Sony says standalone Blu-ray players are outselling HD DVD players
During the Sony press conference yesterday at CEDIA , Sony put up some charts to show how starting about 12 weeks stand-alone Blu-ray players were outselling HD DVD. They tribute this to the release of the $499 BDP-S300, but we're not so sure about that. Assuming the numbers are indeed true, we don't suppose the announcement of Toshiba's 3rd generation players would have anything to do with it, not to mention the fact that none of our local Best Buy stores even have the HD-A2 in stock. But what we really want to know is, who is buying all these Blu-ray players, with Profile 1.1 right around the corner?
[Via FormatWarCentral]
[Via FormatWarCentral]

























They said it was based on "revenues", not on actual units sold. Well, makes sense that they got 63% market share based on "revenues" since it's so costly just to get one.
Yes. This has been discussed to death on AVS Forum. You need to update this post. They're talking about revenue--not volume sold. If I recall, I think the sell ration is 70:30 for standalone players--and not in Blu-Ray's favor.
Yeah, let's update this post so it reflects that HD DVD is winning, f*ck the truth.
Blu Ray is winning, live with it.
Guys,
I see no reason to update the post. Did you even click through to the article. The graph clearly shows UNITS not REVENUE.
Next Gen Player Share by Format (UNITS)
Blu-ray 55%
HD DVD 43%
Dual Format 2%
http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Hardware/Toshiba/CEDIA/Toshiba_Refutes_Sonys_Claims_of_Blu-ray_Stand-Alone_Player_Dominance/943
I'm gonna call BS on this one
They are selling more media. They're not selling more stand-alone players. That's a fact. Facts are things you can choose to accept or deny--but they remain true regardless. Live with that.
It may not be BS, but it can be misleading. All that the graph is really saying is that they CURRENTLY have a larger market share. It does not reflect the amount of players sold over the same period, which honestly by reading the graph may be even, but I think that a bar graph would better reflect the actually volume sold. This is one of those statistics that is really not important to the overall format war because what is most important is the number of players/discs sold.
Interesting story... I don't actually know anyone who owns an HD DVD player, but know at least three with a PS3, and thus Blu-ray. Yes, they all watch BDs on them.
Of course this information is factual, it came from the BD association, they wouldn't stretch the truth to further their own cause, why, that's suggesting that the BR group are deceiving the public, no, not possible, not sony.
I own a HD DVD player, but I don't know anyone who owns a standalone blu ray player though,(which is what this article relates too.)
how up-to-date is this? I assume it doesn't include the last month or so, because there is no way Blu-decks are outselling Toshiba's $200 A2.
It came out yesterday, and as for the A2, like I said all the Best Buys in my area are all sold out.
@ Alex
It's definitely not up to date. If you look closely, the data only runs through to 8/18/07, which if you remember was two days before the monumental Paramount/Dreamworks shift to HD DVD.
It is all too convenient that Sony chose to showcase figures up until D-Day, don't you think?
Regardless of whether or not the sales figures are correct, there is little chance that Blu-ray maintained their "sales trend" through the Paramount/Dreamworks announcement, not to mention the $199 player news.
They are selling more media but not players? Are you actually listening to yourself? I would hope you buy more movies than players... I know NO ONE that has a HD DVD player. But I know of 4 people that have a PS3
It's up-to-date. The headline, however, is wrong. The graph does not represent volume of players sold--but revenue. They sold fewer players. For the doubters--this is based on information from Sony Blu-Ray insiders. Don't believe me? Go to avsforum.com and look it up.
i'd have to say, when confirming numbers and product news, using forums as a defense to cite those is anextremely cheap way to make your point.
"It's up-to-date. The headline, however, is wrong. The graph does not represent volume of players sold--but revenue. They sold fewer players. For the doubters--this is based on information from Sony Blu-Ray insiders. Don't believe me? Go to avsforum.com and look it up."
Yup. Just a labeling "accident" that seems to fool those it needed to fool.
domerdel: This is info coming from the AVS Insider's thread from a BDA insider:
http://avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11488400#post11488400
http://avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11488752#post11488752
Ok, let me see if I get this straight.
1. NPD confirms weekly that Blu-ray sells between 60% and 70% of all high-def discs sold.
2. At IFA the BDA announced that they are currently winning the format war with 63% of the REVENUE for stand-alone high-def players.
3. At CEDIA the BDA announced that they are currently winning the format war with 55% of the UNITS for stand-alone high-def players.
