD came out, not because I wasn't a music lover (I own about 600 CD's), but because DVD was such a good deal. Of course, same thing goes for VHS. DVD came out at the same price as VHS did for better quality, again, a great deal.

Edit : Typo

 

[Brett Sheppard]

I'd have to agree that VHS is mainly still around for rental purposes. Maybe its just my area but has anyone noticed that prices for VHS are still surprisingly high? It doesn't even look like certain retailers are trying to sell them with such outrageous prices. Either way, DVD easily outsells VHS.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

the only VHS I've noticed the price on have been in the $4.99 bin

 

[Eugene Esterly]

Yes, DVD's outsell VHS.

My local Circuit City only carries DVD's but no VHS. My local Best Buy only has about a half shelf full of VHS while the DVD's have 6 shelves.

 

[ScottJH]

On a similar note, VSDA is reporting that "This is the first week ever that DVD rental revenues have exceeded VHS rental revenues, and occurred six years to the month after the launch of the DVD format in the U.S.." This is for the week ending March 16.

 

[Ed St. Clair]

Best Buy will completely pullout of the VHS market, by the fourth quarter of this year!

 

[MarkHastings]

I read an article (sorry I don't have the link), but it stated that the past 5 years of DVD sales has surpased the ENTIRE length of VHS sales! What's that, like over 20 years?

Those are pretty amazing statistics.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

I wouldn't be shocked if BB pulls out of VHS after Christmas. They'll use the season to dump remaining stocks and it's history.

It's going to be getting harder to find VHS copies of stuff than it was to find LDs

 

[GarySchrock]

it stated that the past 5 years of DVD sales has surpased the ENTIRE length of VHS sales!

I have to wonder how much of this is partially due to how much it costs to go to a movie theater these days. I mean, I don't go to anything other than a matinee anymore, and even then, it's $11 total for my wife and I, and god forbid if you want anything to eat while you're there. At that point, you can buy the movie and watch it a home for the cost it takes to go see it once in the theater. And you don't have to listen to the idiot group near you that decides they want to chat their way through the movie.