Quote: March 8, 2007 -- 'THE Departed" recently premiered on two new - and utterly incompatible - video for mats in addition to standard DVD.
Now the war between those formats, which has been almost as brutal as the clashes in Martin Scorsese's movie, seems to be coming to a head.
For the first time, in the first two months of 2007 total sales of Blu-ray discs passed those of HD DVD, according to the most recent figures from Nielsen VideoScan.
And propelled by the introduction of Sony's PlayStation 3 - which can play Blu-ray technology - sales of Blu-ray discs have exploded to nearly three times those of HD DVD discs since Christmas.
It's the first clear sign that consumers are choosing sides in the nastiest video format war since VHS emerged victorious over Sony's Betamax machines in the 1980s.
"The format war is in its final phase," crows Steve Feldstein of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, which, like Sony and Disney, is releasing titles exclusively on Blu-ray. "It's never been a question of if Blu-ray will pass HD DVD, but a matter of when."
Not so fast, says Ken Graffeo of Universal Studios Home Entertainment, the only major studio exclusively supporting the embattled HD DVD format, which was developed by Toshiba. (Warner Home Video and Paramount Home Video are producing titles in both formats for now.)
Graffeo blames the recent surge for Blu-ray on the paucity of new titles on HD DVD - about half the number of titles released by Blu-ray since the beginning of the year - and argues Blu-ray sales are actually much lower than you would expect, given the huge number of PS3s out there.
"You can't determine a trend over a couple of months," says Graffeo, who notes that total sales for both formats are roughly equal since their introductions last year.
But some experts are ready to play taps for the HD DVD format - and are saying it's safe to buy Blu-ray players without fear they'll end up being sold as relics on eBay.
Alison Casey, who analyzes consumer trends for London-based Understanding & Solutions, predicts that retailers will pull the plug on HD DVD sometime next year.
"They never wanted two formats. It confuses consumers and creates problems with them with returns," Casey told The Post. "They're looking to go to a single format as soon as possible."
In Casey's view, the many studios providing movies on Blu-ray, along with its inclusion in the PS3 (listing for $500, about the same as the cheapest HD DVD player) gives it an insurmountable advantage over HD DVD. (An attachment to play HD DVD discs is available as a $200 add-on for Xbox.)
And she says Sony's advantage will increase if the electronics giant makes good on its promise to drop prices for Blu-ray players - currently about $800 - to $600 this summer and below $300 by the end of the year.
Casey thinks Warner Home Video's recently announced plans to sell combo discs containing both formats will only confuse consumers.
LG Electronics will begin selling machines that can play both formats by the end of the year, but the whopping $1,200 price tag may put off customers. Bigger hardware manufacturers don't seem interested at this point in making combo machines.
But in the end, software may be HD DVD's Achilles' heel.
"If you look at the top 25 selling DVDs last year, 23 were released on Blu-ray," Fox's Feldstein says. "Just two were exclusive to HD DVD."
The biggest booster of HD DVD format, albeit reluctantly, has been the porn industry. Sony has reportedly refused to replicate porn on Blu-ray discs, and Disney, which does business with several Blu-ray replicators, is said to have contractually prohibited them from handling porn.
But HD DVD may be losing even that advantage - Vivid Entertainment, the leader in the porn field, will soon debut "Debbie Does Dallas" on Blu-ray.
Blu-ray may triumph over HD DVD in the near future, but analyst Casey says it will take five years or more to overtake the hugely popular standard DVD format. DVD discs are currently cheaper (Blu-ray discs retail between $30 and $40) and represent nearly 99 percent of all video sales, while DVD machines are available for well under $100.
"In four or five years, broadband speeds will have increased to the point where downloading movies and burning them to a disc becomes much more easy and appealing than going out and buying a disc for many consumers," analyst Casey says.
The weird thing is, I haven't seen much HD-DVD advertisement. There aren't many movies that say "Available now on DVD and HD-DVD". However, there are a lot that say "Available on DVD and Blu-Ray disc".
The weird thing is, I haven't seen much HD-DVD advertisement. There aren't many movies that say "Available now on DVD and HD-DVD". However, there are a lot that say "Available on DVD and Blu-Ray disc".nyoroism
HD-DVD is pretty much dead. I just feel sorry for the lemmings that purchased the HD-DVD player for their 360's. =(
[QUOTE="nyoroism"]The weird thing is, I haven't seen much HD-DVD advertisement. There aren't many movies that say "Available now on DVD and HD-DVD". However, there are a lot that say "Available on DVD and Blu-Ray disc".DaddyDC650
HD-DVD is pretty much dead. I just feel sorry for the lemmings that purchased the HD-DVD player for their 360's. =( It's still worth it, since it's only $200 and Universal still has some of the best movies available in HD (that's why HD-DVD outsold BluRay before the PS3 came out). I'm still considering getting it, but I'm definitely getting a PS3 or a standalone BD player for BluRay, too.
