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Blu-ray's standalone sales lead is short lived

Written by Rich Fiscus @ 10 Oct 2007 7:46 User comments (30)

Blu-ray's standalone sales lead is short lived According to sales figures cited by Jodi Sally, Toshiba VP of Marketing of Digital A/V Products, HD DVD standalone players are once again out-selling Blu-ray units. She said that so far HD DVD players have outsold Blu-ray standalones by 50%.
The numbers, which only count standalone players have come under fire in the past for not counting PS3 game consoles as Blu-ray players. While there's some validity to the argument that the primary motivation for buying a PS3 is more likely about gaming, that doesn't mean owning one wouldn't influence a consumer to buy Blu-ray movies. However, it's estimated that only 20% of PS3 owners have played even a single Blu-ray disc on the console.

Toshiba claims that the number of people buying HD DVD PC drives are largely interested in hi-def content, and the lack of anything else that makes use of the media would tend to support that. They say this more than equals the number of PS3 Blu-ray customers. Sally said Toshiba expects 5 million HD DVD PC and laptop drives will be sold in 2008.



Commenting on Blu-ray's brief lead in standalone sales (not counting PS3s) during August and September after $499 Blu-ray players became available, she noted “When new models hit stores there will be a surge in demand. There were some weeks where we lagged,” said Sally. “But overall HD DVD continues to dominate.”

Source: Video Business

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30 user comments

110.10.2007 22:41

Good for HD DVD

210.10.2007 23:11
nptwenty
Inactive

I own a PS3 and I got a free blu-ray dvd but I have never played it. Cant see the point as I dont have a HD TV. This is Sony's problem they are trying to force everyone into Blu-ray. Sony I hope you read this. Stop going on about Blu-Ray and start making Games for your Games Console! Blu-Ray is another beta max/ UMD disc. Thats why people are buying HD DVD because they love movies. We bought Playstation 3 cause we loved the games on PS2 but there is no friggin games for PS3. You keep releasing Blu ray dvds. And when I do have enough money I will buy a HD DVD player cause I would love to watch Transformers in HD (cant it on blu-ray)

310.10.2007 23:13

Just sell your PS3 and buy an xbox 360 elite like i did...you`ll have plenty of games to play

410.10.2007 23:39
nobrainer
Inactive

and the fud continues on both sides, but sony and their propertarian BD+ format on top of hdcp and aacs is doomed to failure.

511.10.2007 02:23

Originally posted by nobrainer:
and the fud continues on both sides, but sony and their propertarian BD+ format on top of hdcp and aacs is doomed to failure.
HD-DVD has it's own protection format as well, which was on display in Japan last week.

no movie studio is going to release movies onto a disk format without any copyright portection at all.


What I find odd with this.

They discount counting PS3 as Blu-Ray players (have about 10 Blu-Rays and I havn't bought any DVDs at all I find Blu-Ray is worth the price I suppose) and then they count PC HD-DVD drives in PCs like anyone will be playing HD movies on their PC.

Hell even Media PCs don't move that much unless it's the only option you can buy at the shop.

611.10.2007 03:38
26r0cK
Inactive

People can say wat they want against Blu-ray but as long as Sony is still selling PS3 there will always be Blu-ray and it will always be considered as a Blu-ray player cuz thats wat it also does. Toshiba's just being a baby and gotta discount the PS3 just to claim that they're on top of sumthing. And of course Blu-ray standalones is short lived, im suprised that it was even in the lead for a bit in the first place, because most ppl that considered getting a Blu-ray would just be smart enough to buy a PS3 instead.

711.10.2007 05:18

blu-ray is the future but who knows the other day i found a webpage talking about some 120gig dvd wich had a lot of layers and the picture quality made blu-ray llok like ... i dun remeber the name of the format tought so who knows really who is gonna win but if this was a bet i would go for sony

811.10.2007 05:29

Originally posted by chaos_zzz:
blu-ray is the future but who knows the other day i found a webpage talking about some 120gig dvd wich had a lot of layers and the picture quality made blu-ray llok like ... i dun remeber the name of the format tought so who knows really who is gonna win but if this was a bet i would go for sony
Much like HDVDs 100GB discs the BR 200GB disc is a lab theory only, they can barely handle their dual/triple layer discs now by the time they get tweaking soemthign else will pop up offering 5X the speed and 3X the space, so the Hdef format war is....short trem altogether.

