Blu-ray outselling HD-DVD 2-to-1

The PS3's next-gen video format increases its lead over its Microsoft-backed rival during the first half of 2007.

Though the next-gen video format war is not yet over, it is becoming increasingly clear which way the tide of battle is turning. Today, analysts at Home Media Research (via Reuters) reported that Sony's Blu-ray Disc format is now outselling Microsoft-backed HD-DVD at a ratio of nearly 2-to-1. Between January 1 and July 1, a total of 795,000 HD-DVDs were sold, versus 1.6 million BDs. As of the end of July, 2.2 million BDs and 1.5 million HD-DVDs have sold since they both hit the market last year.

Home Media Research cited sales of the popular film 300 to illustrate the differences between the two formats. After being released on home video on July 31, the film has sold 190,000 units on Blu-ray and 97,000 units on HD-DVD. The article also referenced the fact that Blockbuster is supporting Blu-ray exclusively as a factor behind the format's increasing sales momentum.

Curiously, the article did not mention the PlayStation 3, which plays Blu-ray discs without any additional hardware. The Xbox 360 supports HD-DVD playback via a $179 peripheral.

593 Comments

  • chrisj

    Posted Jan 24, 2008 7:03 am PT

    Outlaw-X13 your saying "have fun losing money Sony fans" what....are you mad....Microsoft supporters have to buy every thing separately that the ps3 has already bringing the cost up to and over shooting the ps3 console by nearly £100....................and you HAVE TO PAY TO GO ON LINE WHICH BLOWS....your mad and obviously a MS fan boy

  • chrisj

    Posted Jan 24, 2008 6:49 am PT

    wow some ones bitter

  • Outlaw-X13

    Posted Dec 17, 2007 7:28 pm PT

    I cant wait for Sony to go bankrupt... seriously... how much money they lose per sale... haha.... Jesus Christ.... like... HD looks great right? Blu-Ray is HD with more space... its... its all really pointless waste of money... and those people who say "BLU-RAYS THE WAY INTO THE FUTURE OF DEFINITION" are just a bunch of people who got it.. trying to convince there selfs that they didnt waste money! FFS... drop it and get an HD-DVD drive/player whatever the f*** it is you want... well have fun losing money Sony fans...

  • ninjajuggalo810

    Posted Aug 21, 2007 2:05 am PT

    blu ray vs. hd-dvd comes down to this and this ONLY

    hd-dvd = 30gb max
    blu-ray 50gb max

    its storage and nobody said it had to do with "graphics"

    with more storage u can put more of any digital source but u have to have the same exact thing on each disc to campare space 15000songs on hddvd and 25000 songs on bluray the songs wont sound better on bluray u just get more

    my opinion if the lasers a reliable blu ray is the best PERIOD

    i dont care what anyone says because u cant say 30gb is better than 50gb

    really u cant honestly say that 30gb is better than 30.0000000000000001gb so just stop if ur cheap get the hddvd if u have the money get the better disc

  • SergeStorms

    Posted Aug 20, 2007 2:21 pm PT

    The Times article cited by Yuck_Too has reference to an investigation by the European Union into Sony in possible market rigging allegations against Sony in the format war. Could get ugly if they do find anything.

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted Aug 20, 2007 11:40 am PT

    Paramount dumps Sony's Blu-ray format (August 20, 2007)

    Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation have dropped support for Sony's Blu-ray next generation DVD format in a shock move that will see the two studios exclusively use Toshiba's rival HD-DVD system.

    http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article2295565.ece

  • bashmentkid

    Posted Aug 20, 2007 7:01 am PT

    bloo ray or not bloo ray? that is the question.

    most people dont have an HDTV yet, the selection in Blockbusters nerang where I work is 6 different blu ray movies, and we must have rented... um... well we have rented all 6, to this one customer, who must be the only dude in like a thousand miles with an HDTV and a PS3. we have had no other customers ask to rent blu ray discs. the same dude has rented all 4 of the PS3 games we stock. our 360 catalog of games is much larger however, and we frequently rent all of them, to dozens of different customers, none of whom have ever asked about hd-dvd. we make ten times more renting 360 games than hi def movies, and we make ten times more renting plain old DVD's than all the multiplatform games this gen and the last.

    somebody somewhere shouldn't be doing the math, cause its plain for me to see that the world just isnt ready or willing to commit to this format war quite yet.

