The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has announced that they have sold the one millionth Blu-ray title in Europe. Since the format was launched, Blu-ray has gained 73% of the high definition market over its rival HD DVD. The BDA also announced that 20 million PS3 games have been shipped to Europe, all making use of Blu-ray technology.
A few days ago, the BDA also announced that Blu-ray owned 97% of the HD recorder market in Japan. High definition recorders are more popular in Japan where broadcast TV is of a much higher quality. With only 3% of the market, HD DVD recorders have failed to make any penetration into Japanese homes.
wow. europe saturated with 20 million ps3s. i wonder how many are still on store shelves? still a very good thing going though! its too bad NA cant see BLU as the dominant format.
I was out of town for the release of Ratatiouie and Cars, When I returned home on the day after thanksgiving I went out and bought 6 blu-ray movies and 2 PS3 gamse to support the Blu-Ray cause in North America. Good job Japan and Europe, come on North America buy thoese Blu-movies and show Paramount they are a bunch of suckers.
(I live in North America).
Its the Americans that are dragging on this hd disc war.. In the UK you have to be quite stupid to even buy hd-dvd over blu ray. Looks like Europe and Japan know what there doing lol
How come HD DVD has as much as 27%? I've seen their stuff in London earlier this year, but in Italy or Germany it just wasn't in the stores I visited.
I know it's a highly unscientific method of research, but I'm just not aware of HD DVD having any traction on the Continent. It must be *somewhere*, but it surely isn't in the public's eye.
This is great news. The only reason HD is so popular here (if you call it that) is because Microsoft is in the US. I am not surprised Japan is 97% Blu. Isn't Sony a Japanese company?
Love the news. Wish more emphasis was placed on "sold" as opposed to "shipped" though. BDA needs to do a better job of telling the global aspect of the Blu-ray story -- it's a damn good one.
This is great news for you European folk out there, glad to hear you guys are pulling your own weight in this matter. However my fellow North American comrades, mostly those who are sitting on the sidelines watching this unfurl, get out and get into the Blu-ray market. Look at the evidence in other places, we don't want to be the only ones in the world stupid enough to keep an inferior technology like HD DVD afloat. The fact that Toshiba is losing, even in their homeland, is proof enough what consumers should buy.
As i live in the UK i don't think its a great victory, both Blu Rays and HD's are rare as rockinghorse shit in high street retail. Theyre just about filtering into stores now so lets look at the figures again in 12 months. (even though im sure Blu Ray will still be on top)
It would be terrible for business to release everything on HD-DVD only in North America and only on Blu-Ray in the rest of the world. North America will adopt the rest of the world's decision and considering Blu-Ray is already winning in North America and PS3's sales keep getting better, its only a matter of time!
Bye HD-DVD and you can sink with Toshiba for all I care; I've never liked any of their products.
I have another 8 Blu-Ray movies to buy this year, well 7 since I, Robot got delayed and I have a list of another 21 I will buy once they are released.
So far I only have 7 Blu-Ray movies and 6 PS3 games + 3 PS3 games on pre-order, but that will continue to grow.
This is the best news I have heard in quite some time even if it's not suprising. If anything it's a little embarassing knowing that we have a bunch of morons supporting the inferior format including the dual format supporters who are hurting more than they helping this format war.
i would say any sensible (sic) HD DVD supporter in euro land would import discs from the usa where the prices are much cheaper than our domestic markets. Of course this inflates the USA market figures for HD DVD, so cut our NA friends some slack, there still managing to hold off HDDVD in there own market as well as all the bargain hunting HD DVD supporters from europe.
Makes sense why ONKYO only shipped 11 players to italy now dosent it. HD DVD only really live in North Amearica, but for how much longer??
Its amazing actually cos we get screwed in europe with release dates months and months after the USA. Thats the only thing thats CRAP about being a BLU supporter in europe, very few region free discs (apart from warner - thank god) and incredible release delays on catalogue titles, like Dawn of the dead, devils rejects, still no date for prison break................the list goes on and on.
Well, I'm American and I'm doing my part to make Blu-Ray the true HD winner. My brother and my friend have already purchased the PS3 for Blu-Ray after originally leaning toward getting an HD-DVD player. I just hope more studios begin to fall in line and release their movies on Blu-Ray so the HD-DVD format can be crushed once and for all.
@Moondeep: One million BD titles sold, 20 million PS3 games shipped. If they were "fudging the
numbers" to include games, they would undoubtedly claim millions of BD titles sold.
If Americans step up the blu transition to a 4-1 or even a 3-1 over hd dvd i think New Line and Warner bros will go blu exclusive and then it will all be over. The good thing about the UK and Europe and Japan, is we can win the battle over here, and help force blu ray into North America.. With the US economy the way it is, i wouldnt like to see Americans to be wasting money on hd-dvd, when its failing across the rest of the world. If we win it over this side of the pond we can help stop people wasting their money in America on hd-dvd the losing format.
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has announced that they have sold the one millionth Blu-ray title in Europe. Since the format was launched, Blu-ray has gained 73% of the high definition market over its rival HD DVD. The BDA also announced that 20 million PS3 games have been shipped to Europe, all making use of Blu-ray technology.
HD DUD is dead in the water!
