High-Def Digest ADVERTISEMENT
HIGH-DEF DISC NEWS TAGGED "INDUSTRY FORECASTS"Receive High-Def Disc News via RSS

Report: Blu-ray Disc Sales Impacting DVD

Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 03:00 PM ET
Tags: Disc Sales, Industry Trends, Industry Forecasts (all tags)

Thanks to the demise of HD DVD and increased Blu-ray retail momentum, next-gen disc sales are starting to carve out a bigger slice of the home video pie, a new report suggests.

According to an analysis of Nielsen VideoScan First Alert numbers conducted by Home Media Magazine, Disney's Blu-ray chart-topper 'No Country for Old Men' drew 9.8 percent of its total unit sales from Blu-ray during its first five days in stores.

Faring even better was Fox's 'Hitman,' which saw 12.6 percent of total customers taking home the Blu-ray version during its first five days.

By comparison, high-def percentages during the height of the format war rarely topped 2 to 3 percent of a title's total disc sales. (Even 2007's biggest high-def seller, the HD DVD-only release of 'Transformers,' generated little more than 4 percent of its total unit sales from the next-gen version.)

Adams Media Research analyst Tom Adams cited a newfound sense of confidence among consumers as the main reason for Blu-ray's recent siege on DVD market share, as many of those previously waiting out the format war may now be willing to dip their toes in the Blu waters.

"Before, there was a tendency to play it safe and stick with the standard DVD," Adams said. "But now there's no longer anything to worry about."

Adams also expects to see Blu-ray disc sales continue to boom throughout the rest of calendar year, fueled by increasing penetration of Blu-ray hardware and sales of Sony's Blu-ray-driven PlayStation 3.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Blu-ray Software Sales Spike [Home Media Magazine]
Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
No Country for Old Men (Blu-ray)
Hitman (Blu-ray)
Transformers (2007) (HD DVD)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Disc Sales: 'No Country' Pushes Blu-ray Past 9M Mark (Mar 27, 2008)

Genius to Go Blu in Late 2008; Weinstein to Follow?

Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 01:00 PM ET
Tags: Industry Forecasts, Weinstein Co. (all tags)

After sitting out the format war for nearly a year, the CEO of Genius Products says the company is preparing to release its first Blu-ray titles beginning later this year.

In a recent conference call with investors, Genius CEO Trevor Drinkwater stopped short of issuing any specific titles or release dates, but confirmed that the company will begin supporting the Blu-ray format by the end of 2008.

As the home video distributor for the Weinstein Company, Genius had been among the HD DVD camp's most high-profile initial partners. The company released nearly a dozen titles over the first six months of 2006 (including 'Clerks II,' 'Black Christmas' and 'Scary Movie 4'), before abruptly ending their support without any further explanation.

In light of Drinkwater's statements, could Genius/Weinstein finally be ready to release such highly-anticipated hits as '1408,' 'Grindhouse' and the 'Scary Movie' franchise to Blu-ray? High-Def Digest contacted each for comment, but representatives from both companies were unprepared to offer comments on their future high-def plans.

Nevertheless, Genius' plans for a late-2008 Blu-ray launch certainly remain a positive omen for Blu-ray fans. In addition to the Weinstein Co., Genius currently distributes titles on home video for such other prominent indie labels as Tartan Films, ESPN, Sesame Workshop, Here!, World Wrestling Entertainment, and IFC Films.

As always, we'll keep you posted on all future developments in the Genius/Weinstein Co. story as they come to us.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Missed Guidance Sends Genius Stock Tumbling [Home Media Magazine]
Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Clerks II (HD DVD)
Black Christmas (2006) (HD DVD)
Scary Movie 4 (HD DVD)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
HD DVD Backer Weinstein Goes MIA; Speculation Mounts (Oct 25, 2007)

Universal: HD DVD Plans in Flux

Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 11:00 AM ET
Tags: Industry Forecasts, Universal (all tags)

With Universal having thrown its weight behind Blu-ray earlier this week, the studio says the fate of its remaining HD DVD releases is currently TBD.