911.10.2007 06:04

doesn't ps3 play hd-dvds too?

1011.10.2007 06:10

Originally posted by keeprolin:
doesn't ps3 play hd-dvds too?
No HDVD and BR are 2 competing standards and have more or less halved hollywood so you wont be getting all movies on 1 format, its ebst to wait till dual players are under 600, or if you are gamer jsut get both the 360 and HDVD and the PS3 and be done with it LOL

1111.10.2007 06:11

Originally posted by keeprolin:
doesn't ps3 play hd-dvds too?
No HDVD and BR are 2 competing standards and have more or less halved hollywood so you wont be getting all movies on 1 format, its ebst to wait till dual players are under 600, or if you are gamer jsut get both the 360 and HDVD and the PS3 and be done with it LOL

1211.10.2007 09:27
hughjars
Inactive

Originally posted by xtago:
HD-DVD has it's own protection format as well
- Typical.
Soft-soaping Blu-ray's DRM/security and implying it's little different to HD DVD's when it is completely different
(and specifically sold as such to the movie studios).

HD DVD uses only 1 part of the same DRM/'security' that Blu-ray uses.

AACS is the system both use (and which was cracked long ago).
There are new 'keys' out for it now but they will be dealth with shortly.

Blu-ray has several other DRM/Security 'systems' on top of AACS, including 'BD+' on top of watermarking
(ie hardware as well as software based security 'systems').

1311.10.2007 10:02

Quote:
Sally also talked up HD DVD strength within PC drives. Toshiba estimates that 5 million HD DVD drives for desktops and notebooks will be sold during fiscal 2008. She believes that should make the format competitive with the Playstation 3, which was nearing 2 million units sold in the U.S. through the summer. HD DVD laptops are closing in on a relatively attractive $1,000 price point, likely fueling the retail movement.

Toshiba believes more people are buying PC HD DVD drives with the pure intention to watch high-def movies than people who are buying the PS3. Sources have estimated that just 20% of PS3 owners have played movies on the machine.
I see the HD-DVD sheep's are trying to put a spin on anything these days.Blu-Ray has never had a lead in standalone sells so how did they over take Blu-Ray?????? HD-DVD can count HD-DVD PC drives but they don't count PS3's...ROTFL....What a bunch of Hypocrites Lets show PS3 sells so the consumer can see the real picture of what really going on.Also with the PS3 399 sku coming to Jap,EU,& U.S. region going to push the Blu-Ray lead even farther & Also theres going to be massive cuts on BD players across the board this holiday season.

Blu-ray manufacturers are going to start cutting prices and go out on a promotional binge this holiday season

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9789392-7.html


I wonder what happen to that cheap ass inferior HD-DVD player wal-mart was getting for china ? People claim was going to move massive unit.

1411.10.2007 10:42
hughjars
Inactive

Originally posted by nextgen76:
Blu-Ray has never had a lead in standalone sells so how did they over take Blu-Ray??????
- Sony talked up a survey done on 2 Chicago stores a month or two ago to show Blu-ray stand-alones were 'on top'.

Naturally it was total BS.

Originally posted by nextgen76:
HD-DVD can count HD-DVD PC drives but they don't count PS3's...ROTFL
- Er no, the figures mentioned don't even count XBox 360 HD DVD add-on drives.

That's a completely different situation to the PS3 where (as the pathetic movie attachment rates show clearly) many are not used for playing Blu-ray movie discs at all.

Originally posted by nextgen76:
What a bunch of Hypocrites
- No. Just accurately comparing like with like.

The day there's an HD DVD drive built into a game console is the day you can compare like with like.
The fact is that PS3 is not a Blu-ray stand-alone device.

Originally posted by nextgen76:
Lets show PS3 sells the consumer can see the real picture of what really going on.
- Everyone already knows what is going on.

Forget the term 'stand-alone'
(clearly the concept of comparing like with like is too complex for you Blu-ray fans).

Everyone knows there are between (depending on whos numbers you believe) 4, 5, 6 or maybe even 7 or 8 million 'Blu-ray capable' devices out there.
Overwhelmingly PS3s.

That's between (again depending on whos numbers you prefer to believe) between 10 - 20 times the number of HD DVD capable devices.

