Blu-rayAdoption
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Poll: Have you talked anyone into going Blu?
Remember those goofy "Switcher" Mac commercials? Don't ask us why we had one in particular on our mind, but it got us wondering -- how many of you have been advocates for Blu-ray? Have you invited a pal over to see the wonders of BD? Have you lobbied the benefits of 1080p films in an effort to get your best bud off of DVD and onto the real deal? Or are all your so-called "friends" just using you for your home theater? Bottom line: we're interested in knowing just how much the Blu-ray Disc Association owes you in sales royalties. %Poll-28573%
Blu-ray and Freeview join UK consumption basket
Far be it from the personality of Blu-ray (or the BDA, we should say) to reach for notoriety in any way possible, but Blu-ray has just gained one more modicum of staying power over in the UK. For the first time, the existing high-def movie format has been placed gently between the likes of fruit and kitty litter in the theoretical consumer "basket," which supposedly looks to best reflect UK consumer spending habits. We're also told that Freeview set-top-boxes have joined the fray, right along with DVD rentals and portable media players. Maybe that 396 percent surge in UK-based BD sales had a little something to do with it?
Digital Playground announces its 100th adult Blu-ray release
Make no mistake, the crew at Digital Playground has been busy. Real busy. Since going Blu-ray exclusive last June, the famed adult film studio has pushed out a staggering amount of titles on the high-def format. A full 100 of 'em, in fact. The company's Bad Girls will be its 100th Blu-ray release, a 100-minute feature (fitting, no?) that is slated to ship on March 31st. 'Course, you'll be paying a $30 premium for the BD edition over the $29 DVD, but how else will you truly be able to appreciate that RED ONE footage?[Via I4U News]
Blu-ray Discs sliding into public libraries -- has yours made the move?
We figured it would happen sooner or later, but quite honestly, we never imagined we'd see a public library stocking Blu-ray Discs this soon. A vigilant tipster has pointed out that the Washington Centerville Public Library in Ohio now has BDs for patrons to check out, though his own observances have revealed that the general public is still having a hard time understanding that these discs cannot be played back on standard DVD players. And yes, that's despite the dozen signs informing them of that little fact. In order to make them easily identifiable, all BDs in the library are kept in their iconic blue cases, and as the collection grows, guests are allowed to check out a limit of two at a time. Has your library jumped on the Blu-ray bandwagon? Give it a call and find out.[Thanks, Ryan]
Even the NBA's Shawn Marion thinks Blu-ray Discs are too expensive
You think it's tough pulling the trigger on a few new Blu-ray Discs each Tuesday on a "middle-class" budget? Try being a millionaire. In a recent interview with The National Post, when asked about transitioning his massive DVD collection to Blu-ray, the recently traded Shawn Marion of the NBA had this to say: "Hell, no! Blu-ray [Discs] cost too much. They cost like 35, 40 bucks apiece. I'm going to stick with the $19.99s. $14.99, $19.99, widescreen, I'm good." He then followed that up with a quip that "high-definition" was "all that he needed," further suggesting that an HD DVR and an upscaling DVD player was good enough for even the most wealthy among us. We know this guy isn't representative of the masses, but seriously, you studios should take a listen.[Image courtesy of NikeBasketball]
Analysts hem and haw on future Blu-ray success
The CEA had expected that sales of Blu-ray decks would reach around 5.7 million units this year, and while some may quickly assume that this whole economic crisis may sideline that forecast, many analysts are saying that it could actually help matters. On one hand, it's easy to assume that potential BD buyers will opt to simply hold tight to their funds, but on the other, many may justify the purchase of higher-end in-home electronics given that they'll be spending less time out on the town. Tim Alessi, LG Electronics product development director, confessed that he was "still in agreement with the CEA's estimates that Blu-ray decks have the potential to double this year to roughly 5.7 million units. Jonathan Zupnik, Sears audio/video/TV DMM, stated the following: "As we are hearing the opening price point is already flashing $149 - it needs to be $99 to really get things going. Even with that, as long as the movies are over $20 that will continue to keep things at a relatively slow pace. The consumer is used to [disc prices of] $13.99 at launch and picking through bins at $3.99." We totally hear you, Mr. Zupnik.
