James Delahunty
12 Jul 2007 3:25
According to the European HD DVD Promotional Group, the Toshiba-developed HD DVD format is performing significantly better than the Blu-ray disc format in Europe, at least with regard to stand-alone sales. Citing research from market research group GfK, the HD DVD group claims to be currently holding a 74% market share in Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.
The HD DVD group, which is led by Toshiba but includes many other big players like Microsoft Corp. and Warner Bros., did not give specific figures of units it has shipped to European retailers. It is clear however, that the figures do not include either gaming consoles (PlayStation 3) or console add-ons (Xbox 360 HD DVD drive).
Toshiba's HD-E1 HD DVD player currently sells for to €399 in Europe. Sony's BDP-S1E European version sells for prices starting around €900 in Europe. The cheapest way to invest in Blu-ray equipment in Europe right now is to buy a PS3 console. For those with an Xbox 360, the HD DVD add-on the easiest way to invest in that format.
Source:
Reuters