Study: Warner Deal Boosts Blu-ray Sales
HD DVD's market share drops dramatically.
By Swanni
According to NPD Group, 21,770 Blu-ray players were sold during the week ending January 12, compared to just 1,758 HD DVD players. (The numbers were first reported by the web site, Digital Bits.)
Warner announced on January 4 that it would support Blu-ray exclusively, giving the format a 5-2 'major studio' advantage over HD DVD.
In the week prior to the Warner announcement, Blu-ray sold 15,257 units compared to 14,558 for HD DVD.
The sales data is more evidence that Warner's decision to support Blu-ray could ultimately end the format war. Until now, standalone HD DVD players outsold standalone Blu-ray players, albeit by a small margin. (This does not include sales of the PlayStation 3, which has a Blu-ray player inside. When the PS3 is included, Blu-ray has a commanding lead.)
Toshiba, the leading HD DVD backer, last week announced that it was dramatically dropping prices on HD DVD players, with some now under $200. The next week of data should indicate whether Toshiba's decision will slow Blu-ray's new sales dominance.
An earlier study showed that Blu-ray captured 85 percent of the high-def disc market in the week after the Warner decision.
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