Though the studio has yet to make any formal announcements, when asked to confirm recent retail reports that it was planning a March 18 HD DVD debut for the Oscar nominee 'Atonement,' a Universal rep told us that the studio's entire HD DVD slate is currently in flux -- leaving open the possibility that it may not issue any more titles in the format.

As for which titles might be affected by such a move, prior to Tuesday's announcement, Universal had only confirmed two upcoming HD DVD releases: the Chevy Chase comedy 'Fletch' (due March 11), and the Tom Hanks-Julia Roberts starrer, 'Charlie Wilson's War' (which had been planned for sometime in the April-May timeframe).

At press time, the majority of titles on the HD DVD release schedule were split between Warner and Paramount/DreamWorks. As we've previously reported, Warner recently reiterated their intention to continue supporting the format until the end of May, while Paramount has yet to set a timetable for its own move to Blu-ray (just this week, the studio issued fresh details for two upcoming HD DVD releases, 'Sweeney Todd' and 'There Will Be Blood.')

We'll keep you posted on any changes to the HD DVD release schedule as soon as official information comes to us.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
HD DVD Release Schedule [High-Def Digest]
Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Fletch (HD DVD)
Dirty Harry (Blu-ray)
Beetlejuice (Blu-ray)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Universal Studios Goes Blu (Feb 19, 2008)
Warner: HD DVD Plans Unchanged (Feb 20, 2008)
Universal Reveals Early 'Charlie Wilson's War' HD DVD Plans (Feb 05, 2008)
Paramount Goes Blu (Feb 21, 2008)

Gartner: Blu-ray to Win Format War

Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 03:00 PM ET
Tags: Industry Forecasts (all tags)

Calling Warner's decision to back Blu-ray exclusively "fatal" for the HD DVD format, leading tech research firm Gartner, Inc. is predicting an end to the format war by late 2008.

The comments from Gartner analyst Hiroyuki Shimizu first hit the web Monday in the Gartner Semiconductor DQ Monday Report, a newsletter sent out to clients and journalists.

In the report, Shimizu says that recent HD DVD player price cuts by Toshiba may extend the war through the end of the year, but that ultimately stronger studio support for Blu-ray will win the day.

"Warner's shift from producing in both formats to Blu-ray alone has left HD DVD with just Paramount and Universal as its major Hollywood supporters, both of which account for only 30% of all HD movies," wrote Shimizu.

"Gartner believes that Toshiba's price-cutting may prolong HD DVD's life a little, but the limited line-up of film titles will inflict fatal damage on the format. Gartner expects that, by the end of 2008, Blu-ray will be the winning format in the consumer market, and the war will be over."

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Semiconductor DQ Monday Report, Issue 3 [Gartner]
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Toshiba Slashes HD DVD Player Prices; Shifts Marketing Focus

BDA: 10 Million Blu-ray Players In 2008

Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 01:50 PM ET
Tags: CES 2008, Industry Forecasts (all tags)

The Blu-ray camp says that by this time next year, the format's installed base could be nearly three times its current size.

That was the headline out of last night's Blu-ray Disc Association press conference at CES.

Still riding high on Warner's announcement last Friday that it would exclusively back Blu-ray, format backers told a packed room of tech reporters that roughly 3.5 million Blu-ray players have now been sold through to consumers, including three million PlayStation 3 consoles and 500,000 standalone Blu-ray players.

The group says things are looking even more rosy for 2008, with research showing that by year's end the format's installed base will have swelled to ten million, with software sales topping the one billion dollar mark.

"It should be a year of very strong, explosive growth," said Danny Kaye, executive vice president of research for 20th Century Fox, who stated that the Blu-ray Disc business should start to see dramatic gains sometime in the middle of this year.

