Sure, but that's not going to stop people trying dodgy PR, cheerleading on Internet forums, etc., is it?! Some people just enjoy that sort of thing I think.
Bluray Player sales up 600% since Toshiba Dropped HDDVD.
- Thread starter SPM
- Start date
Sure, but that's not going to stop people trying dodgy PR, cheerleading on Internet forums, etc., is it?! Some people just enjoy that sort of thing I think.
http://formatwarcentral.com/index.p...player-sales-expected-to-outpace-dvd-in-2008/
Is this misinformation? There was a lot of misinformation in the past from those who had a reason to push one format over the other. This is is from a major retailer who has no particular reason to push the BD agenda over DVD.
He says he is making more money now from BD player sales than he is from DVD players. Is he lying? Why reason does he have to lie, and would he get away with lying without being challenged? After all his company has its accounts audited, and he will make himself liable to being sued by shareholders on the grounds that he has made fraudulent statements that induced them to buy shares if he is lying. What he said about 60% of player revenue coming from BD players and 40% from DVD players is reasonably certain to be 100% true. It is not difficult to believe either since pretty well everybody has already got a DVD player already.
As for BD player sales overtaking DVD players in August, this sounds a little more difficult to believe. I can't see why he should lie about this. Hyping BD might make sense during the HD-DVD vs BD format wars between two pretty well identical formats where hyping public opinion might just tip the balance enough to push one format out of the market, but as you yourself said, the format wars are over and hyping BD isn't going to change sales of DVD or BD one iota - people are going to look at the prices of players on the shelves, whether they can afford HDTVs, and the availability and price of movies, before deciding what to buy. Besides retailers promote what they think they can sell, not someone else's profit point. The reason this guy is saying BD players will outsell DVD players in terms of number of units after August is because he thinks that is what he thinks will happen in his company. It is intriguing, but retailers make their money by judging the market correctly, and they usually get it right.
As I said before, why August? Does he have a new line of ultra cheap BD players he is bringing in in August?
If you read the original article, it's not all misleading. The 600% quote may be overzealous. Blu-ray is trying to gain market acceptance, they will have to prevent themselves from dropping out of people's memory. Articles like this help to keep enthusiasts and industry players posted on what's happening.
nutball said:
On another front, VoD and digital downloads are also trying to gain more foothold. I have also seen some ex-HD DVD supporters, journalists and analysts taking sides (DVD vs Blu-ray, VoD vs Blu-ray, etc.) for whatever reasons. Blu-ray PR helps to keep their message and momentum on course.
SPM said:
I don't think anything singular and big is coming in August per se. The manufacturers have committed to larger quantity and more variety of Blu-ray players by August. The article talks about the high-end retailers adjusting their product mix and implementing new strategies to maximize sales. e.g., they may put in a large order to get good discount.
The DVD player sales they referred to are purchases by people who walk into high-end AV stores. These enthusiasts are not mainstream buyers, but they are very important to help establish a base for higher movie sales.
Sales of low end non-upscaling DVD players are slumping. It is the high end DVD players that are selling well now. A lot of people already have DVD players, so I would expect the sales of low end DVD players to be low compared to the numbers of low end DVD players out there in people's homes. The new sales will go mainly to players with something to add: upscaling DVD players and BD players. Don't forget also that a BD player is also a DVD player - the competition between DVD and BD is nothing like the competition between BD and HD-DVD.
I've googled a bit on the topic. I isn't one retailer who is saying this, it is actually several major retailers who are saying that BD players will outsell DVD players in August.
Their reasoning is based on the fact that they say there is very strong customer demand for BD players right now and BD players are bringing in more revenue than DVD players right now. According to them, BD player sales are being severely restricted at the moment by lack of supply. The magic date August comes in because that is when they anticipate the BD supply problems easing up. That is why they expect a big jump, not new products or new models, but adequate supply.
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6563664.html
August isn't too far off, so we should soon know if the consumer electronics retailer chains have got it wrong or not. They make their living based on calling the shots on things like this though, and they usually get it right.
I've googled a bit on the topic. I isn't one retailer who is saying this, it is actually several major retailers who are saying that BD players will outsell DVD players in August.
Their reasoning is based on the fact that they say there is very strong customer demand for BD players right now and BD players are bringing in more revenue than DVD players right now. According to them, BD player sales are being severely restricted at the moment by lack of supply. The magic date August comes in because that is when they anticipate the BD supply problems easing up. That is why they expect a big jump, not new products or new models, but adequate supply.
http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6563664.html
August isn't too far off, so we should soon know if the consumer electronics retailer chains have got it wrong or not. They make their living based on calling the shots on things like this though, and they usually get it right.