What Blu-ray needs to do in 2009 in order to gain ground
You, the BDA, whomever, can spin it however you wish, but the fact is that Blu-ray has not had a momentous year. Has it been profitable? Sure. Has adoption grown? No doubt. But consumers at large are showing with their purchasing habits that DVD is still a-okay in their lives. Paul Sweeting over at ContentAgenda surmises that a huge strategy shift is needed for BD to ever seriously steal away market share from DVD. First off, the aptly coined PlayStation 3 "Trojan Horse" strategy has to go. The PS3 is clearly lagging behind the other two consoles in terms of sales, and now that BD deck prices are far lower than the console's MSRP, yet another advantage to owning one has slipped away. The point we most agree with is the one that's likely the most controversial: Blu-ray backers need to get honest here and realize that the format offers only "incremental improvement over standard DVD." Just think about it -- the move from VHS to DVD was almost entirely unlike the transition from DVD to Blu-ray. In the former example, the quality improvement was incredible. Rewinding became a thing of the past. Full blown surround sound was introduced. Special features and tasty extras were able to fit. Interactive menus were born. Discs were able to be played on desktops and laptops. Compare that to the shift from DVD to Blu-ray. The disc size has remained the same (physically). Audio has only marginally improved, mostly at a level that only audiophiles can appreciate. Visually, there is noticeable improvement only for those with enough cash to snag an HDTV. BD-Live interactivity isn't nearly as captivating as it sounds on paper. Oh, and Blu-ray Discs are markedly more expensive than DVDs. The reality is that there is far less motivation to switch from DVD to Blu-ray than there was years ago when consumers were tempted to leave VHS behind and enter the DVD arena. Yet, for whatever reason, Blu-ray movies are priced in opposition to that fact. The way we see it, BD will continue to be a niche product so long as it's priced like a niche product, and if it holds out too long, we won't be shocked to see the increasingly ubiquitous HD streaming snag away at least a small bucket of potential customers.
Poll: Did you go Blu in 2008?
At the front end of this year, we made ten bold (and mostly not serious) predictions for the format war in 2008. Comically enough, a few of 'em actually came true. Most notable was the fall of HD DVD and the rise of Blu-ray, and while it has only been a matter of months since Blu became the lone high-def physical format, quite a lot has happened. Prices of players went higher, then lower, while digital downloads have emerged as a real threat to the format in the long-term. The question that's burning on our mind here at the tail end of '08 is this: did you go Blu-ray this year? If you didn't, what are you waiting for? Prices to fall? More movies to appear? Are you opting for a digital download service instead? Spill your tale in comments below.[Image courtesy of SonyInsider]%Poll-24349%
Blu-ray reportedly doing more than alright in Europe
Before you get all shocked and awed, may we remind you that Blu-ray has been performing well across the pond pretty much all year. We know, this beacon of shining, happy news from Futuresource is quite the contrast from what we've been hearing lately about the industry overall, but it's far from surprising. The numbers show that British consumers purchased around 462,500 Blu-ray Discs in November, which is an increase of 165% from October. 'Course, a little film called The Dark Knight probably helped out, but we digress. The figures are looking mighty good for the future as well, with Blu-ray's share in the optical disc market expected to double to 6% in France next year. Who knows -- maybe Europeans are so sick and tired of waiting for a decent HD channel lineup that they're using BD to get their high-resolution fix.
The Dark Knight Blu-ray sells 1.7 million in a week, shows Iron Man a magic trick
Just like it did to the one day Blu-ray sales record, The Dark Knight Blu-ray disc jumped even Warner's projections for its first week, selling 1.7 million copies worldwide, topping Iron Man's 500,000. Apparently undeterred by any claims of issues fans jumped on the release, with DVDs added it moved a total of 13.5 million on both formats. No word yet whether there's still space to chat with director Chris Nolan on the 18th, but Warner's also claiming 300,000 digital copies activated, and the number on spot on iTunes. Not enough celebratory back slapping for you? Check the press release after the break while we try to figure out what movie has a chance of breaking the #1 sales figure next.