.....and they can only manage to a (now shrinking) 60:40 'lead'.

HD DVD is selling very very well
(last time I looked @ Amazon USA a few days ago the Toshiba HD A2 was number 1 and the next best Blu-ray player is the Samsung BDP1200 @ number 24.... HD DVD's the number 1 DVD player on Amazon USA and has been for months.....that's out of all DVD players, not just high def)

The much higher movie disc attachment rates HD DVD enjoys means it's only a matter of time now until HD DVD overtakes and leave Blu-ray permanently trailing.

At that point the sub-spec Blu-ray format will probably be permanently left at 'profile 1.0' to be almost exclusively a PS3 proprietary format
(not the type of exclusive Blu-ray fans love to crow about).

Originally posted by nextgen76:
Also with the PS3 399 sku coming to Jap,EU,& U.S. region going to push the Blu-Ray lead even farther & Also theres going to be massive cuts on BD players across the board this holiday season.
- More of that Blu-ray 'jam tomorrow'.

Blu-ray is actually currently losing market share.

HD DVD offers more available movie content, more exclusive movie content and more potential content.
HD DVD also has a proper range of players with a proper range of specs.
HD DVD has a proper fixed spec.


.....and it isn't wholly dependent on a kiddies game console
(which has failed in it's own market).

Originally posted by nextgen76:
I wonder what happen to that cheap ass inferior HD-DVD player wal-mart was getting for china ?
- You mean the (gen 3) $149 unit?

Wait until X-mas before you try leaping to conclusions......and what's up with a 720p/1080i high def disc player......that's precisely suited to the overwhelming majority of the HD TV market (not that it stops the Blu-ray liars pretending 1080p would be 'better' for them).

Originally posted by nextgen76:
People claim was going to move massive unit.
- Learn a little patience.

We'll see by next Easter just how important it's going to be (and the $100 CH-DVD derived units that ought to be reaching the market by then).

Blu-ray simply cannot compete on price or content.
This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 11 Oct 2007 @ 10:46

1511.10.2007 11:04

Wow thats the most bs ive ever seen in counting sales....Jodi sally of toshiba really has some balls. What is this like a promotion for hd-dvd and toshiba laptops caused it sure aint a unbiased opinion or tally of actualy sales figures or a overview.

Just gotta take these people with a grain of salt honestly who is sally to say what is counted and what isnt, she is counting her companies product but refuses to count another multimedia device that if anything would of been bought for a movie/game combo more than a laptop is for a standalone player like she is saying it is.

I own a laptop and I sure dont watch movies on its 17" screen I own a pc and I dont watch movies on its 21" screen but I do watch movies on my 42" hdtv and I sure wouldnt be using a laptop or pc to stream movies over to it.

Its estimated that only 5% actually watch movies on the laptop, pc because they would only do so when travelling so since these figures are lower in my books you can cancel using a laptop and a pc as a standalone player because the ps3 numbers are in fact higher for use as a standalone player.

And overall that gives blu-ray a savage lead going into the holidays but still we will see promotions and dropped prices and will continue to have the lead over hd-dvd because blu-ray has pretty much every studio and a handful of big name company supporters and thats how they roll.

End of made up news, see anyone can make up stuff like jodi sally of toshiba marketing...

1611.10.2007 11:06

i know some kids including relatives that have saved up for a PS3. none of them say they use it for movies. its hard enough for them to buy games for the system let alone movies. At least with 360, people who buy the HD-DVD addon will actually use it to watch HD movies, instead of being forced to buy something they won't even use.

1711.10.2007 11:14

Originally posted by jimmer:
i know some kids including relatives that have saved up for a PS3. none of them say they use it for movies. its hard enough for them to buy games for the system let alone movies. At least with 360, people who buy the HD-DVD addon will actually use it to watch HD movies, instead of being forced to buy something they won't even use.

thus why sony needs to launch a non nerfed psa3 at a 400$ price range,they would be able to fill many many consumer needs and sell units to sell games.

Tecbot
lead? having 10% at best more market share than the other guy is hardly a lead not when the market is so damn small, BR is suqardering all tis potential away while HDVD is offering more bang for the buck, and the lowr unit prices will pretty much make everythign even again or put HDVD in the lead, the Hdef format war is a game of inches until one side gives or both share fully.

