Report: HD DVD Sales Gain; Still Trail Blu-ray
Toshiba recently slashed player prices.
By Swanni
That's according to new figures from the NPD Group, as reported by the web site, Digital Bits.
Blu-ray and HD DVD are rival formats competing for the new high-def disc audience.
According to the report, there were 16,496 standalone Blu-ray players sold during the week ending January 19, compared to 8,639 for HD DVD. (The numbers do not include sales of the Play Station 3, which has a Blu-ray player inside, or the HD DVD add-on for the XBox 360.)
If accurate, Blu-ray players captured 65 percent of the market for the week, compared to roughly 35 percent for HD DVD's.
While the margin is still impressive, it's a drop from the previous week when Blu-ray players netted 93 percent of overall standalone player sales. The reduction in HD DVD player prices was the likely reason for the change.
On January 14, Toshiba cut the suggested retail price of its entry-level HD-A3 player to $149.99; its HD-A30 player, which has 1080p output, to $199; and its HD-A35 model to $299. The lowest suggested retail price for a Blu-ray player is $399.
Standalone HD DVD players enjoyed a small lead over standalone Blu-ray players in 2007. However, Warner Bros. this month endorsed Blu-ray exclusively in the format war, giving the Sony-backed format a 5-2 'major studio' advantage over HD DVD. Both HD DVD player and disc sales have declined since the Warner decision.
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