The Dark Knight shatters sales record, moves 600,000 Blu-ray Discs on day one
The numbers are in, and they're big. Just as predicted, Warner Brothers' The Dark Knight was a huge day-one success, with consumers in the US, Canada and UK snapping up three million copies during the first 24 hours (give or take a few) that it was on sale. More germane to our conversation, however, is this 600,000 figure, which tells exactly how many Blu-ray Discs were sold. We already know that around one-sixth of those were moved in the UK, leaving us to determine that North America did some serious shopping. The studio has now projected it to sell one million BDs by Saturday, and curiously enough, current sales have been "especially strong at grocery stores, indicating that the format is broadening beyond early adopters to more mainstream buyers, notably women." Needless to say, this title took down Iron Man's record of moving 250,000 BDs on day one, which just ratchets up the bar for the next big one to take down.[Thanks, Geoff]
Analyst finds DVD sales down, Blu-ray trends "encouraging"
As the year 2008 draws to a close, we're seeing report after report talking about Blu-ray sales and / or adoption. The latest to focus on the former comes from Pali Research analyst Rich Greenfield, who has reportedly stated that new DVD release sales are down "almost double digits," even despite respectable performance in the first half of the year. Said figure may help explain why the rental business is doing so well, but we digress. Greenfield also notes that DVDs are slowly but surely losing floor space to BDs, and given that not nearly as many folks are buying the high-def format just yet, it's not exactly helping the DVD cause. Beyond all that, he notes that Blu-ray trends are "encouraging," with titles that appeal to gamers (and thus, PS3 owners) doing particularly well. Then again, it's easy to look good during the holidays, but how will things look when everyone's third home equity loan is dried up in March?[Image courtesy of BusinessWeek]
Standalone Blu-ray player sales triple over Black Friday
Black Friday sales overall may have been weak this year, but high-def sales were something special. HDTVs were up, and judging by the latest DisplaySearch numbers, so were Blu-ray players. Not including Sony's PlayStation 3, Blu-ray Disc player revenue during the week of Thanksgiving in the US and Black Friday "more than tripled from a year earlier after Sony and Samsung dropped their prices of entry-level machines below $200." Over $30 million was generated on sales of 147,000 Blu-ray decks, and overall prices averaged $200 compared to nearly $400 just a year ago. Of course, we can't say that the momentum will carry now that prices are hovering back up, but at least the BDA will have one particularly bright spot to brag over when it looks back at 2008.
Blu-ray recorders surpass 50% market share for all DVD recorders in Japan
Okay, so having half of the DVD recorders in Japan be of the Blu-ray variety is pretty impressive in and of itself, but considering that this same statistic sat at 30% in late October (with players included), we can't help but be floored. Going back to October 2007, BD recorders made up just 10% of the market, and perpetually falling prices are thanked for the rapid increase over the past year and change. Additionally, new research has found that "Blu-ray Disc recorders are replacing DVD recorders 1.5 times faster than DVD recorders replaced VHS recorders," and not surprisingly, the availability of low-cost HDTVs is credited with helping to speed the transition. Just imagine these figures post-Christmas.
Netflix acquires its 500,000th Blu-ray subscriber, is quite pleased
No one really blinked when Netflix announced that it would begin implementing a $1 per month fee for the right to rent Blu-ray Discs, but quite a few folks took notice when it said it hoped to have half a million of these very customers before 2009. Here we are just weeks from next year, and Netflix has already surpassed its goal. The outfit's CFO stated today that the rate at which it was signing up new BD subscribers was actually quicker than anticipated, and chief content officer Ted Sarandos confessed that it would begin "promoting Blu-ray inside its mailing envelopes next year." No surprises here, really -- the first thing we'd do after coming home with a $128 Blu-ray player and no overpriced films would be to fire up a new account to get the rentals flowing.
