US HD DVD sales hit new low
Post Warner announcement trend?
US HD DVD software sales slumped to just 15 per cent of the hi-def disc sales total during the week ending 13 January. Throughout 2007, HD DVD's share was closer to 35 per cent of the total.
The latest weekly figure comes from America's Home Media Magazine, which was quoting numbers from market watcher Nielsen VideoScan.
In addition to HD DVD's marketshare slide, the format failed to find a place in the week's top ten HD disc sales chart, which was owned by Blu-ray Disc.
Nielsen VideoScan's weekly sales figures for 2007 showed HD DVD's share of the US hi-def disc take an average share of just over 35 per cent. On a weekly basis, the format's share of the market ranged between 18.3 per cent and 49 per cent.
So HD DVD's had bad weeks before, and one week's poor sales doesn't necessarily indicate a trend, tempting though it is to see one in the light of Warner Home Video's decision to support only Blu-ray Disc. That won't actually make a difference until May, though between then and now Blu-ray versions of many major WHV releases will come first.
COMMENTS
Random scribblings
I know it seems a sore issue with DRM rights etc. But B.R. is the worse over HD DVD by far.
BR PC Drive = limitations regards where the software has to approve if your display device is up to standard be it either a D-Sub connected PC monitor (CRT or LCD) a DVI connection monitor or even a LCD TV HDMI or component.
If the Blue Ray PC software or Player denotes that the image might be degraded or not displayed to its 100% potential then it will refuse to play or display it at all!
For example.
You buy your PC a spanking new Blue Ray drive. You install it and attempt to play your brand new Blue Ray movie, When you do PowerCinema/PowerDVD plops up a lovely Error message and it wont let it play (Ever). Reason for this is the DRM decides it doesn't like you having a Single/Dual monitor setup...It hates DVI-S and for some reason it CAN on occasion HATE D-sub.
(Strange but sometimes it prefers D-Sub over HDMI)
If you have a HDMI setup with a monitor also connected by HDMI - forget about it, you are never going to be allowed to watch thay BR in that config.
I work for a massive chain of a computer manufacturer on the front line of this technology. BR is a pain.
DRM is is enforced and worse than HD DVD.
yeah HD DVD has less storage, But compression ratio is the same so the images look as good. No difference in I.Q. on either format.
HD DVD region free
HD DVD does not nazi your machine into deciding which display it WANTS YOU to watch YOUR movie on.
HD DVD R/W should and will be more flexible and released sooner as it already in talks.
As soon as DRM starts restricting what I can and cannot view my media on straight away gets the thumbs down.
and all software for B.R. will have to abide by this.
(Sorry is some does not make sense, written in a hurry)
Where, Scott?
I'm currently a HD-DVD-only owner, and fancy some bargains too. But while there are BOGOF offers all the time on Amazon.com, the import duty will kill you as they mark the full undiscounted package price. Where are you finding the cheap discs?
don't give a monkeys either way
I don't care which format wins... I'm never going to be able to afford a big enough, crisp enough TV to benefit the higher resolutions in the first place!
Yawn
This still...
Try looking at the sales stats since then, see a nice HD DVD revival, top selling players, nice price cuts etc...
The BBC, who are distributed by Warner told them to f**k off with their idea of going BR exclusive, to date the only Warner distributee who's done so...
HD DVD is a better format, by far, the hardware is better, the disc manufacture is cheaper, the discs are cheaper, the quality of discs is better, a current player will still play new films next year (Profile 2.0 anyone?) and it irritates me when a) studios say that the consumer has chosen and b) people who clearly know nothing about a topic feel an urge to reply with utter rubbish.
HD DVD hasn't lost, died, gone anywhere.... it's position isn't as strong but blimet, Paramount, Dreamworks and Universal making fillms exclusively for them and Warner until May too.... i'm happy, i'm getting some great bargains!
@ an AC
"*Microsoft support, obviously a good thing, anything Microsoft supports can't be bad for us can it - HD-DVD wins."
Hey, you forgot the joke alert there!