[QUOTE="nyoroism"]The weird thing is, I haven't seen much HD-DVD advertisement. There aren't many movies that say "Available now on DVD and HD-DVD". However, there are a lot that say "Available on DVD and Blu-Ray disc".DaddyDC650
HD-DVD is pretty much dead. I just feel sorry for the lemmings that purchased the HD-DVD player for their 360's. =( Thank god I didn't buy that thing. But for my PS3 I have a nice stack of Blu Ray movies and I am completely satisfied with. The Departed ftw.
[QUOTE="DaddyDC650"][QUOTE="nyoroism"]The weird thing is, I haven't seen much HD-DVD advertisement. There aren't many movies that say "Available now on DVD and HD-DVD". However, there are a lot that say "Available on DVD and Blu-Ray disc".magus-21
HD-DVD is pretty much dead. I just feel sorry for the lemmings that purchased the HD-DVD player for their 360's. =( It's still worth it, since it's only $200 and Universal still has some of the best movies available in HD (that's why HD-DVD outsold BluRay before the PS3 came out). I'm still considering getting it, but I'm definitely getting a PS3 or a standalone BD player for BluRay, too. I have not seen any new movie releases on HD-DVD lately. In fact, the next HD-DVD movie release will be on the 24th of this month. Ouch! If I were you, I would not invest in a product we both know will be dead in a year. Why not wait awhile for the price to plummet once Blu-Ray kills it off?
The indications that Blu-Ray will win are everywhere...HD-DVD will have to have a huge upswing or a massive price-drop on stand-alones to have a chance of winning. "Graffeo blames the recent surge for Blu-ray on the paucity of new titles on HD DVD - about half the number of titles released by Blu-ray since the beginning of the year - and argues Blu-ray sales are actually much lower than you would expect, given the huge number of PS3s out there." The thing he fails to point out is that tons more titles are slated for Blu-Ray than HD-DVD..I went to see the 300 yesterday (amazing movie) and I saw three different movies for DVD & Blu-Ray, only one for DVD & HD-DVD. The ratio of PS3 owners to sales is also utterly irrelevant, the sales is whats important, not the ratio.
they pulling the plug on hd dvd....are you serious :|
edit:nvm its just a prediction...sorry.TheWiikestLink
Most likely it will happen I see to many Blue-Ray commerical and more less of HD-DVD..I remember Microsoft stating they didnt want to support something that probaly become the next Betamas so why did they even thought about supporting HD-DVD from the start if they have no confidence in it ? I feel they going to just dump HD-DVD in the future.because they are not taking it serious.. and they just find ways to always compete against Sony..I feel bad for all the lemmings who bought the HD-DVD add on..Its goin to be useless in the end..
[QUOTE="TheWiikestLink"]they pulling the plug on hd dvd....are you serious :|
edit:nvm its just a prediction...sorry.elementz28
Most likely it will happen I see to many Blue-Ray commerical and more less of HD-DVD..I remember Microsoft stating they didnt want to support something that probaly become the next Betamas so why did they even thought about supporting HD-DVD from the start if they have no confidence in it ? I feel they going to just dump HD-DVD in the future.because they are not taking it serious.. and they just find ways to always compete against Sony..I feel bad for all the lemmings who bought the HD-DVD add on..Its goin to be useless in the end.. I'm pretty sure the only reason Microsoft supported HD-DVD is because Sony has Blu-Ray.
[QUOTE="TheWiikestLink"]they pulling the plug on hd dvd....are you serious :|
edit:nvm its just a prediction...sorry.elementz28
Most likely it will happen I see to many Blue-Ray commerical and more less of HD-DVD..I remember Microsoft stating they didnt want to support something that probaly become the next Betamas so why did they even thought about supporting HD-DVD from the start if they have no confidence in it ? I feel they going to just dump HD-DVD in the future.because they are not taking it serious.. and they just find ways to always compete against Sony..I feel bad for all the lemmings who bought the HD-DVD add on..Its goin to be useless in the end.. Microsoft just wanted to damage Sony, and they did. But Microsoft never had a vested interest in HD-DVD the way they do in digital downloads. THAT is where their media power truly lies, since every studio and every music label uses the Windows Media format as the standard.