Though format backers stopped short of declaring immediate victory over rival format HD DVD, they said their marketing message would now shift away from the format war and instead focus on convincing mainstream consumers to make the leap to high-def disc.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Blu-ray software could hit $1 bil in '08 [Hollywood Reporter]

Sony CEO Downplays Format War; Sees "Stalemate"

Fri Nov 09, 2007 at 01:07 PM ET
Tags: Sony, Industry Forecasts (all tags)

An apparently candid assessment of the high-def format war from Sony CEO Howard Stringer shot across the web Friday morning.

Following months of posturing from execs on both sides of the format battle, Stringer's remarks were surprisingly frank, with the CEO describing a current "stalemate" between the Sony-backed Blu-ray format and its rival HD DVD, even pondering a possible loss.

"We were trying to win on the merits, which we were doing for a while, until Paramount changed sides," Stringer said during an appearance at the 92nd Street Y cultural center in Manhattan.

According to published reports, the exec went on to describe a win for either side as mostly a matter of prestige, saying that if HD DVD ultimately won out, it wouldn't have much effect on Sony other than having to change the harddrive for its PlayStation.

"It doesn't mean as much as all that," Stringer is quoted as saying.

The CEO went on to indicate that there was an opportunity of uniting the two camps under one format before he became CEO, and that "I wish I could go back in time, because I heard it was all about saving face."

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Stringer: Content drives digitization [Hollywood Reporter]
Sony CEO Sees 'Stalemate' in Disc Fight [Associated Press]

Report: HD DVD Standalone Player Sales Nearing 500,000 Milestone

Thu Nov 08, 2007 at 01:16 PM ET
Tags: Hardware, Industry Forecasts (all tags)

Format backers say the total number of standalone HD DVD players sold is poised to hit the 500,000 mark by late November.

That's according to a report published late Thursday by Home Media Magazine, which places the current total household penetration for HD DVD standalones at about 420,000 units.

This news comes on the heels of reports earlier this week that roughly 90,000 HD DVD standalones were sold last weekend alone, following highly-publicized price drops for Toshiba's HD-A2 HD DVD player.

While passing the 500,000 unit mark would certainly seem to cement the HD DVD camp's overall lead in standalone player sales, it still pales in comparison to the installed base of Sony's PlayStation 3 game console, which comes with a built-in Blu-ray player. (According to the website vgchartz.com, over 2.2 million PS3s have been sold in the US to date).

Of course, as HD DVD backers will be quick to point out, the majority of PS3 owners are said to not use the console as a Blu-ray player.

What effect all of this may (or may not) have on next-gen disc sales remains to seen. As we've previously reported, year-to-date figures from Home Media Research gave Blu-ray a 1.85:1 disc sales advantage for the first nine months of 2007.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
HD DVD Camp Crows About Player Penetration [Home Media Magazine]
Game Console Sales Charts [vgchartz.com]
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Report: Weekend Toshiba HD DVD Player Sales Top 90,000
Blu-ray Disc Sales Lead HD DVD by Nearly 2:1 YTD; Q4 Crucial For HD DVD

Report: HD DVD Standalone Player Sales Nearing 500,000 Milestone

Thu Nov 08, 2007 at 01:16 PM ET
Tags: Hardware, Industry Forecasts (all tags)

Format backers say the total number of standalone HD DVD players sold is poised to hit the 500,000 mark by late November.

That's according to a report published late Thursday by Home Media Magazine, which places the current total household penetration for HD DVD standalones at about 420,000 units.

This news comes on the heels of reports earlier this week that roughly 90,000 HD DVD standalones were sold last weekend alone, following highly-publicized price drops for Toshiba's HD-A2 HD DVD player.

While passing the 500,000 unit mark would certainly seem to cement the HD DVD camp's overall lead in standalone player sales, it still pales in comparison to the installed base of Sony's PlayStation 3 game console, which comes with a built-in Blu-ray player. (According to the website vgchartz.com, over 2.2 million PS3s have been sold in the US to date).

Of course, as HD DVD backers will be quick to point out, the majority of PS3 owners are said to not use the console as a Blu-ray player.