Last edited by a moderator:
In somewhat related news, my local wal-mart has removed all signs of blu-ray. Perhaps I just caught them while redecorating, but I found it rather odd they removed their entire HD display. Anyone else notice this, perhaps I'll make it over to a different wal-mart this week to see if blu-ray is still around.
The grapevine says Walmart will be having a Father's Day sale for Blu-ray (June 6th to June 15th): http://www.tvpredictions.com/walmart052708.htm
Amazon's 50% off Summer Blu-ray sale has started too.
Amazon's 50% off Summer Blu-ray sale has started too.
If Walmart had decided to drop BR, you would have heard about it weeks before on the inter-tubes.
Yes, there are reports that Walmart is in the process of rolling out new Blu-ray display area, consisting of 3-4 cheaper player models and discounted movies. I have seen pictures of them. Not sure if they will be available in your store.
I know Walmart is pretty precise in its operations. It is also possible that may be your store is underperforming. In any case, I don't foresee anything drastic. The Fathers Day sale will bring in some dough for BDA members and Walmart. If they want to remove Blu-ray, they'd do it after the promotion; not before.
I know Walmart is pretty precise in its operations. It is also possible that may be your store is underperforming. In any case, I don't foresee anything drastic. The Fathers Day sale will bring in some dough for BDA members and Walmart. If they want to remove Blu-ray, they'd do it after the promotion; not before.
Last edited by a moderator:
A topic titled sales up 600% implies that it is overall, not for one retailer. A single retailer is not representative of the market.
I am not worried about this. BluRay will slowly gain marketshare until it is the defacto standard unless a newer better format comes out before it gains significant market share.
I am not worried about this. BluRay will slowly gain marketshare until it is the defacto standard unless a newer better format comes out before it gains significant market share.
Berek
Regular
I've had a HDTV for over a year now (although used it for less than half that time), yet the only "HD" content I've ever watched on it were games.
I'm watching the market with anticipation when the price-point comes down to a more reasonable $100 for a good player that competes or exceeds the capabilities of the PS3. I'd rather not buy a PS3 alone just to be satisfied.
I'm watching the market with anticipation when the price-point comes down to a more reasonable $100 for a good player that competes or exceeds the capabilities of the PS3. I'd rather not buy a PS3 alone just to be satisfied.
Most people already have DVD players so it's pretty obvious DVD player sales aren't going to bring in nice profits as they once did. Also DVD players are selling near wholesale prices so the profit margin is nonexistent. Is it a surprise that a retailer is making money from selling BD players?
Of course not. Read the original Video Business article. It's more informative. There are other aspects to the news.
By the way, for the entry level market, Walmart's PS3 $100 gift card promotion started today. Next week, other Blu-ray players will join in the same Fathers Day sale.
EDIT: Other forums mentioned that BestBuy is willing to match the sale also.
By the way, for the entry level market, Walmart's PS3 $100 gift card promotion started today. Next week, other Blu-ray players will join in the same Fathers Day sale.
EDIT: Other forums mentioned that BestBuy is willing to match the sale also.
Babel-17
Veteran
Microsoft and Apple have lots of free HD trailers you can watch. NASA too, last I checked.
Here's a very geeky link.
http://orange.blender.org/download
http://www.elephantsdream.org/
Edit: I'm assuming you also meant that you haven't seen any HD content on your PC either.
Kind of underlines the importance of Bluray right now for those actually want to watch HD content. The other questions are: is HD (or at least viewing on HDTV) necessary for games, and why do people insist on calling the slightly higher than very low res flash media clips on the Internet HD?
Berek
Regular
Microsoft and Apple have lots of free HD trailers you can watch. NASA too, last I checked.
Here's a very geeky link.
http://orange.blender.org/download
http://www.elephantsdream.org/
Edit: I'm assuming you also meant that you haven't seen any HD content on your PC either.
Thank you! I'll definitely download some of this and give it a shot, after I get back to normal Internet in the states.
This year in the Netherlands we can watch the European Soccer Championship as well as the olympic games in HD. One of the public channels broadcasts in HD now and has invested in HD recording equipment. It is also estimated that HDtv market penetration in the Netherlands has now passed 50%. I'm fairly certain this is partly just because a) you can't buy a regular TV anymore and b) flatscreens are in fact flat (saves space) and look nice on the wall. The whole HD thing is just a bonus, really.
The whole HD thing is just a bonus, really.