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted Aug 20, 2007 6:45 am PT

    --tok1879 --
    Frankly the day both sides sat down and discussed for an entire week the option of merging both formats into 1 standard I thought "wow...they finally get it"

    But they didn't...as for the quality difference there isn't any...

    First Blu-ray had the issues of using poor codex...1st generation of quality images went to HD-DVD. Then there is the extra features argument that because blu-ray is larger you'll get more...except for the fact Java is not enabled yet so as a result movies like "300" actually have a lot MORE extra content because HD is fully enabled.

    In relation to that movie's on blu-ray with 1 exception are single layer and HD are currently dual layer. Again though it doesn't matter how much free space you have at the end of the day, that's like saying this games players better because I have a 250gig drive instead of a smaller 140gig drive..

    It's not an agenda I have against Blu-ray it's the fact that after 30 years they still have not learned how to actually offer a product instead of simply marketing what they want you to do in order for them to secure market share.

    If there was 1 format that they shared to start with every related product would be both better and accepted. Instead people will sit back and watch for another couple years and by the time something rolls around to claim "victory" we'll have moved on. Really I cannot wait for the "seriously old regime" of CEO's to move on and retire.

  • the_deathstar

    Posted Aug 19, 2007 6:58 pm PT

    the movies are too expensive to buy on either format.

  • V-Nine

    Posted Aug 19, 2007 5:30 pm PT

    If that HD-DVD drive dont find its way inside an X360 then they can kiss this race good bye. Looks like its pretty much to late already. Personally all the xtra supossed stuff aint worth the price of admission...that goes for both formats.

  • Symphonycometh

    Posted Aug 19, 2007 12:51 pm PT

    fauljosh:

    Well, you love your HD DVD. You obviously won't see the better quality and quantity of Blu-ray.

  • fauljosh

    Posted Aug 19, 2007 12:36 pm PT

    I just got an HD DVD add on for my 360. I love it. HD DVD's video quality is better than that of Bluray. Plus ALL HD DVD players connect to the internet for special features.

  • anamnawshad

    Posted Aug 19, 2007 8:05 am PT

    Looks like $ony may finally win a format war!
    I'll stick with DVDs for another 2-3 years....

  • SonOfSparda018

    Posted Aug 19, 2007 6:48 am PT

    Blue Ray is the future

  • tok1879

    Posted Aug 19, 2007 5:17 am PT

    @Yuck_Too sounds to me like u, my man, have an agenda....so for someone who argues so passionately against blu-ray i highly doubt u ever bought one and who knows ur disdain for it might even prevent u from gettin' a ps3...

  • rob3nelson

    Posted Aug 19, 2007 1:20 am PT

    Microsoft is not as invested as Sony in winning the HD format wars. If they wanted to, they could have built an HD-DVD drive in to their console. But, they didn't. Also, they've stated that if Blu-Ray wins the war, they'll put out an external Blu-Ray player to attach to the 360. Part of the reason Blu-Ray seems to be winning, based on these comments, is the name. Perhaps if HD-DVD was renamed to "CoolHiDef", "AwesomeDisc", or "TheBigRedOne" it would win. After all, what some of you seem to be saying is that the underlying technology doesn't mean anything. It's all in the name. In other words, Sony (or Microsoft) could turn out a piece of crap, give it a fancy name, and it would sell like hotcakes! If this is the case, it's only a symptom of declining standards in our schools, which should teach kids to be skeptical and not believe all the marketing hype.