1811.10.2007 12:01

You would never count a cell phone with an MP3 player and camera built in as MP3 players and cameras when doing a survey on how many cameras and players people have. I can understand not counting PS3's as blu-ray players.

People just need to get over/passed it and move on. Nobody knows whats going to happen. I just hope it's best for the consumer in the end.

Cheap prices are always good.

1911.10.2007 12:01

You would never count a cell phone with an MP3 player and camera built in as MP3 players and cameras when doing a survey on how many cameras and players people have. I can understand not counting PS3's as blu-ray players.

People just need to get over/passed it and move on. Nobody knows whats going to happen. I just hope it's best for the consumer in the end.

Cheap prices are always good.

2011.10.2007 15:53

Quote:
Quote:
Sally also talked up HD DVD strength within PC drives. Toshiba estimates that 5 million HD DVD drives for desktops and notebooks will be sold during fiscal 2008. She believes that should make the format competitive with the Playstation 3, which was nearing 2 million units sold in the U.S. through the summer. HD DVD laptops are closing in on a relatively attractive $1,000 price point, likely fueling the retail movement.

Toshiba believes more people are buying PC HD DVD drives with the pure intention to watch high-def movies than people who are buying the PS3. Sources have estimated that just 20% of PS3 owners have played movies on the machine.
I see the HD-DVD sheep's are trying to put a spin on anything these days.Blu-Ray has never had a lead in standalone sells so how did they over take Blu-Ray?????? HD-DVD can count HD-DVD PC drives but they don't count PS3's...ROTFL....What a bunch of Hypocrites Lets show PS3 sells so the consumer can see the real picture of what really going on.Also with the PS3 399 sku coming to Jap,EU,& U.S. region going to push the Blu-Ray lead even farther & Also theres going to be massive cuts on BD players across the board this holiday season.

Blu-ray manufacturers are going to start cutting prices and go out on a promotional binge this holiday season

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9789392-7.html


I wonder what happen to that cheap ass inferior HD-DVD player wal-mart was getting for china ? People claim was going to move massive unit.
Why do you care so much? I mean really why? you call us sheep? you piceked blu-ray good for you be happy. and do not insult people who picked a differant electronic device to play movies. You bitch about this? The blu-ray camp does the same thing they SPIN things but you dont call them on it? You support blu-ray good but DONT CALL US HDDVD supporters SHEEP. Becuse we prfer a differant format.

2111.10.2007 15:58

Quote:
Originally posted by nextgen76:
Blu-Ray has never had a lead in standalone sells so how did they over take Blu-Ray??????
- Sony talked up a survey done on 2 Chicago stores a month or two ago to show Blu-ray stand-alones were 'on top'.

Naturally it was total BS.

Originally posted by nextgen76:
HD-DVD can count HD-DVD PC drives but they don't count PS3's...ROTFL
- Er no, the figures mentioned don't even count XBox 360 HD DVD add-on drives.

That's a completely different situation to the PS3 where (as the pathetic movie attachment rates show clearly) many are not used for playing Blu-ray movie discs at all.

Originally posted by nextgen76:
What a bunch of Hypocrites
- No. Just accurately comparing like with like.

The day there's an HD DVD drive built into a game console is the day you can compare like with like.
The fact is that PS3 is not a Blu-ray stand-alone device.

Originally posted by nextgen76:
Lets show PS3 sells the consumer can see the real picture of what really going on.
- Everyone already knows what is going on.

Forget the term 'stand-alone'
(clearly the concept of comparing like with like is too complex for you Blu-ray fans).

Everyone knows there are between (depending on whos numbers you believe) 4, 5, 6 or maybe even 7 or 8 million 'Blu-ray capable' devices out there.
Overwhelmingly PS3s.

That's between (again depending on whos numbers you prefer to believe) between 10 - 20 times the number of HD DVD capable devices.

.....and they can only manage to a (now shrinking) 60:40 'lead'.

HD DVD is selling very very well
(last time I looked @ Amazon USA a few days ago the Toshiba HD A2 was number 1 and the next best Blu-ray player is the Samsung BDP1200 @ number 24.... HD DVD's the number 1 DVD player on Amazon USA and has been for months.....that's out of all DVD players, not just high def)

The much higher movie disc attachment rates HD DVD enjoys means it's only a matter of time now until HD DVD overtakes and leave Blu-ray permanently trailing.

