How long can Universal hold out?

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JoeSp

JoeSp

Supporting Founder
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Supporting Founder
Oct 11, 2003
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With some BluRay title sales approaching the number of HD-DVD players out there how long will Universal hold out as the only studio not producing for BluRay? When some studios are reporting sales closing in on !00,000 per week for their BluRay titles will Universal still be supporting only HD-DVD? They sure didn't say that at CES did they? They spoke about their commitment to make great titles on HD-DVD but they did not restate their policy of HD-DVD only. Could something be in the works?:hungry:
 
Not long....when Universal starts producing titles for Blu-ray it is all over for HD-DVD.
 
100,000 per week? What does this work out to, per dedicated player, or per total of dedicated players + PS3?
 
teachsac said:
Please provide the link for title sales of 100,000 per week.
Click to expand...

I've never seen actual numbers of Blu-ray or HD DVD discs sold, just press blurbs that sales of both formats are "disappointing". . So, here's the best I could do: A post in the Blu-ray software fourm of AVSforum citing the top selling 10 Blu-ray discs for the week ending Jan. 14 2007, and an identical post in the HD DVD section for the top selling 10 HD DVD's for the same week. Both posts cite "Rentrak’s Retail Essentials ™" as the source:

TOP Blu-Ray TITLES FOR WEEK ENDED 1/14/2007
RANK TITLE (LABEL/DISTRIBUTOR, SRP)
1 CRANK (LG, $39.99)
2 SUPERMAN RETURNS (WB, $34.99)
3 THE FIFTH ELEMENT (SONY, $28.95)
4 UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION (SONY, $38.95)
5 BLACK HAWK DOWN (SONY, $28.95)
6 THE COVENANT (SONY, $38.95)
7 PEARL HARBOR (BV, $34.99)
8 TALLADEGA NIGHTS (SONY, $38.98)
9 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (FOX, $39.98)
10 GONE IN 60 SECONDS (BV, $34.99)
Source: Rentrak’s Retail Essentials ™.

Top HD DVD Titles For Week Ended 1/14/2007
1 BATMAN BEGINS (WB, $28.99)
2 SUPERMAN RETURNS (WB, $39.99)
3 V FOR VENDETTA (WB, $28.99)
4 CASINO (UNI, $29.98)
5 GOODFELLAS (WB, $28.99)
6 SERENITY (UNI, $29.98)
7 FEARLESS (UNI, $39.98)
8 MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (PAR, $39.99)
9 MIAMI VICE (UNI, $39.98)
10 THE LAST SAMURAI (WB, $28.99)
Source: Rentrak’s Retail Essentials ™.

A rare cold, snowy Saturday morning here in southern Arizona with to much time on my hands, so I looked all the titles up on Amazon for their sales rankings for Amazon. Here's the list by sales ranking:

1 CRANK (Blu-ray) #339
2 Black Hawk Down (Blu-ray) #343
3 BATMAN BEGINS (HD DVD) #397
4 FEARLESS (HD DVD) #742
5 PEARL HARBOR (Blu-ray) #824
6 CASINO (HD DVD) #888
7 KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Blu-ray) #890
8 SUPERMAN RETURNS (Blu-ray) #989
9 SUPERMAN RETURNS (HD DVD) #1,044
10 V FOR VENDETTA (HD DVD) #1,160
12 SERENITY (HD DVD) #1,186
12 MIAMI VICE (HD DVD) #1,301
13 UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION (Blu-ray) #1,552
14 THE FIFTH ELEMENT (Blu-ray) #2,734
15 THE LAST SAMURAI (HD DVD) #3,032
16 GONE IN 60 SECONDS (Blu-ray) #3,284
17 THE COVENANT (Blu-ray) #3,810
18 GOODFELLAS (HD DVD) #3,979
19 MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (HD DVD) #4,200
20 TALLADEGA NIGHTS (Blu-ray) #5,186

Don't know if they're selling "100,000" Blu-ray discs, but if they are, then they're selling at least 100,000 HD DVD's as well. And this after Sony unleashed over 1 million new $600 & $700 Blu-ray players in the market in the guise of a game machine, and Microsoft unleased over 200,000 HD DVD players under the guise of a game machine add-on.