  • ChickenHounk911

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 9:39 pm PT

    Here is the thing...... even on good old DVD, 4.7GB of info or whatever, I dont have TIME to watch the movie, PLUS 12 Hours+ of Extras! Who cares?!?!? Play the movie, take out the disc, end of story. Now I can imagine a Blu-Ray Disc..... 50 GB of info? NO TIME AT ALL! I can see the commercial now... "Transformers the movie with 142 Hours of Bonus extras plus extra footage, plus commentary be everyone who worked on it, plus pics, plus interviews, plus 50 thousand trailers, plus the whole cartoon series, plus PC content, plus the whole PS3 game on the disc. plus a whole other movie in there that you may not care about, and deleted scenes!!! Buy it today!" Are you kidding me?

  • KBABZ

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 5:43 pm PT

    "Video game consoles are nowhere near as fun as they used to be. Fanboys have ruined the market. I hope they all die out like the Atari of old before Nintendo came along."

    I think it's due to the market base. It's what happens when you get over 6 billion teenagers all passionate about one out of three consoles and put them in a room together. Not saying that the entire market is teenagers, though.

    "Blu-ray is just such an infinitely cooler name than HD-DVD. I think that right there is the single most underestimated reason for Blu-ray success."

    As said, Blu-ray is FAR easier to say than HD-DVD. The name probably was the deciding factor for all those movie companies going for it.

  • mier2003

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 4:23 pm PT

    Video game consoles are nowhere near as fun as they used to be. Fanboys have ruined the market. I hope they all die out like the Atari of old before Nintendo came along. As for the new format...I will wait to see who comes out on top. Both companies have unlimited amounts of cash so nobody should be counted out until one or the other is completely dead.

  • Archias

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 1:29 pm PT

    Blu-ray is just such an infinitely cooler name than HD-DVD. I think that right there is the single most underestimated reason for Blu-ray success.

  • Ahp12

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 8:38 am PT

    Yikes, I didn't expect that to happen...

  • Symphonycometh

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 7:17 am PT

    @Everyone who was talking about "If only the 360 had HD-DVD's installed"...

    Think about this:

    The price would be closer to the PS3s...if not the same...and what do we have?

    Exactly, closer sales to the PS3 if not fewer thanks to the PS2 fanbase and the bad rep the 360 receives.

    And please don't start with me by saying M$ would actually keep the price the same as it is now even with HD in there.

  • Ivar1987

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 6:40 am PT

    by principle im not going to touch either with a bean pole. it wud only make my awesome dvd collection obsolete. not to mention fan bay warfare has ruined em for everyone. if only their mothers knew they were fighting over different kinds of discs...

  • fr33_loader

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 5:55 am PT

    People always think that more storage is always equal to better graphics. When PS3 shows me a game on Bluray as beautiful as the new computer games running on DVDs, then you have me convinced.

  • Timotht

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 5:52 am PT

    Despite only owning a 360 i am glad that blu-ray are winning the format war, larger capacity means better quality in the long run

  • Surllio

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 5:27 am PT

    Blu-Ray is more than just a media format. Its the disk storage of the future. Think about it. Its nearly triple the storage space on a HD-DVD.

    For those of you saying that the HD-DVD would win if Microsoft included a player, you are wrong. HD-DVD does not hold nearly as much information, nor does it deliver true 1080p signal. The factors helping Blu-Ray are as follows. -Storage Capacity -1080p capable -Blockbuster Video and Sears/K-Mart dropping HD-DVD. -Disney's choice to go only Blu-Ray. -Growth in sales of PS3. -Price drop of Samsung Blu-Ray players. -Drop in price of most HDTVs.

  • dandeanuk

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 4:26 am PT

    You people really dont have a clue.. I play games on my ps3 that come on 50gb blu ray disc, my rubbish 360 can only play games on DVD that have a capacity of 4.7gb, its a no brainer, unreal tournament have already said the 360 version is gonna have less content due to lack of media capacity. I have a 750gb ps3 with linux installed, i cant do that on my 360, because it is a badly made badly thought out typical example of bill gates getting an inferior product out faster, my 360 is rubbish i hate it, it doesnt even have hdmi input, i meant wtf....microsoft are awful. read it and weep.