Lets add to the fact that for the 2nd month in a row, Blu-Ray movies outsold HD-DVD movies 2 to 1.
Where is hd28guy_basic with "Blu-Ray = dead" and Yellow_Rose with "Blu-Ray is the next beta max" ???
:lol:
mentzer
I think I need to see some sales figures here. Outselling 2 to 1 isn't great if Blu-Ray discs sold 2 total and HD-DVD sold 1 total. I need to know on what scale we're talking here.
[QUOTE="magus-21"][QUOTE="thirstychainsaw"][QUOTE="wolverine4262"]Good thing MS didn't force me to buy the HD-DVD drive....thirstychainsaw
If they did HD-DVD would be winning right now. No, if they did, the 360 would be selling like crap now. There would still be more 360s sold than PS3s. Launch numbers are meaningless. The Dreamcast sold 10 million in its first year, too.
Fox , Disney , and Sony pictures exclusively are going to be to much for Univeral.
Nike_Air
Exactly, Disney has a huge following even by adults, Sony and Fox are two of the biggest studios out there and Sony actually made more than any other Hollywood studio last year. Universal while it has some really amazing movies can't compete with the inevitable exclusives for Blu-Ray like Pirates of the Caribbean, Spiderman, Underworld, Ghostbusters, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Patriot, Men in Black, The Legend of Zorro, The Da Vinci code, ect. thats just from Sony too...add on Fox and Disney and it will be extremely hard for HD-DVD to win.
[QUOTE="Nike_Air"]Fox , Disney , and Sony pictures exclusively are going to be to much for Univeral.
Runningflame570
Exactly, Disney has a huge following even by adults, Sony and Fox are two of the biggest studios out there and Sony actually made more than any other Hollywood studio last year. Universal while it has some really amazing movies can't compete with the inevitable exclusives for Blu-Ray like Pirates of the Caribbean, Spiderman, Underworld, Ghostbusters, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Patriot, Men in Black, The Legend of Zorro, The Da Vinci code, ect. thats just from Sony too...add on Fox and Disney and it will be extremely hard for HD-DVD to win. Did you just mention Underworld, Da Vinci Code, and Zorro? Ew.
Lets add to the fact that for the 2nd month in a row, Blu-Ray movies outsold HD-DVD movies 2 to 1.
Where is hd28guy_basic with "Blu-Ray = dead" and Yellow_Rose with "Blu-Ray is the next beta max" ???
:lol:
nyoroism
I think I need to see some sales figures here. Outselling 2 to 1 isn't great if Blu-Ray discs sold 2 total and HD-DVD sold 1 total. I need to know on what scale we're talking here. http://gear.ign.com/articles/772/772518p1.html Trade magazine Video Business reported today that Blu-ray outsold HD-DVD in February for the second month running. According to the magazine's figures, roughly 250,000 Blu-ray movie titles were sold in February compared to only 125,000 HD-DVDs. In January movie sales for each format were roughly the same.
Lets add to the fact that for the 2nd month in a row, Blu-Ray movies outsold HD-DVD movies 2 to 1.
Where is hd28guy_basic with "Blu-Ray = dead" and Yellow_Rose with "Blu-Ray is the next beta max" ???
:lol:
zzzaaa
I think I need to see some sales figures here. Outselling 2 to 1 isn't great if Blu-Ray discs sold 2 total and HD-DVD sold 1 total. I need to know on what scale we're talking here. http://gear.ign.com/articles/772/772518p1.html Trade magazine Video Business reported today that Blu-ray outsold HD-DVD in February for the second month running. According to the magazine's figures, roughly 250,000 Blu-ray movie titles were sold in February compared to only 125,000 HD-DVDs. In January movie sales for each format were roughly the same.
Thanks a bunch. Is this a lot for DVDs? Or, should I call them, movie discs?
[QUOTE="magus-21"] Microsoft just wanted to damage Sony, and they did. But Microsoft never had a vested interest in HD-DVD the way they do in digital downloads. THAT is where their media power truly lies, since every studio and every music label uses the Windows Media format as the standard. No...they don't. Apple has a proprietary format, so does Sony Connect I believe. DivX has been gaining more and more ground in digital downloads, Ogg Vorbis has garnered significant support. Windows Media formats aren't the standard you think they are. Heck, MP3 is still much more popular than any format out there, even having some hold in the business world. [QUOTE="magus-21"] Did you just mention Underworld, Da Vinci Code, and Zorro? Ew. Say what you will about the films, but you can't deny the kind of revenue they brought in. Zorro less than the others, but it still did good numbers at box office.
now im happy i didnt buy that hd-dvd add on blackpretttyboy
Meh, I can wait another year until the war is definitively over. I still see ads for HD-DVD and I'm not sold on the whole "Buh-gay iz da ownzzors!!!11! HD-dbd iz dead!" argument.
