All the latest UK technology news, reviews and analysis
|
|
|
31 Jan 2008
The HD-DVD Promotion Group has gone on the offensive after Woolworths announced plans to delist HD-DVD discs in favour of Blu-ray.
"While we are disappointed by Woolworths' decision, it is extremely early to spot which format will eventually win," said Olivier Van Wynendaele, European assistant general manager at HD-DVD backer Toshiba.
"UK consumers can now pick-up an HD-DVD player for less than £150, around half the cost of other HD formats. Even before pricing reached this level, HD-DVD represented more than 60 per cent of the overall standalone HD market."
Van Wynendaele claimed that HD-DVD has enjoyed greater software sales per player than any other HD format, and that HD-DVD owners have bought around 3.5 movies each, compared to less than one movie sold per Blu-ray device.
Woolworths announced its formal backing of Blu-ray on 28 January with the decision to ditch HD-DVDs by March.
The company cited Christmas shopping statistics which showed that Blu-ray discs had outsold HD-DVD titles by a factor of 10 to one.
The retailer's move to Blu-ray is designed to coincide with the release of Pixar movie Ratatouille, which will accompany a new Blu-ray chart and a back catalogue across all 820 Woolworths outlets in the UK.
"Sales figures clearly show that the market is moving towards one high-definition DVD format. The main reason is the success of Sony's PlayStation 3," said Steven McGunigel, DVD buyer at Woolworths.
"Because [the PS3] plays Blu-ray discs, there are over 750,000 homes in the UK that can view the new format. There is nowhere near that number of HD-DVD players around."
Latest stories from Peripherals
Related articles
Related jobs
Poll
What is the most important IT priority for your company this year?
Hands on with the highly anticipated Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich hybrid tablet
Connect with V3.co.uk
This paper focuses on a series of best practices and techniques for development teams looking to improve their software development processes
Why good data management at all levels is essential in the modern business (video, 6mins)
Web Developer LAMP HTML CSS Bash Linux Cambridge...
Drupal / Web Developer ( PHP, Drupal, JavaScript, JQuery...
Web / .NET Developer ( ASP.NET, VB.NET, HTML, CSS, SQL...
Analyst / Developer (Case Management) - NW London - £35...
Keep up to date with the latest products, services and technologies from the world's leading IT companies. IThound.com brings you over 2,000 white papers, case studies and analyst reports.
Do you agree?
Expense
The price of manufacturing blu-ray is more expensive because factories have to be refitted. This will not last long and is not a valid argument against blu-ray. Look at the relative cost of any electronic media. I remember paying $5 for a blank DVD-recordable and can now get these for pennies, even though inflation has occured in the interim.
Posted by: Answerman 02 Feb 2008
HD's death is still inevitable
ok i admire your persistency, regeya, but seriously your strategy is just like that of the HD DVD groupies. most statistics for bluray sales and hd sales aren't always 100% true... but now you're trying to make it look like that if it's not 100% true or came from a 100% reliable source then all information is void. WRONG! bluray is outselling hd in hardware and software sales and even though the leaked information may not be EXACT, they're still outselling them pretty high. for example: the hd dvd group said that they dont count the ps3 in the statistics because there is no way of telling if any of the owners use it for bluray movies.... BUT that doesn't mean that you can't at least include SOME percent of the ps3 as a factor! the information source is not 100% reliable but it stills says a lot! and DVD was outsold by VHS for 3 years before it finally became the standard. Right now it's still rather new and plus people are still sitting on the fence between the two formats because hd dvd groupies won't give it up! PS2 games are still selling more than Xbox 360 games but we all know that it don't mean crap! and lastly, does it REALLY matter if you or any other hd fan comes up with any good points or whatever when they are going to lose ANYWAY?
Posted by: rick 02 Feb 2008
HD-DVD Group hits back as Woolworths picks Blu-ray
Why do you news media people not provide useful information in their news articles that is of benefit to the consumer? The consumer has not been given a fair chance to make their own decision on which format to buy. There is only 2 to 4% market penetration of HD media at this time. Would you declare a win with only 4% of the votes counted? The News Media, the Studios and Sony are forcing the consumer to spend more money on Blu-ray standalone players, and a game machine which have no added value, as compared to HD DVD standalone players, that are specifically designed for playing movies. Most consumers do not want spend the extra money for a game machine like the PS3. Here are the real facts. Sure initially lots of $499 and $399 PS3's were sold to the top of economic scale part of society, and sure maybe they each bought a few Blu-Ray discs to test the new system, so initial sales were high. Plus many consumers are spending lot of money on absolute early generation Blu-ray players that can not be upgraded to the upcoming Profile 2.0 spec. But for the remaining 239 million people or so in USA, lower price HD-DVD players is a better choice, at $149 maybe then they can save the rest of their money to finally afford an HD TV to use it with. Lower prices will always sell more, plain and simple, go back to economics class if you don't agree. Free market competition is what we the consumers stand for. Let the masses decide, not the early adaptors. Plus, HD-DVD media is a cheaper to manufacture.
