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Market study finds Blu-ray outsells HD DVD 2:1
Posted on 02/02/07 18:57 by Seán Byrne
According to this X-bit labs report, a market study has found that Blu-ray titles are already outselling HD DVD titles by 2:1. 175,000 HD DVD players have been sold up until January 5th, compared with a whopping 2 million PS3 consoles, each effectively doubling up as a Blu-ray disc player. To help boost Blu-ray disc sales, Sony has included the movie Talladega Nights with each PS3 along with a free Blu-ray movie voucher. This potentially leads to several hundred thousand Blu-ray titles purchased for free.
According to a market research report from Nielsen Videoscan, during the first week of January, for every 47.14 HD DVD movies sold, 100 Blu-ray movies were also sold, peaking at 38.36 HD DVD movies to 100 Blu-ray movies sold over the second week of January. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, which exclusively backs the Blu-ray format reckons that Blu-ray began out selling HD DVD late December with a 3.5 Blu-ray title to 1 HD DVD title sale ratio early January.
It would be interesting to see what the actual sales would be for each format if the sales involving free vouchers or bundled movies were not taken into account, particularly since anyone with the voucher is almost certain to exchange it for a free movie, even if they may not watch it after all.
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I think it's important to remember that Toshiba is offering *3* free HDDVD movies with the purchase of their HDDVD player... at least here in Canada (and I'd assume the USA also). So claiming that it's because Sony is giving away free movies really sounds kind of biased.
And the Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD drive also came with a free King Kong HD DVD. Although that promotion might have ended already...
What are the chances that they're also counting PS3 games as "Blu-ray titles"?Nope, the study is pretty clear. Software, which includes video games are not included. It's movies only.
A much better source for the information can be found here:
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/questex/hmr012807/
Look at page 8 
This is too funny! Manipulating the numbers to save their a**es! Gotta love Sony!! (anyone want to buy my Betamax?) 
I don't know if Blu-Ray is manipulating numbers or not. What I see is that the number of HD-DVD titles sold is not increasing for a long time. There's no curve at all, just a straight line. And the numbers don't look too promising? On the other hand the Blu-Ray numbers are increasing steadily. I reckon there's a lot more than free titles making up those numbers.
If what we read on the article, Dolphinius_Rex linked to, is right, 70% of people who purchased the PS3 are saying they are interested in purchasing Blu-Ray titles (well, they'd be a bit crazy if they purchased HD-DVD, right?). It seems like a lot of people to me.
We'll see, we'll see... Maybe the anti-Sony crowd will have to eat some crow. 
By the way, long live DVD. 
@Bobverens:
Just for you, a nice big list of independant sites (including sales figures from DVDEmpire and Amazon.com) all showing the same basic trend:
http://www.cdrlabs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=22924
If you think Sony has enough power to manipulate ALL those vendors and websites, then the format war would have been over before it began 
Hmm , something is very wrong with the data and graphs , it appears to be very manipulative , as with all marketing the actual sales curve are not a linear function but more of a logarithmic parabolic bell shape until the market flat lines at saturation point then slips backwards at some point in the future!(someone is using log log paper and a restructured scale to cheat with amongst other things)
The latest SONY fiscal filings to end December '06 , tell us a completely different story by the way , with the SONY Gaming Division sales in the doldrums , and they are holding large amounts of unsold retail stock of both PSP's and PS3's , with major losses in sales to it's main rivals and competitors , they are hopeful that the European PAL launch may lift them out of the current sales doldrums ! , although by all accounts they will have a very long tail chase to catch up to both Nintendo and the M$ XBOX360 offering which has HD DVD drive which by all accounts can be easily fitted to a standard desktop PC with few problems!
Oh well , as with all numbers they can do many things , but I have yet to see them get up off the paper and take the dog for a walk!
As with anything in new technology , those that grab the first cab off the rank truly pay the premium price , as we have seen first with AUDIO CD's in the eighties , then Toshiba DVD's in the nineties and now with Blu-ray in the new century , with an even more costlier upgrade path than that which preceded them!
You should take this extreme form of manipulated and what appears to be extrapolated data with a grain of salt! as the data does not seem to add up at as presented!