SPHE's David Bishop talks Blu-ray, some tidbits crazier than others
Just in case interviews with Stan Glasgow and Jay Vandenbree weren't enough, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's president David Bishop is eager to give you more. In a recent sit-down with Home Media Magazine, the exec noted that Blu-ray players had hit their "sweet spot" in terms of price; of course, one must remember that Sony adores keeping prices high for the sake of the industry, so we'd be hesitant to take that seriously. Moving on, he also noted that SPHE wasn't apt to "change pricing" for its Blu-ray Discs anytime soon, which means it won't change it until market pressures dictate otherwise. Finally, he proclaimed that a 150% growth rate for Blu-ray movies would be about right for 2009, and he pointed out that January 2009 would be a particularly important month for it. The full interview is just a click away, but remember, pop your skeptic hat on before diving in and taking things at face value.[Via The HD Room]
BDA gives European update: Blu-ray lookin' good across the pond
Despite the general lameness of the economy at large, Blu-ray seems to be faring at least decently well overseas. We already heard that Blu-ray Disc sales were up 396% in the UK year-to-date, and we're getting even more positive vibes from a BDA European Promotions Group seminar held in Amsterdam this month. According to Frank Simonis, chairman of the aforesaid group, [Blu-ray] is "experiencing strong and solid growth in every national territory [in Europe]," even with the economic situation taken into consideration. Also in attendance was FutureSource Consulting's Jim Bottoms, who boldly predicted that "in Europe, by 2012, about one-quarter of homes will have a standalone Blu-ray Disc player." 'Course, that's just wild speculation at this point, but at least we've a target to look back on and see just how accurate this fellow was / wasn't. [Warning: PDF read link]
Cheap Blu-ray players a rare commodity in Europe
Blu-ray Disc sales may be up a staggering 396% in the UK, and the BDA may be bullish about BD's success in Europe as a whole, but Europeans looking to buy in cheap as we Americans have recently been able to do may be out of luck (for now, at least). According to a new report from Reuters, "a scarcity of cheap Blu-ray players combined with the effects of a recession are expected to delay take-up of the Blu-ray format in Europe." It's suggested that supply issues earlier in the year could mean that those relatively cheap BD decks in the US may not make their way to Europe before the big holiday shopping season. Screen Digest analyst Richard Cooper even went so far as to say that these factors "[could mean that] the format is unlikely to move much beyond the early adopter market this year." Granted, no one really anticipated BD going from niche to mainstream by the time CES 2009 got going, but a scarcity of affordable players sure won't help matters.
Sony's Glasgow wants Blu-ray prices to come down
While Sony's Jay Vandenbree is over in one corner griping about HDTV price drops, the outfit's Stan Glasgow is off in another making a bit of sense. In a recent interview with Reuters, the bigwig stated that he understood that movie studios "needed to make money, and [that] packaged media (discs) is a critical way for them to [do so]," but he continued on to say that he would "love to see those prices come down, as well as the price of Blu-ray players to drive adoption." These absolutely laudable comments come on the heels of him admitting that Blu-ray sales overall would fall around 10% short this holiday season of prior expectations, despite the fact that BD deck prices are apt to hit record lows on Black Friday. It's actually pretty astounding to hear a higher-up such as Stan uttering such logical statements, and if you're looking for more of his take on the industry, you know where to head.
Blu-ray forecasts slightly lower due to wild economy
It's hard to know what to believe these days. Just weeks ago, we heard that the worldwide economic situation would actually increase at-home entertainment sales; now, we're hearing that overall home entertainment spending will likely decline 3% to 4%. Regardless of what actually happens, Blu-ray backers are still scaling back their expectations for the format, with Warner Home Video president Ron Sanders and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment president David Bishop each estimating that total BD software sales in 2008 will reach $750 million. That's compared to earlier forecasts of around $1 billion, though it was noted that Paramount Home Entertainment president Kelley Avery nailed the revamped estimate a few months back. As it stands, year-to-date Blu-ray sales have surpassed $500 million, which means BD still needs a big holiday season to hit the fresh figures -- do see you it happening?