While we're arguing here lets see what studios exclusively support Blu-Ray and what movies they produced/distributed: Sony PicturesSony Pictures EntertainmentScreen Gems20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]Columbia TriStar Home VideoWalt Disney Home VideoMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)Lions Gate FilmsTouchstone Home Video]Miramax Home EntertainmentBuena Vista Home EntertainmentDimension Home VideoHollywood Pictures Home Video
[QUOTE="magus-21"][QUOTE="DaddyDC650"][QUOTE="nyoroism"]The weird thing is, I haven't seen much HD-DVD advertisement. There aren't many movies that say "Available now on DVD and HD-DVD". However, there are a lot that say "Available on DVD and Blu-Ray disc".DaddyDC650
HD-DVD is pretty much dead. I just feel sorry for the lemmings that purchased the HD-DVD player for their 360's. =( It's still worth it, since it's only $200 and Universal still has some of the best movies available in HD (that's why HD-DVD outsold BluRay before the PS3 came out). I'm still considering getting it, but I'm definitely getting a PS3 or a standalone BD player for BluRay, too. I have not seen any new movie releases on HD-DVD lately. In fact, the next HD-DVD movie release will be on the 24th of this month. Ouch! If I were you, I would not invest in a product we both know will be dead in a year. Why not wait awhile for the price to plummet once Blu-Ray kills it off? Because you know you have a crystal ball and you know this, please cow stop talking.
[QUOTE="Runningflame570"]While we're arguing here lets see what studios exclusively support Blu-Ray and what movies they produced/distributed: Sony PicturesSony Pictures EntertainmentHollywood Pictures Home Video no to act like i dont know anything, but arnt those to studies the one of the same
[QUOTE="Runningflame570"]While we're arguing here lets see what studios exclusively support Blu-Ray and what movies they produced/distributed: Sony PicturesSony Pictures EntertainmentScreen Gems20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]Columbia TriStar Home VideoWalt Disney Home VideoMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)Lions Gate FilmsTouchstone Home Video]Miramax Home EntertainmentBuena Vista Home EntertainmentDimension Home VideoHollywood Pictures Home Video
poor universal is all i can say yea universal is a HUGE company but going egainst this lineup is suicide
Not a big problem. When that happens, I'll merely keep my HD-DVD attachment in the corner. The Xbox360 still works for games. And my PS3 will play the movies.
[QUOTE="-Y2J-"][QUOTE="Runningflame570"]While we're arguing here lets see what studios exclusively support Blu-Ray and what movies they produced/distributed: Sony PicturesSony Pictures EntertainmentHollywood Pictures Home Video no to act like i dont know anything, but arnt those to studies the one of the same No..The first two are both Sony owned but release different films, Hollywood Pictures Home Video is owned by Disney I believe and releases different films as well.
NY Post is owend by Murdoch who owns FOX, expect some biasnybritboy
well here you go if you do not choose to believe NY Post.  http://www.tgdaily.com/2007/03/12/bluray_sales_beat_hddvd_feb2007/ but yah im glad i sure didnt buy the addon . glad i waited till more ps3 hit the market. i wuld of been pwend with a paper weight.
I wonder how long it will be before Universal sees the light? I kind of doubt MS will ever make a Blu-Ray addon for Xbox 360, judging by Peter Moore's latest interview in EGM (LOL, he made a total fool of himself the second year in a row), but Universal is a movie company, and in order to make money they have to sell movies. When HD-DVD dries up completely, they'll be forced to either make movies for Blu-Ray, or not enter the HD market at all, which would be a complete mistake. Universal will come around eventually... Or at least, I hope they do for their own sake.
[QUOTE="nybritboy"]NY Post is owend by Murdoch who owns FOX, expect some biasalfy13
well here you go if you do not choose to believe NY Post. http://www.tgdaily.com/2007/03/12/bluray_sales_beat_hddvd_feb2007/ but yah im glad i sure didnt buy the addon . glad i waited till more ps3 hit the market. i wuld of been pwend with a paper weight. Heh heh...I bought the attachment. Gotta ebay that sucker and fast.
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