This begs the questions , as to whom is selling what short , and who is paying whom to show the desired apparent manipulated and/or extrapolated result? 
"This begs the questions , as to whom is selling what short , and who is paying whom to show the desired apparent manipulated and/or extrapolated result? "
This begs the question, why can't you just believe the facts?
What does Amazon.com or DVDEmpire gain from mis-reporting their own sales? They have *NO* vested interest in either format, they just sell whatever people buy. And both of Amazon and DVDEmpire's sales stats completely click with the Nielson study.
It sounds to me like someone is just bitter and trying desperately to come up with some way to discredit facts to make Sony look bad. But the facts are the facts, and too many people are reporting the same info from different independant sources for it to be wrong (which is why I keep posting links verifying my information).
So how about you back up your claims of manipulation with more then just hot air? If you don't like my links, then provide counter links. But don't spill hearsay garbage and expect it to stick. For those who didn't both to follow the second link I posted, here are the specific links to the DVD Empire and Amazon.com sales stats:
DVD Empire Sales Statistics:
http://www.dvdempire.com/Content/Features/hidef_wars.asp
eProductWars statistics based on Amazon sales figures:
http://www.eproductwars.com/dvd/
HDGameDB statistics based on Amazon sales figures:
http://www.hdgamedb.com/amazon/history.aspx?TYPE=10&SPAN=14
http://www.hdgamedb.com/amazon/versus.aspxI'm a little sickened by all your Blu-Ray gloating, Dolphinius. I'm gonna' go puke now.
Well, if it wasn't for the PS3, Sony and Bluray would be seriously lagging behind since their console system is selling way below what it should be sold for. Also, I can't believe people are willing to pay $600+ on a game system that only offers better graphics and a HDCP player that requires special equipment to play on. Graphics aren't the only thing that makes a game good by a long shot and having to buy thousands of dollars of equipment to get the full benefit of Bluray is just ridiculous to me.@Vinnie97:
Sorry, I might be laying it on a little thicker here then I would on other forums, since CDFreaks is well known for its' rabid BluRay = Sony and Sony = Evil, antics. As for myself, my personal dislike for Sony and TDK pales in comparison to my appreciation for Philips, Panasonic and Pioneer, and my hatred for MS and dislike of Toshiba. So for me, BluRay is the much lesser of two evils. Also, my inner geek just LOVES the capacity advantage from BluRay recordable media.
But the simple fact of the matter is that I called the format war in favour of BluRay back on October 13th of 2004, simply because BluRay sounds cooler then HDDVD. I haven't looked back since then
I'm also trying to find fresh blood since I think I broke all the HDDVD fanboys on 2 of my more regular forums...@Shaolin007
I agree, BluRay would be in a LOT of trouble without the PS3. As for the $499.99 / $599.99 USD price tag, it's pretty high as well, but the $500.00 USD is only $120.00 more then Toshiba's cheaper HDDVD model running around $380.00 or so. And that $120 gets you a game system on top of HD content movie playability. I'm not saying it's for everyone, but that's one way to look at it. As for gameplay vs. graphics/raw power, I agree completely! Which is why I own a Nintendo Wii, which I enjoy a lot. But when the next Final Fantasy games start coming out, I know I'll be getting in line for a PS3 myself.
As for the HDTV requirement... well, most of us North American's have to have one by 2009 anyways when all anaglogue TV signals cease to be. That's why I bought a 46" LCD TV at Christmas I can see why a new "market study" suddenly finds Blu-Ray gaining ground. Considering the fact that the PS3 launched only two months ago, is it any wonder? Obviously they're going to gain some market share, after forcing Blu-Ray capabilities down the consumer's throat. Let's forget the fact that the PS3 launch was a miserable failure. Large stocks of the console are still sitting on shelves all across North America, something unheard of so soon after a new release. A couple of million PS3 owners have been forced to support Blu-Ray, because let's face it, it's easier to just buy a few movies for the PS3 you already own. This hardly qualifies as winning the format war however. I'm sure there will be another surge in Blu-Ray sales come March, when the PS3 launches in Europe and Australia. Still, a few million hardcore gamers willing to spend in excess for $600 for a console still doesn't qualify as winning the next gen format war. I'm sure in a couple of months another "market study" will declare Sony and Blu-Ray the undisputed winner of the format war. Lying and marketing hype is what Sony does best, so this will play into their hand perfectly.