  • N-Flames

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 3:46 am PT

    if xbox 360 had HD-DVD bulit in then HD-DVD would kick Blu-rays ass but anyway Sony are paying for it was that why PS3 is so expensive too make and 360 aint you see Microsoft are smart. Sony forced people 2 get blu-ray. When I by my game console, I buy it 2 play game not 2 watch movies so whereas Sony force it on u, Microsoft gives u a choice for HD-DVDs or not. And even if I want 2 watch movies I satisfied on wacthin them on normal DVDs who take about dis HD crap

  • nate22692

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 1:48 am PT

    Sony's goal was never to win the console wars. Their plan was always to get enough PS3s in homes so that they would win the format wars. Now we are seeing the results of their plan. Blu-ray will probably win the format war and Sony will be trying to reclaim their lost ground in their games division with PS4. For those who bought into PS3 early look at it like this, you have a next-gen movie player that also plays most 3rd party games and a few good exclusives.

  • GrimBee

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 1:20 am PT

    And you can guarantee that if Microsoft had HDDVD on the 360 from its launch, HDDVD would out sell Bluray 3 - 1.

    The reason why Bluray discs are selling is because of PS3 owners. Now you can see why sony forced the format onto the console.

    Whilst Sony have won the war this year - a disc format succeeds because of its versatility. Check out DVD, its not a success BECAUSE of PS2, the ps2 helped it along with consoles, where the DVD market is - its where people can back up their own data, colleges, uni's, schools, production companies, media studios - all these use DVD.

    If Bluray can be versatile enough, and not crappy about DRM like every other sony format, then it will succeed in the next part of the war. However, I don't think Toshiba and HDDVD's time is up.

    Disc format wars are not won because they sell more in blockbuster video - they win because of versatility.
    Both formats have yet to be versatile enough, so the war hasn't even started - imo.

  • dQuarters

    Posted Aug 18, 2007 12:52 am PT

    Am I the only one who thinks we don't need a new format yet? I like DVD's, and think the picture quality is fine. But whatever, it's inevitable that it will change. I'm sill gonna wait 'til the price drops SIGNIFIGANTLY until I "buy-into" anything. You can get a DVD player for $20 bucks nowadays. Remember when it was $1000? I'm in no rush this time. But at least both formats will play regular DVDs.

  • fr33_loader

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 11:31 pm PT

    I really have to congratulate all PS3 owners for buying movies and supporting their format. I shudder to think if that format flopped after paying $600. Buy some more movies people, lets make sure PS3 stays, if not a game console, at least as a movie player.

  • XTy

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 11:11 pm PT

    UrbanMessiah, your question regarding sales about Blu Vs. HD? It doesn't make sense.

    You must not know, but the PS3 is rated by CNET as the best Blu-Ray player on the market. So if you were a consumer at Best Buy looking to get a Blu-Ray Player with that brand New HDTV, you would buy a PS3, especially considering that it's cheaper.

    So, comparing how many PS3's vs. Standalones doesn't make sense, because some PS3 owners use them as standalones. What really matters is SOFTWARE SALES. that is the way to go.

  • ocdog45

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 10:41 pm PT

    ha ha, blue ray is the way to go.

  • UrbanMessiah

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 7:58 pm PT

    Sony execs are genius...include a blu-ray player in the console, have a crap release game wise, and leave nothing but movies for PS3 owners to buy for entertainment, thereby driving up blu ray movie sales and making it seem like its a runaway success. Brilliant! Now the real question is, excluding the PS3, how many blu ray players have been sold compared to hd dvd players? -=x

  • cloud890

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 7:28 pm PT

    Blockbuster and Target are now BlueRay Exclusive.... WOW, thats pretty quick for just first half of 2007 statistics. Those companies must have complete confidence in BlueRay regardless of all people writing them constantly... that's pretty impressive and great for BlueRay (also great sales comparisons). More companies will follow. Things are looking up for BlueRay.

  • 360player_eq12

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 6:28 pm PT

    i love how people start talking 360 vs ps3 on this article when it says that """The article did not mention the playstation 3, which plays blu-ray discs without any additional hardware."""

  • XTy

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:48 pm PT

    Yeah, maybe, but either way Blu-Ray still has too many exclusives...its frusterating as an Early adopter of HD-DVD. I thought Microsoft had enough clout and power to make HD-DVD a success. It think Microsoft wants wants them both to fail, so Digital Downloading will win.

