Blu-ray 300 outsells HD DVD version 2:1
Clash of empires
A small, relatively insignificant strip of road in Greece twixt mountains and ocean has become the latest bloody battleground in the titanic uncompromising clash of next-generation optical disc formats: HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc...
Last week, studio Warner Bros cheerfully claimed the new HD DVD version of the highly stylised Battle of Thermopylae movie 300, released in the US in the first week of August, was the fastest selling HD movie yet.
This week, however, it emerged the Blu-ray Disc version of the film has outsold the HD DVD copy by almost 2:1, according to Hollywood Reporter.
That's no great surprise, perhaps - 300 is the kind of movie that's likely to appeal to videogame players, quite of who own Blu-ray Disc-equipped PlayStation 3 consoles. And for ancient warfare buffs, it's rather better than the likes of Troy and Alexander.
Interestingly, website DailyTech identified the HD DVD version of 300 as the better package because of a superior line-up of extras. However, anecdotal evidence suggests extras don't play that much of a part in disc purchasing decisions. Consumers first and foremost want the movie - extras are nice to have but not essential.
If that's the case here, it suggests the battle between the formats will indeed be decided by the purchase volumes rather than technological benefits.
COMMENTS
BluRay will win in the end
The PS3 will mean that BluRay will win in the end; you have what is a relatively cheap BluRay player that plays games. Yes getting onto HD-DVD is cheaper with a XBOX 360 but that means yet another box next to the TV. This is the problem; look at the market who adopts this type of technology first, and what they will have already in the way of hardware in the front room. There is the TV, AMP, PS3, XBOX 360, Media Centre PC, Cable/Sat box Multi region DVD player, WII not to mention all the speakers littered around the front room. Now if I want HD-DVD that would be yet another box. How can I justify this, well you can’t so I will stick to BluRay, unless they bring out a killer film on HD-DVD in that case then HD-DVD it is.
Did you notice the price difference between BluRay and HD DVD?
Part of the reason BluRay is out selling the HD DVD disks is the price difference. You can get a couple of different DVD versions, a stand along BluRay version, but you had to get a DVD/HD DVD combo version which was quite a bit more expensive than the BlueRay version.
And yes, I bought the HD DVD version...
Give us numbers, not ratios.
Otherwise, I'll just believe that they sold 2 copies on bluray and 1 on hddvd.
Technology isn't in Extras.
The only reason for one format to win over the other, is corporate strategy. Sony is doing it's best to have their more expensive, yet technologically superior product out there by targeting family entertainment sector more virally. Playstation 3 came with a BluRay-rom, and enough hardware to play it in full resolution. What does HD-DVD have?
The example above is a technological benefit, and I totally disagree with calling featured extras same. What's so technological about having the actors talk about the movie, or having 400 hours of bloopers footage? Albeit in this particular case, the latter might rekindle the internet's "Spaaartaaa!" fad.