At that point the sub-spec Blu-ray format will probably be permanently left at 'profile 1.0' to be almost exclusively a PS3 proprietary format
(not the type of exclusive Blu-ray fans love to crow about).

Originally posted by nextgen76:
Also with the PS3 399 sku coming to Jap,EU,& U.S. region going to push the Blu-Ray lead even farther & Also theres going to be massive cuts on BD players across the board this holiday season.
- More of that Blu-ray 'jam tomorrow'.

Blu-ray is actually currently losing market share.

HD DVD offers more available movie content, more exclusive movie content and more potential content.
HD DVD also has a proper range of players with a proper range of specs.
HD DVD has a proper fixed spec.


.....and it isn't wholly dependent on a kiddies game console
(which has failed in it's own market).

Originally posted by nextgen76:
I wonder what happen to that cheap ass inferior HD-DVD player wal-mart was getting for china ?
- You mean the (gen 3) $149 unit?

Wait until X-mas before you try leaping to conclusions......and what's up with a 720p/1080i high def disc player......that's precisely suited to the overwhelming majority of the HD TV market (not that it stops the Blu-ray liars pretending 1080p would be 'better' for them).

Originally posted by nextgen76:
People claim was going to move massive unit.
- Learn a little patience.

We'll see by next Easter just how important it's going to be (and the $100 CH-DVD derived units that ought to be reaching the market by then).

Blu-ray simply cannot compete on price or content.
WOW TELL THEM BLU-RAY SHEEP MAN!!!!

2211.10.2007 17:14

damn why do u guys care? its not like either one of u is making any money if one format does better then the other. just get watever is more convineant for you at the time, if you dont wana risk getting the format that dies off then don't buy nothing and wait a year or 2

2311.10.2007 18:21

Originally posted by vic_69x:
damn why do u guys care? its not like either one of u is making any money if one format does better then the other. just get watever is more convineant for you at the time, if you dont wana risk getting the format that dies off then don't buy nothing and wait a year or 2
cause we have poo makers to vent ^_~

2411.10.2007 23:57

Yes we care which format wins. Someone who really love movies knows that HD DVD is better so as i said i care which format wins

2512.10.2007 03:41
saltynuts
Inactive

long live good old standard DVD9.at the current price i hope none of the hi def stuff wins.but i do understand if one wins the price will go down i mean really 35.00 for a dvd come on when i can get the same movie used at hollywood video 4/30.00usd on DVD9 to me dont look bad at all.

2612.10.2007 04:31

Wow, HD Dvd is selling more players. Why dont people buy near as many HD Dvd movies as BLU Ray. We know that people dont use their PS3 to watch movies. Guess HD Dvd dont have many good movies.

2713.10.2007 11:44

This really has nothing to do with the Blu-Ray-HD-DVD war, but I thought what I saw the other day at Sam's Club was funny.. They had an HD TV set up and were doing a Blu-Ray demonstration. I'll admit that the Blu-Ray picture looked pretty good (as I'm sure an HD-DVD would also). What was funny is that they were doing a split screen comparison with a DVD. The DVD half of the picture looked worse than a VHS tape. If I had an HD TV and a DVD player that produced a picture like that I would throw one or both of them away.

2813.10.2007 13:03

It's simple! Blue-ray is it's own worst enemy! It's the only system I've ever seen that rejects it's own Sony DVDs! It's copy protection scheme leaves a lot to be desired! LOL!! The last time we saw anything like that was with Windows ME! LOL!! And that was a "horror Show" of incompatibility within the OS itself! Blue-ray dooms itself!

2922.10.2007 17:38

Stand alone players are not going to lead due to the fact everyone will want to have the abilty to burn HD DVD's soon.

3022.10.2007 17:45

Originally posted by theonejrs:
It's simple! Blue-ray is it's own worst enemy! It's the only system I've ever seen that rejects it's own Sony DVDs! It's copy protection scheme leaves a lot to be desired! LOL!! The last time we saw anything like that was with Windows ME! LOL!! And that was a "horror Show" of incompatibility within the OS itself! Blue-ray dooms itself!

same can be said for sony....

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