Washington, D.C. (January 17, 2008) -- If this were a boxing match, HD DVD was just knocked down.

Again.

Home Media Magazine reports that Blu-ray last week captured 85 percent of high-def disc sales compared to HD DVD's 15 percent.


HD DVD takes one on the chin.

Blu-ray discs have consistently outsold HD DVD by a 2-1 margin for the last year, but last week's numbers reflect the greatest disparity yet in the format war.

Even worse for HD DVD, Home Media Magazine writes that the top 10 high-def disc sellers were all Blu-ray. The best-selling HD DVD, The Kingdom, sold just 10 percent as many discs as the best-selling Blu-ray title, 3:10 to Yuma.

The numbers are the first indicator of the damage done to HD DVD by Warner Bros' endorsement of Blu-ray on January 4.

The Warner decision gave Blu-ray a 5-2 'major studio' advantage over HD DVD and prompted widespread speculation that HD DVD can't survive the format war.

Despite HD DVD woes, Paramount and Universal, which still back the format exclusively, are expected to soon announce several new releases.

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Swanni (Phillip Swann) is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

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