What effect all of this may (or may not) have on next-gen disc sales remains to seen. As we've previously reported, year-to-date figures from Home Media Research gave Blu-ray a 1.85:1 disc sales advantage for the first nine months of 2007.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
HD DVD Camp Crows About Player Penetration [Home Media Magazine]
Game Console Sales Charts [vgchartz.com]
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
Report: Weekend Toshiba HD DVD Player Sales Top 90,000
Blu-ray Disc Sales Lead HD DVD by Nearly 2:1 YTD; Q4 Crucial For HD DVD

Blu-ray Disc Sales Lead HD DVD by Nearly 2:1 YTD; Q4 Crucial For HD DVD

Wed Oct 24, 2007 at 01:35 PM ET
Tags: Disc Sales, Industry Forecasts (all tags)

Blu-ray disc sales exceeded those of HD DVD by a wide margin for the third quarter in a row, setting the stage for a crucial Q4 sales showdown.

According to recently released numbers from Home Media Research, sales of Blu-ray discs totaled 2.6 million units from January 1 through Sept 30, versus 1.4 million HD DVD discs sold over the same period. That's a 1.85:1 sales lead for Blu-ray for the first nine months of this year.

A month into the fourth quarter, however, there are some encouraging signs for HD DVD, with analysts predicting a much tighter disc sales race for the crucial holiday shopping season.

First off, there's last week's record-breaking HD DVD-exclusive release of 'Transformers' (which reportedly sold 190,000 units in its first seven days), followed by several upcoming high-profile releases exclusive to the HD DVD format, including 'Shrek the Third' and the newly remastered 'Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One' (an HD DVD/DVD combo disc release that will not be made available as a standalone standard-def DVD).

Of course, the Blu-ray camp has its own high-profile exclusive releases scheduled, sales of which which could very well exceed those of the above-listed HD DVD titles. Among the highly anticipated titles headed to Blu-ray this quarter are 'Spider-Man 3,' 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' and 'The Simpsons Movie.'

Add hardware to the equation, and it becomes an even muddier picture. With prices dropping for next-gen players on both side of the aisle, there's no telling how many new early adopters will be entering the fray over the next two months, or what effect their hardware purchases will have on overall disc sales.

As always, stay with us for continuing coverage.

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.

Related links:
Blu-ray outsells HD-DVD in U.S. for first 9 months [Reuters]
Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
Transformers (2007) (HD DVD)
Shrek the Third (HD DVD)
Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One (HD DVD)
Spider-Man 3 (Blu-ray)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Blu-ray)
The Simpsons Movie (Blu-ray)
Earlier on High-Def Digest:
'Transformers' HD DVD Smashes First-Week Sales Records

Forrester: Format War is Blu-ray's to Lose

Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 11:05 AM ET
Tags: Industry Forecasts (all tags)

In its third annual report on the state of the next-gen format war, Forrester Research reiterated its long-held belief that Blu-ray will ultimately prevail over HD DVD, though more guardedly than in years past.

The market research firm has issued two previous reports on the high-format war, both predicting that Blu-ray would emerge victorious in its fight with HD DVD for next-gen supremacy.

This year, on the heels of Paramount's announcement that it would support HD DVD exclusively, Forrester now says that although Blu-ray remains in a better position than its rival, the format's backers will need to change strategy or risk losing their edge.

Specifically, Forrester analyst J.P. Gownder says that if Blu-ray fails to offer a viable hardware model at the $250 price point by Christmas 2007 and doesn't employ more aggressive promotional tactics to counter HD DVD's recent momentum, it could open itself to a possible upset defeat at the hands of HD DVD.

Gownder goes on to say that Blu-ray's failure to land a knock-out blow over the past year means that the format war will continue for at least 18 more months.

Established in 1983, independent research firm Forrester analyzes technology change and its impact on business, consumers, and society.

Related links:
The Next-Gen DVD Format War: Still Bloody [Forrester Research]


MORE HIGH-DEF DISC NEWS TAGGED "INDUSTRY FORECASTS":

» High-Def Digest home page




ADVERTISEMENT