4. I am not supposed to believe 1, 2, or 3 because a bunch of people in a forum cannot accept it? Riiiiight!
wow u guys should try and calm down all i here is blu boys its real! red boys no its not
even if it is revinune then this is only better for blu-ray its showere retailers and making more money of blu-ray players so what sell 1 blu player or every 3 hd dvd player theyt don`t acre how many they sell they car and how money they make and if the flows consistent. and if u guys realy think a bunch of pople went out becuase a netrual studio went hd dvd most pople dident even knwo about it and transformers(big loss for blu seriously that sucks) is pritty much the only big movie the rest have been relesed alredy(hd dvd version better imo)
Dang Julian... do you even know how to use spell check???
Hey Jimmy, do the math.
There is no way they can be selling 55% of units and 63% by revenue when their players cost AT LEAST twice as much.
What it says is that they got a boost with the $500 player at the same time that A2s were in short supply due to the A3 build. Everyone is now out of A2s, so I expect Sony's numbers to rise for the next few weeks. Means nothing.
Let's see what people buy at Xmas. $450 or $150, tough call.
Here is Toshiba's official rebuttal against these ridiculous claims:
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Hardware/Toshiba/CEDIA/Toshiba_Refutes_Sonys_Claims_of_Blu-ray_Stand-Alone_Player_Dominance/943
"While the competition may claim leadership based on one month of data, Toshiba has had continued sales leadership in every month since the original HD DVD players launched 17 months ago."
That's not spin, in case any of you were wondering. That's a fact.
I'm not sure what you guys are reading, but I don't see how I could have been any more skeptical. I pretty much called them liars?
The whole point of the post was to point out it was BS.
As for units vs revenue, that's what the slide says, "player share in units". I don't believe it, which is why I put this line in my post, "Assuming the numbers are indeed true."
Sorry, Ben. A healthy dose of skepticism is great--and it's evident in your post. I just wanted to point out that this claim had already been proven false.
@ Ben
Nice writing, probably your most thorough yet as to the many many factors that affect sales.
We're all aware of the sellouts that keep occurring on Amazon of the cheapo A2 model, as well as the tendency of people to hold off on purchases when the new model is on the way (see it in the auto industry all the time, it's one thing that crippled VW in waiting sooo long to release the new jetta/rabbit/golf thingie)
Of the total units sold including regular dvd, I'm thinking that statistically their sales are the same, within that margin of error...at around .0001% of total dvd/hd/bd sales ;)
The REALLY interesting stuff will happen next year when people feel the pressure to upgrade their sets instead of buying a box to watch the digital OTA signals....what kind of player will the low end of the market people go for?
The margin is only %12 so its believable. But it doesn't really matter because we all know HD-DVD is losing.
Sorry, another thing. After looking at the chart, I'm still unsure what it represents. Is this "sales" for the units? Does it represent "Shipped"? Or does it represent "sold to retailers"? For all I know, Sony claimed to have "sold" 6M PS3s when it's actually "shipped". So I really need a defined term of unit (unit just doesn't do it) to understand the true meaning behind this chart.
@MacGuru
Do you even know what a "stand-alone" player is? Find out and re-read my comment.
BLU RAY IS FINISHED, READ THIS PEOPLE!!
http://www.betanews.com/article/New_Chinese_Involvement_Could_Trigger_HD_DVD_Price_Plunge/1189196071/2
DAMN, this is the correct link, previous link was for the 2nd page
http://www.betanews.com/article/New_Chinese_Involvement_Could_Trigger_HD_DVD_Price_Plunge/1189196071/1
GAME OVER BLU RAY, the other studios will ahve no choice but to release on HD DVD, this is now to big to ignore :)
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2198290/china-develops-definition-dvd
And studios trust Chinese "copy protection" right? hahahaha
Quote Ben Drawbaugh: But what we really want to know is, who is buying all these Blu-ray players, with Profile 1.1 right around the corner?:
My friend Paul bought the new Sony BDP-S300. It has a great picture, he needed a DVD player right now, and he seldom watches the special features part of the DVD.
So Profile 1.1 wasn't a big deal to him.
Jeff,
I'm the king of impatience, especially when it comes to gadgets. I mean, I paid $1000 for a BD-P1000 when it first came out and its features list is pitiful. That being said, I wouldn't be buying any player right now that I wasn't 100% sure would support 1.1 at this point.
BR stand alone players outselling HD DVD Players.
What's that fat pink thing with a curly tail flying through the air?
Is that bacon I can smell?