Even though Howard Stringer may see the next-gen HD format war of senselessness as a 'stalemate' right now, you've probably been wondering how things are going in pie chart form. Luckily, we've got just the pies and charts you've been seeking. From the chart, additional data is extracted -- like SpiderMan 3 on Blu-ray continuing to outsell HD DVD's Transformers, and four dual format films making the top ten list thanks to Blu-ray, but their HD DVD counterparts didn't even sell enough to get on the top ten.
Even though it's still a completely niche market, these movie studios need to take heed and see that one format is continuing to outsell the other, despite high-profile title releases. It's just hurting the consumer in the end, unless they have both HD movie players.
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BluRay camp has really been helped lately by the now $399 players on the market. As of yet, standalone players are not selling at all, people are just buying PS3s as players (instead of game systems), go figure.
On the flipside, HD-DVD players are now entering the $199 range for long term, and there have even been some sales as low as $99. Once that becomes mainstream, Blu Ray will have major difficultly keeping up with HD-DVD sales, assuming they can't get their prices lowered fast enough. I'm making this assumption because most companies have not made back their R&D costs from developing their stand alone player because Sony's PS3 has been the primary player for most of the BluRay camp.
It is still too early to tell a winner, in spite of % form, those numbers are still relatively low and can swing easily.
Blu-ray undoubtedly has a lead, but one factor I think we should realize is standalone player count.
First, many PS3 owners own 0 Blu-ray movies, while a few purchased it just as a Blu-ray player, but most primarily as a gaming device. Even still, I'd say HD-DVD has a larger player-only base.
Coming this holiday, a big time for movies, there are $99 HD-DVD players coming around, with many consumers not caring that it's only 1080i (especially since many are using component/composite). There's the $179 HD-DVD hookup for those who have an Xbox 360 already, and just want to add some HD movie action to their console.
On the Blu-ray camp, there's a $399 gaming console/BD hybrid, which sounds tempting to some techno-shoppers, but unlikely to be gifted to the 40 year old who is a movie lover, 1. It's still too much for most 2. He doesn't give a damn about games, why get him that.
My final thoughts agree with joker's side, it's too early to tell, but if HD movies start their burst out this holiday season like they're predicted to, HD-DVD will undoubtedly have more player/movie sales, and watch it pull ahead by Jan. 2008. I really think, at the least, blu-ray desperately needs a $199-$249 player to stay competitive. The price of movies should also really drop...
My last thought? DVD outsells them both by a larger percentage margin than the Wii outsold the PS3 last year.
Yeah DVD will pwn them all d:
But i'm leaning towards wanting the blu-ray to win since there can be so much more done with that format. But I would say that after this x-mas it could be possible to start to see one of the two formats start to pull away.
I want HD to win still
I also want HD studios to start including the DVD layer on HD-DVDs so that I can use that feature that made me side with the format, graceful-degradation.
Anything that lacks backward compatibility and a degree of graceful-degradation in this day and age is just poor design IMO (with the exclusion of games consoles, because newer generation often means a complete architecture change, but backward compatibility is something that should still be included)
I think it's a brilliant idea that you can buy an HD-DVD and then take it to you're non-high-def friend's house and play the film's DVD layer in their non HD player
I want HD to win still
I also want HD studios to start including the DVD layer on HD-DVDs so that I can use that feature that made me side with the format, graceful-degradation.
Anything that lacks backward compatibility and a degree of graceful-degradation in this day and age is just poor design IMO (with the exclusion of games consoles, because newer generation often means a complete architecture change, but backward compatibility is something that should still be included)
I think it's a brilliant idea that you can buy an HD-DVD and then take it to you're non-high-def friend's house and play the film's DVD layer in their non HD player
Or even, if you feel like watching it while you're laying in bed in another room, where there's no HD player, you don't need a whole separate disc.
@bluebaron
Actually, HD-DVD's standard spec has more features (Blu-ray only has space and a crappy Java runtime). The BD-J protection means to play that content on a PC, java must be default installed, which is why Microsoft REALLY hates Blu-ray.
Yeah in the end I think I will be waiting till there is a more clear cut winner. I really hate the idea of wasting money on something that will be obsolete in a few years.
One thing is for certain, Blu-Ray will not be obsolete.
No time soon.
The same cannot be said for HD-DVD.
Everyone is neglecting a very major component in this discussion which is the professional usage of these mediums.
The industry standard in broadcast has been BETA (and all it's variations) for the past 20 years. Obviously, BETA lost the consumer war to VHS twenty five years ago yet found new life in the professional realm (Beta was head and shoulders superior to VHS). Blu-Ray has a massive established base in the professional world, but most likely will not go the way that the Beta did in the consumer realm.
Beta WOULD have survived in the consumer realm if it had the more user friendly options that VHS had (cheaper machines, longer tapes and more manufacturers supporting hardware). Professional endorsement was not enough to keep it alive.
Blu-Ray HAS all of the things that Beta was missing...it's comparable in price and quality to it's rival format. It has more studios and more manufacturers on it's side and it's ALREADY becoming the new standard in broadcast television production (via Sony's XDCAM which uses Blu-Ray).