I don't own a PS3/Blu-Ray player or an Xbox360/HD-DVD player, but I hate Sony with a passion. I hope their crappy, DRM infested format dies a horrible death reminiscent of the Betamax in the 80's. Don't worry though, they didn't learn their lesson back then, and I'm sure they won't learn it now either. Expect another crappy format crammed down your throat by Sony in another twenty years or so. That is, if Sony is still around by then. Let's hope not.
PSP UMD movies did OK for a while too. Its too early to tell what will happen this year based on these post-Xmas stats.
BTW - 2 million PS3 users with a free movie voucher is alot more than ~ 75,000 Toshiba customers with 3 movie vouchers, if indeed these are counted as sales.
I think Toshiba said (and I kinda agree), an inluencing factor this year will be the average non-gaming consumer who decides finally buy a HDTV as prices are dropping, and wants a HD player to go with their new TV.
(prices will drop)
HD DVD player for $300-400
Blu-ray player for $600-800
Hybrid player $1000
Good point. How many game-playing kiddies can movie distributors count on to buy blu-ray flicks? Once the grown-ups get into the marked with non-game station related DVD HD players, that'll be more telling than a pre-pubescent captive audience of Playstation kidz. It's way early in the game, folks.
PS: Anyone want to buy my Betamax??? Still waiting for takers
The reason that BR ir outdoing HD is simple - the Japanese...
They quite frankly don;t have any sence and all jumped on the PS3 when it was launched. So now they just buy movie after movie (as they did with DVDs!) to play on it....
What is clear from some bits and pieces I've looked at is that this is not a relaistic viewpoint as it take everything as a whole - and doesn not break it down in to demogrpahic areas.
So as a neutral and not some jumped up BR fan boy or a HD freak (oooo mines bigger than yours crap!) all I can say is ignore propaganda in the format wars and pick what you like.
Whatever happens in the future, they will be broken (yes I know about the HD and BR rips out already) even more routinely that they are now. Man made it, Man can break it...
Blu-ray is doing well because of the PS3. Once the adults get into the game, that's when HD DVD will take off. Lets put it this way, I have over 600 retail DVDs. Once I decide to make the change from DVD to hi-def, I'm gonna buy 50 or so HD DVDs. That's alot more than the kid who bought 5 Blu-ray movies for his PS3. Now, multiply people like me (avid videophile) by 40 million and you can see how this format war is far from over.
As usual, death to $ony !!!
"Once the adults get into the game, that's when HD DVD will take off."
How many kids and teens do *YOU* know that have $500+ USD to spare?
You might want to look at the gaming market demographic these days. It follows the 80's kids, so people who were born, or grew up in the 80's are where the main video game players are these days. That places most of them well within the 18-28 year old range, which is widely considered to be "adulthood".
Another thing I should point out is that the parents I know who purchased the PS3 for their younger kids, were looking JUST as forward to using it as their kids were, and had plans to use it as a BD movie player also.
The video game demographic is a LOT different today then it was 10 years ago Nice to see all the anti- Sony plonkers jumping up and down.......buy Blu-ray you know it makes sense.
Sony kick ass
Wow. I didn't realize so many people have stock in these blue laser formats! You guys must have, I can't think of any other reason you would get all worked up over which format will "win".
I however, don't own such stock so I'll just wait until one format makes sense for me.
BTW, "How many kids and teens do *YOU* know that have $500+ USD to spare? "
In the US, about 90% of them. Parents here spoil their kids with junk like this because it's easier than babysitting them. How many kids have money to buy the computers they use for myspace? But they have them, don't they?
Well, good luck all you stockholders.
I have to go have sex with my girlfriend now.
Fact Amazon does not represent the true spectrum of all market sales(you can't fuel your car with an Internet connection?) nor does it represent the real sales of real goods in the high street bricks and mortar outlets!
Fact , the problems with A. C. Nielsen small sample data base analysis errors and deviations from norm , is clearly covered in any number of advanced university mathematical text books and treatises! Today's world revolves around mathematics as to whether we like it or not!
Those who fail to learn the lessons in history are but doomed to repeat them in an endless circle of self deceit!