Posted by: Rod 01 Feb 2008
Desperate and pathetic
It's funny how the HD-FUD Propaganda Group always exclude the PS3 when talking about hardware sales, and include it into their attach rate BS when they talk about software sales, both of which is still in Blu-ray's favour. Retailers, studios, consumers, electronics manufacturers, etc have all made their decisions. Blu-ray has won. HD-FUD Group needs to accept defeat graciously if they have any dignity left, and stop trying to prolong the inevitable to cause more confusions for customers.
Posted by: Dew Alam 01 Feb 2008
PS3 for Blu Ray
Purchased a PS3 in the January sales to use as a Blu Ray player, not a gaming machine. Yes I do have 1 game however I already have 6 Blu Ray films. HD-DVD group I know it's hard to admit you have lost the domestic High Definition DVD market, but Sony hung on with Betamax for years in the commercial arena, so not all if lost!
Posted by: Bill 01 Feb 2008
what?
what is HD-DVD?
Posted by: omomayu 31 Jan 2008
Ric is right
You cannot exclude the PS3 from the statistics when reporting on player penetration and then include the PS3 when you count titles per player sold. HD-DVD is desperate and their marketing BS is nothing but falsehoods.
Posted by: California Red 31 Jan 2008
Stupid?
I won't even touch how someone from this side of the pond (U.S.) really doesn't give a rip about Woolworth's...anything I might have in this house that has the Woolworth's tag is considered an antique, as Woolworth's stores are as rare as working 8-track players. "HAHAHAHA Stupid HD DVD!!! OMG, TALK ABOUT SELECTIVE HEARING AND SELECTIVE INFORMATION!!!!" I see posts like this one on any story talking about the eventual death of HD DVD. I have a hard time believing that the general public would get so in a lather over a piece of technology without some sort of financial gain. Stockholder? Astroturfer? Or just deranged? If it's one of the first two, calling potential customers "stupid" is one of the WORST tactics I can think of. "So HD DVD had 60% of the market in HD players, NOT INCLUDING the ps3 RIGHT???" Well...up until some manufacturers started unloading Profile 1.1 Blu players with TVs. I think that's telling, but that also means they have them. Another way to spin it is that everyone who has an HD DVD player BOUGHT one to use as an HD DVD player. Not true of Blu-Ray. Time will tell if that matters. Remember how many years VHS lingered while Beta was doted on? It had supposed technical advantages... "But then when they mention there are 3.5 HD DVD movies per HD DVD player, they THEN ADD that there is only 1 Bluray movie per Bluray device (NOTICE how they don't say "Per STANDALONE Bluray player". So NOW that they included the Ps3 as a factor in this statistic!" Do go on...looks as if you punctuated before you made your point. "Because last year Bluray movie discs outsold HD DVD 3:1 (and this year it's now 10:1) and there is NO WAY IN HELL that (ONLY COUNTING STANDALONE PLAYERS) Bluray owners have only ONE disc for their players when they sold LESS players but MORE discs than HD DVD." I'll buy that for a dollar. If Toshiba really hopes to pull this one off, they're going to have to use real advantages and real numbers, not fabricated numbers. "So the ONLY way that statistic could be correct is if the HD DVD group inluded the MILLIONS of Ps3's as a statistic, AFTER they whine and bitch so much about how they shouldn't coun't it as a player because 'People buy it as a gaming device.'" NPD doesn't count the PS3 as a player, but they did count free Blu-Ray players. "and BESIDES for how long will they continue to use OLD statistics? Because last time i checked, HD DVD had 60% of the player market (ONLY counting standalone players) since LAST DECEMBER." Hehe. too true. Maybe they're afraid that if people know that there are more players thanks to the scheme of dumping obsolete Blu players, people might think that Blu's doing well. "It's FEBRUARY now and as i recall, HD DVD recently sold under 2,000 players and Bluray over 20,000..... and NOT counting the Ps3's..." You recall? Care to post your source? Are you talking about the one-week leaked NPD numbers that have long since been refuted by NPD? Yeah, the week after Warner made their announcement, when Blu manufacturers were continuing to give away Profile 1.1 players and sell software for 50% off, and Toshiba had dropped their holiday sale prices? "Not to mention being outsold in the movie market by 10:1." And Blu's being vastly outsold by DVD. If Blu's outselling HD DVD by that much, then no, I don't think that HD DVD is the limiting factor any more. But where's that sharp uptake everyone expected? "GIVE IT UP HD DVD!" Again, Blu's not really bucking the stagnation trend; maybe both should give up and go back to the negotiation table, and all of us early adopters will have to buy new players. Then we can all be "stupid" together. "AND SERIOUSLY, STOP GIVING OUT SELECTIVE/OLD INFORMATION. WE WANT NEW INFORMATION AND ALL OF IT!!!!" Again, how about sharing an official source of your perentages and ratios, along with the raw numbers, and stack those up against DVD while you're at it.