I can't see Sony winning this in the long term, sure there out there now, but most of the blue ray players out there are PS3's,
and you can't even take that pie chart for granted, sure blue ray disks are out selling HD-DVD but then again PS2 games are still out selling PS3, why ..... because they're putting out many more blue ray disks than they are HD-DVD so as the old adage goes, is its for sale some fool will buy it. just look at all those awfull ps2 games that sold just because people thought they might be good, same goes for this format war, even if it's a pi$$ poor film some fool will buy it, hay they already bought a PS3 so why not waste more money right!?!?!
Blu-Ray HAS all of the things that Beta was missing...it's comparable in price and quality to it's rival format. It has more studios and more manufacturers on it's side and it's ALREADY becoming the new standard in broadcast television production (via Sony's XDCAM which uses Blu-Ray).
HD-DVD has more studio support, though.
i have to agree with some of the above comments, blue ray just seems like a pointless change, ok if it was vastly different with massive improovments over dvd that justified changing format fine, but it isnt hd dvd prooves that hd dvd is backward compatible as are the players and its practically the same as blue ray as far as the average consumer is concerned i know id feel much safe buying hd dvd if i had to choose
True enough, but i tbh i am thinking that I will be waiting until there is a more clear cut winner before I choose a format and plus I don't even have an HDTV so what is the point right now.
Blu-ray undoubtedly has a lead, but one factor I think we should realize is standalone player count.
First, many PS3 owners own 0 Blu-ray movies, while a few purchased it just as a Blu-ray player, but most primarily as a gaming device.
Firstly I'm not sure why anyone needs to realize the standalone numbers because the PS3 is always added into the overall count.
Secondly I'm not sure how "many" PS3 owners have 0 movies since for months now they can get 5+ free Blu Ray movies with the purchase of any Blu Ray player including the PS3. Also when the PS3 was released, didn't Talladega Nights come with it, and now with the 40gb model doesn't Spiderman3 comes with it...?
One other thing. In some of the above post it seems that some might think that Blu Ray players won't play standard DVDs. well they do.
Also one should ask themselves, since HD-DVD's are so similar to the standard DVDs we use today for our movies and such, then why are HD-DVD movies the same price as Blu Ray movies (in some cases more expensive...see your local Walmart)?
I'll be getting the HDDVD attatchment for the 360, in january time.
I love heroes.
Blu-ray undoubtedly has a lead, but one factor I think we should realize is standalone player count.
First, many PS3 owners own 0 Blu-ray movies, while a few purchased it just as a Blu-ray player, but most primarily as a gaming device.
Firstly I'm not sure why anyone needs to realize the standalone numbers because the PS3 is always added into the overall count.
Secondly I'm not sure how "many" PS3 owners have 0 movies since for months now they can get 5+ free Blu Ray movies with the purchase of any Blu Ray player including the PS3. Also when the PS3 was released, didn't Talladega Nights come with it, and now with the 40gb model doesn't Spiderman3 comes with it...?
One other thing. In some of the above post it seems that some might think that Blu Ray players won't play standard DVDs. well they do.
Also one should ask themselves, since HD-DVD's are so similar to the standard DVDs we use today for our movies and such, then why are HD-DVD movies the same price as Blu Ray movies (in some cases more expensive...see your local Walmart)?
True, but you have to factor in many people don't know about that deal. (Remember that only 40% know about HD statistic, published a while ago?). HD-DVD is more similar to Blu-ray than DVD, (blue laser, almost identical frequency). The thing to acknowledge here is, that if Blu-ray is still selling less standalone units than HD-DVD, but yet it's winning disc sales, it either has
a. A MUCH higher attach rate
or more likely
b. A fair percentage of PS3 users ARE using the Blu-ray functionality, either as part of the purchasing plan, or just a perk because it's there.
My point was that the HD-DVD disc is almost if not identical to regular DVDs we use today, I am not talking about the machines being used to play them. So if HD-DVD and DVD disc are so similar then why aren't they cheaper when people buy movies on the format?
My point was that the HD-DVD disc is almost if not identical to regular DVDs we use today, I am not talking about the machines being used to play them. So if HD-DVD and DVD disc are so similar then why aren't they cheaper when people buy movies on the format?
Please, tell me what makes you think they're so similar. Just because they can use existing DVD pressing factories to make HD-DVDs does NOT mean the tech is "nearly identical".
The official HD-DVD site says they are still at a max of 30gb.
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My point was that the HD-DVD disc is almost if not identical to regular DVDs we use today, I am not talking about the machines being used to play them. So if HD-DVD and DVD disc are so similar then why aren't they cheaper when people buy movies on the format?
Please, tell me what makes you think they're so similar. Just because they can use existing DVD pressing factories to make HD-DVDs does NOT mean the tech is "nearly identical".
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If you check out the pdf file which is by techinsight and by toshiba you'll see why I think that HD DVD disc and DVD disc are nearly identical, except that DVD uses red lasers and HD DVD uses a blue laser to enable more storage. So again I wonder why HD DVD movies are just as expensive as Blu Ray movies?