    I do DL movies, but it's crappy having to wait for it to DL.

  • VolcanoMan001

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:46 pm PT

    nikefreak: "Either way, I am HD-DVD, and when and IF BluRay does dominate the HD media market, I will simply upgrade to an HD-DVD/BluRay hybrid player. Problem solved "

    Exactly! Your comments about Block Buster are correct. They have a paid agreement going on with Sony for their in store movies. I am all for a healthy format war to drive down prices for all of us consumers, but it is shenannigans like this which produce the opposite effect for most people.

  • KBABZ

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:42 pm PT

    Heheh, true to that, Volcano.

  • nikefreak

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:37 pm PT

    No, XTy, I am sure it is including the 5 free BluRays to each PS3 sale, in the stats like innuya suggested... I mean, it is Sony we are talking about here, king of smoke and mirrors sales tactics.

  • innuya

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:35 pm PT

    I wonder if the Blue-Ray Discs sales also include the five ones you get from buying a player..?

  • XTy

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:35 pm PT

    With all the Internet FUD paid for by Microsoft and all the negative things being said about PS3 and Blu-Ray, this shows that everthing that fanboys said is the exact opposite.
    It looks like the PEOPLE with money voted, and Blu-Ray won. All the poor fanboys predicted wrong.

    As an Xbox guy, that kind of blows, but it's nice to know Blu-Ray's backing at Blockbuster, Target, and all the Blu-Ray Companies are getting mainstream so my HDTV can get a good format. I never use my HD-DVD player for my 360 anymore, so I need a Blu-Ray player or PS3, stat!

  • nikefreak

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:35 pm PT

    Actually BlockBuster are hypocrites. I recently decided to write into them, and ask what was going on (As well as tell them I was moving to Netflix, which btw - fantastic. I have been getting my HD-DVD movies in 2 days max from que time (que it Tues, get it Thurs)... Anyways - They are NOT supportin BluRay exclusively, and denied any "obligations" to Sony on the matter... However, they are being deceptive, and I suspect there IS some sort of agreement at this point, as their reps are trained to cite the "We are BluRay exclusive", however, when questioned on it Corp admits there are a few hundred stores with HD-DVD, but they wont give a listing of them, instead touting that 2100 stores have been given BluRay... Funny, and people wonder why BluRay looks like its going better - its because of practices such as this. They also insist they are "keeping an eye on the situation" in regards to expanding HD-DVD assortments to more stores, but with the way it looks, I dont see it happening.

    Either way, I am HD-DVD, and when and IF BluRay does dominate the HD media market, I will simply upgrade to an HD-DVD/BluRay hybrid player. Problem solved

  • lightningbugx

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:34 pm PT

    There will be no clear winner of this format war. The next format will come first.

  • VolcanoMan001

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:29 pm PT

    Ok fair enough. I must of read it too fast. Regardless, most reasonble people would rather have a new car fixed for free and not worry about it again than piss and moan. The dead horse can only be beaten so much.

  • dslsd

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:29 pm PT

    this doesn't matter all that much... digital distribution= way of the future

  • KBABZ

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:21 pm PT

    I don't think I said that the 360 breaks down once a week, VolcanoMan. In that, I meant that you are prevented from playing the 360 during the time period it is being fixed. Granted, I don't actually know how long it takes to get it fixed (depends on the method you use).

  • OatmealKing

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:14 pm PT

    ahh....you hear that sound.....( no not ur 360 ) thats the sound of Sony hitting a grand slam in the "next-gen" playoffs....thats money right ther boye!!!

  • VolcanoMan001

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 5:09 pm PT

    KBABZ: "That kinda doesn't excuse the fact that it's breaking in the first place. "Yeah, my car keeps breaking down, but hey, I'm having it fixed for free! Now I can't go to work for a week! Yay!"

    Yeah, you know, because the 360 breaks down once a week. Get serious. Some people just always have to have something to complain about.

advertisement

Hot Stories

Newsmakers

Featured Stories

Submit News

Got tips? Send them in!