Curtains for HD DVD?
Not good news for the HD DVD camp. Market research firm NPD Group has just released some U.S. sales figures for the week ending January 12.
Not good news for the HD DVD camp. Market research firm NPD Group has just released some U.S. sales figures for the week ending January 12, and Toshiba has reason to feel "blu."
Blu-ray players captured 90 percent of total unit sales and 90 percent of total dollar sales of all high-definition players for the week.
Blu-ray backers Sony, Panasonic and Sharp captured 34 percent, 27 percent and 23 percent of unit sales, respectively, while Toshiba only garnered 7 percent of unit sales with its HD DVD players.
A bad week for HD DVD in the wake of the Warner Bros. announcement? Or is this curtains for the HD DVD disc format?
Sync readers, feel free to discuss amongst yourselves…
Sad days for Toshiba but if the war is over then more consumers will buy Blu-Ray and the prices should come down on both machines and disc's
How do we forward this to Paramount and Universal??
I laughed when I saw the big price drop hit on the HD players a week or two ago. It is simply too late at this point for Toshiba to do anything except start work on the next generation of technology, maybe they'll get the jump next time.
It doesn't matter which one is better anymore. It's just like VHS vs BETA way back. BETA was technically a better format but VHS was marketed better. This time Sony learned from their mistake.
I'm sure we'll still here about HDDVD for a little while still but the war was lost months ago when companies like Blockbuster started renting blu-ray discs first.
Numbers for you from NPD:
No PS3 or 360(ext. player) included with only standalone players
Week 1/5 (before Warner)
Blu-ray Disc – 15,257 units
HD-DVD – 14,558 units
Week 1/12 (after Warner)
Blu-ray Disc – 21,770 units
HD-DVD – 1,758 units
Btw, some want to Save HD-DVD to end and some want HD-DVD to die:
Fan’s Petitions: Let HD DVD Die Or Save HD-DVD!
http://www.mcgrath.ca/2008/01/22/fans-petitions-let-hd-dvd-die-or-save-hd-dvd/
Oops, I forgot.
The Downfall of HD-DVD(Funny Video)
http://www.mcgrath.ca/2008/01/15/the-downfall-of-hd-dvdfunny-video/
The video is even more on "target" with this recent numbers
P.S. the original video was removed and replaced by this one. Watch it while you can or if you did not see it before
Steve… I love that Video… I couldn't stop laughing!!!
Yes, I know. That's why it funny and gone viral. Plus, it can serve in any tech war like the PS3 vs 360(first one that used it?).
The author will have to redo it when Universal or Paramount switch side or start doing Blu-Rays.
McGrath Dot Ca, you rock, thanks for telling us about that hilarious video. Just wrote a post about it.
Marc: Just doing my funny part. Everyone need to laugh from time to time.
Great ideal to make a post about it. However, I had to change the source 2 times and that's why I linked to my blog so people don't have to search for it. Hope it stays longer ;)
I WOULD NEVER OVERTLY WISH BAD LUCK OR BAD INVESTMENT ON THE PURVEYORS OF HD-DVD. HOWEVER, HAVING BEEN STUNG BY THE BETA VS VHS SITUATION BY CHOOSING BETA I DELIBERATELY WITHELD PURCHASING EITHER FORMAT UNTIL THERE WAS A CLEAR CHOICE / WINNER. SEEMS TO THE APPROPRIATE STRATEGY THESE DAYS WHEN ANY NEW TECHNOLOGY COMES OUT. I WONDER WHICH WAY LG WILL GO NOW THAT THERE MAY BE LESS NEED FOR A DUAL FORMAT PLAYER…AN OPTION I HAD CONSIDERED…GLAD I WAITED :) JUST VIEWED THE VIDEO…LOL
Rickshaw: I was on the fence but preferred Blu-Ray all the same. I got a PS3 before the Warner announcement the Sunday before that. Why? Because the numbers were going in that direction.
I think that a dual player is still viable for those that already picked HD-DVD. Toshiba could start making dual players thus preserving HD-DVD fans investment. Those would be niche players at first.
I don't want to pay for HD-DVD royalties for the time being. But when dual HD player get to $50, then it won't be a concern for most.
I'm suggesting this third option and you can read more here:
http://www.mcgrath.ca/2008/01/22/fans-petitions-let-hd-dvd-die-or-save-hd-dvd/
P.S. Next time, use lower case because it's considered shouting ;)
Toshiba is finished! Long live Blu Ray!
Sigh….lol no…no 'juju' my little friend…Toshiba is NOT finished….HD is….sort of,it'll show up on every laptop and mid-range pc for the next year and a bit,as a larger storage option. Lol, I will speak no more,it is written. ;)
Sorry,(Gawd this IS fun!).
How again is Toshiba 'finished'?….
Being that they are 1/3rd of the Development effort behind the Cell processor….the uh…CPU of the PS3. Also,coming soon as the next major CPU advancement in a majority of most high-end pcs near you.
So….in conclusion,I'd most definately wager to say Toshiba is neither 'finished' nor THAT concerned about the current format war (which is just a 'weigh station' along the way….as there are 4 for more formats being introduced….yep thats right peeps!)The current marketing strategy backfired,they revamped,and at the moment its the media thats purely speculating based on current sales. They know that the HD market will be the uninformed 'mid-sumer' dollar, and will 'adjust to that demographic.
So in conclusion….. Can anybody say….. WALMART! lol! I kid,I kid!
glad i waited it really did look like at one time blu ray was gonna lose. microsoft jumped on board it really looked that hddvd was gonna win
i do not think toshiba is finished but it would be a smart move to to just adopt blu ray and cut thier loses at this point
I held off on deciding too…that is, until I saw all of these funny cartoon commercials announcing, "On sale in Blu-Ray and DVD." Once Disney decided, I decided.
This brings me back to the VHS vs Beta, Beta was more expensive better quality, but VHS was cheaper, and guess who won?
I have a large collection of DVD movies. Will Blu-Ray players play them?
I give it a year, two at tops, then Blue ray will become Solid State!
its all based on marketing. as long as people are buying dvd players, they will be built.
but once the sales slump, then they will throw the "new technology" at us
we're not going to see any more spinning disks in computers or dvd players.
you will just download bits of information from the web when you want a movie.
when this happens, your dvd player will go to meet your vhs player – who has been living in a retirement home in FLorida along with "8Track"
best, Phil
WiseguyProductions.ca
… and another thing..
those new tv's you just bought? the "newer ones" will have the storage chip built in! So there will be no need for an external "box" to store your movies.
I was talking with a producer friend of mine, we agreed that most post production companies are still having difficulties with their edit systems.
Reason is, technology is changing so fast, people cant keep up with it.
"Film" has been around for decades – in the "old days" editors and cinemetographers were able to become masters of their art.
Digital productions have only been in existance for 15, say 20 years tops but the systems change every year, upgrades etc!
Kodak never used to come by once a year and say, "heres the new format of film to use"
best, Phil
http://www.wiseguyproductions.ca