Posted by: regeya 31 Jan 2008
Thanks, excellent report!
Good propaganda for Woolworths, we haven't heard the name in the news for some time. Woolworths is not an AV store. A general store sells more kids video than any other categories. Since there are no Disney movies releasing on HD-DVD, it makes good sense for them to not carry HD-DVD and save space for the general merchandise. We want to thank the executives in WB who guided us to believe Blu-ray is the perfect Hi-Def format to go with. Thanks to the media also, I felt like I made some achievements by making my own big decision today. Yes, Blu-ray, this is definitely the Customers' choice. I am so happy that somebody pronounced HD-DVD is dead. The Hi-Def world is unified! With one format left, I am so sure that Sony will further lower their prices of the Blu-ray players and discs sooner than we think. I like Sony - always produces high quality goods at a discount price! I feel like I am walking taller when I am using a Sony product. Like everyone else, I am going to the Woolworths store to buy all the Blu-ray titles to build my entire video library. Hooray! P.S. I have this funny, sensational feeling to hear that HD-DVD is dead. Maybe we are just the excited audience in the arena who wants to see some bloodshed. Haha, kill, kill, kill!
Posted by: S. Hal 31 Jan 2008
Are the HD-DVD camp expecting a miracle?
"...it is extremely early to spot which format will eventually win"?! I think Blu-Ray has already won. It would take a miracle for HD-DVD to claw its way back now. The huge increase in Blu-Ray movie sales is mostly due to the drop in price of the PS3 - the most function filled and updatable of all Blu-Ray players. This has meant more BD capable players in homes so more movie studios have become Blu-Ray exclusive. Anyone who was sitting on the fence waiting to see a winner will also now be moving to Blu-Ray for the pure choice of films available. Its a slippery slope for HD-DVD and I cannot see a way back for them, unless they give the players away for free. Even then, the choice of new titles coming out is limited.
Posted by: Neil 31 Jan 2008
Talk about living in denial lol
HD-DVD is a dead format. There is no way Woolworths would drop support in all of their 817 stores if people wanted to buy it.
Posted by: Tony 31 Jan 2008
HAHAHAHA Stupid HD DVD!!!
OMG, TALK ABOUT SELECTIVE HEARING AND SELECTIVE INFORMATION!!!! So HD DVD had 60% of the market in HD players, NOT INCLUDING the ps3 RIGHT??? But then when they mention there are 3.5 HD DVD movies per HD DVD player, they THEN ADD that there is only 1 Bluray movie per Bluray device (NOTICE how they don't say "Per STANDALONE Bluray player". So NOW that they included the Ps3 as a factor in this statistic! Because last year Bluray movie discs outsold HD DVD 3:1 (and this year it's now 10:1) and there is NO WAY IN HELL that (ONLY COUNTING STANDALONE PLAYERS) Bluray owners have only ONE disc for their players when they sold LESS players but MORE discs than HD DVD. So the ONLY way that statistic could be correct is if the HD DVD group inluded the MILLIONS of Ps3's as a statistic, AFTER they whine and bitch so much about how they shouldn't coun't it as a player because "People buy it as a gaming device." and BESIDES for how long will they continue to use OLD statistics? Because last time i checked, HD DVD had 60% of the player market (ONLY counting standalone players) since LAST DECEMBER. It's FEBRUARY now and as i recall, HD DVD recently sold under 2,000 players and Bluray over 20,000..... and NOT counting the Ps3's... Not to mention being outsold in the movie market by 10:1. GIVE IT UP HD DVD! AND SERIOUSLY, STOP GIVING OUT SELECTIVE/OLD INFORMATION. WE WANT NEW INFORMATION AND ALL OF IT!!!!
Posted by: Ricl 31 Jan 2008
Orly?
Just visited a woolworths store, one HD title and 4 bluray. I doubt HD backers are too worried here, the publicity they got for this has been huge, and considering they aren't considered a media retail outlet by most begs the question, why are reputable sites reporting this as important news?
Posted by: digriz 31 Jan 2008