Neither product appears to be a winner , given the new revolution in the offing of the next 5 years that the new Home PC could be and much more!
What price the future or death for either product , at the hands of a more versatile package?
well kiddies accept it.
bluray is going to be the winner of this war.
not that it wasnt obvious from the start...
cheers 
@ Dolphinius_Rex
The night before the PS3 launched I had to go to Future Shop and Wal-Mart. I saw a bunch of teenagers at both stores camping out to get their PS3 the next day. I didn't see ONE adult. Most times, kids get the money from their parents. The PS3 plus the 5 or so games they'll buy adds up to $700. The 600 retail DVDs I've purchased over the years adds up to over $12,000, not to mention the home theatre which comes to another $7,000. My vote counts more in this war than a teenager's vote. I think that you think that this war is over because some recent sales stats favour Blu-ray. I'm here to tell you that you're dead wrong.
@ Dukenukem:
That's odd, when I was in line for the Nintendo Wii, there wasn't anyone under 20 in the line, and only about 3 or 4 parents picking it up for their kids' Christmas present. One would think a system costing 2x the price would be even more so angled towards older crowds. But like I said, I don't know anyone in non-adult years that owns a PS3 yet, and most of the avid gamers I know are from my own generation (I'm 23 nearly 24 at the moment).
Sadly, I can't make quite the claims you do for your movie collection, and entertainment system. But you can see my movie collection for yourself if you like?
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=the_digital_dolphin
I wouldn't know the value of my collection off hand, but my anime collection is worth quite a penny I believe My entertainment system is somewhat lacking also, only a 46" Sharp LCD HDTV, the total system I use currently cost me roughly $5000 CAD, not including about $1000 in game systems and DVD players/recorders. I might be a better match for you when I've gotten my sound system and PS3 however ;-)
In any case, I think my opinion earns me a vote on this whole format war as well, even if it isn't quite a match for yours
Anyways, I don't think the sales stats mean the war is over. The war won't be over until Universal caves in and goes neuteral or BluRay exclusive. (alternatively, Sony, Fox and Disney could also all go neuteral or exclusive to HDDVD, but I have a much harder time seeing that happen). The sales figures are just one more step towards the end of the format war. It also means Toshiba needs to get off their a$$ and fix some internal problems and win some real industry support FAST.There's a new article at Dailytech on the BluRay vs. HDDVD sales figures, now listing it as 3:1
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5965
Don't worry HDDVD / Anti-Sony fanboys, it's actually pretty well written and not as biased as the title makes it sound. It's worth a read at least.
Personally, I like this part:
Most optical drive manufacturers (the report names four giants in the optical drive business: Hitachi-LG, Toshiba-Samsung, Sony NEC and LiteOn) acknowledge Blu-ray as the future and view HD DVD as a transitional product.
But it then goes on to say this:
Because of the high costs and difficulties in manufacturing Blu-ray parts, as demonstrated in the challenges in making the PlayStation 3, the report says that Blu-ray will have to wait until 2009 before seeing strong market growth.@ Dolphinius_Rex
Hmm... I tip my hat to you, sir. Quite a collection you have there; very similar to my own. You can see a VERY outdated list of my collection here:
http://www.iic-iac.org/rick/dvd/
I agree, as a fellow avid video collector your opinion (and your wallet) also carries substantial weight. It will be interesting to see the outcome of this format war. However, I think there's one thing we can both agree on:
It would, AT THIS TIME, be unwise to purchase heavily in either camp.
It seems to me that, if we choose, we can both afford to wait until the smoke clears. Like many CDFREAKS readers, we have time (and DVD collections) on our side.
@DukeNukem
Wow, not a bad list at all! Outside of my anime collection, I'd say we have fairly similar tastes for the most part.
And yes, I agree it would be unwise to buy into either format too heavily. I've only picked up a few BluRay movies proactively, and plan to get maybe 6 or 7 before I drop money on my PS3 (I need the PS3 for FFXIII anyways).
And yeah, I'm not unhappy with my DVD collection at all (well, not since I got my HDMI cable for my upconverting Panasonic DVD Recorder at least) Top news
Written by Michael Barkoviak
Written by Michael Barkoviak
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