From the high sales rankings of some the first titles released in both formats (Last Samurai, Goodfellas & Serenity on HD DVD and 5th Element & Underworld Evolution on Blu-ray), some of those "gamers" are buying high def movies for their machines.

Conclusion: Neither format is going away anytime soon.

And, I gotta say - for the sake of a good friend's stock holdings in Sony, I hope not too many PS3 owners return their unit when they see what 5th Element looks like on Blu-ray. :(
 
Last edited:
CochiseGuy said:
Yep, I expect Universal to announce titles for Blu-ray any day now. In fact, probably the same day I see the headline below in my local newspaper . . .
Click to expand...

Ha, Ha , Ha . That was a very good one my hat is off to you CochiseGuy!:hatsoff:

On another note, Sony has already promised a new Fifth Element remastered on a 5ogb disc. I hope we see that by summer because Sony really screwed up the 25gb release. Current releases from Sony are getting very high marks from reviewers right now so maybe the rereleased Fifth Element on 50gb will be worth the wait.
 
JoeSp said:
On another note, Sony has already promised a new Fifth Element remastered on a 5ogb disc. I hope we see that by summer because Sony really screwed up the 25gb release. Current releases from Sony are getting very high marks from reviewers right now so maybe the rereleased Fifth Element on 50gb will be worth the wait.
Click to expand...

And that translates into having to drop an extra $30 on a movie that you already own just because THEY screwed up the first release of said disc... :rolleyes:.
 
CochiseGuy said:
Don't know if they're selling "100,000" Blu-ray discs, but if they are, then they're selling at least 100,000 HD DVD's as well. And this after Sony unleashed over 1 million new $600 & $700 Blu-ray players in the market in the guise of a game machine, and Microsoft unleased over 200,000 HD DVD players under the guise of a game machine add-on.
Click to expand...

You mean $500 & $600 US that is.Or $550 & $650 Canadian.
 
JoeSp said:
Ha, Ha , Ha . That was a very good one my hat is off to you CochiseGuy!:hatsoff:

On another note, Sony has already promised a new Fifth Element remastered on a 5ogb disc. I hope we see that by summer because Sony really screwed up the 25gb release. Current releases from Sony are getting very high marks from reviewers right now so maybe the rereleased Fifth Element on 50gb will be worth the wait.
Click to expand...

What about "House Of Flying Daggers"? Great avatar Shin.
 
I read reviews from at least four sources before I spend my money on a movie. Just as there was in DVD there is in the BluRay and HD-DVD camps - not every release is a good release. That is why I waited for the 50gb discs to release and start being used. The results have been a definate step-up over the early 25gb releases. So, I currently do not own The Fifth Element (one of my all time favorites) and my money is wating for the 50gb release.
 
How long can Disney and Fox hold out when they see that only 2% of their consumers are buying HD Discs? DVD sales are flat, and less unsold properties are available.

Therefore they have to do as Agent K in Men in Black lamented, when he saw a new 1" audio disc...... "Damn, I'm gonna have to buy the White Album again".

Most of the people who have a, XBox 360 aren't going to get a BluRay player. I don't know how many who bought an HD DVD player also bought a BluRay player.

Warner and Paramount have the right idea..... Support both and let the market decide....
 
JoeSp said:
With some BluRay title sales approaching the number of HD-DVD players out there how long will Universal hold out as the only studio not producing for BluRay? When some studios are reporting sales closing in on !00,000 per week for their BluRay titles will Universal still be supporting only HD-DVD? They sure didn't say that at CES did they? They spoke about their commitment to make great titles on HD-DVD but they did not restate their policy of HD-DVD only. Could something be in the works?:hungry:
Click to expand...
See thread. http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=87748
 
JoeSp said:
I read reviews from at least four sources before I spend my money on a movie. Just as there was in DVD there is in the BluRay and HD-DVD camps - not every release is a good release. That is why I waited for the 50gb discs to release and start being used. The results have been a definate step-up over the early 25gb releases. So, I currently do not own The Fifth Element (one of my all time favorites) and my money is wating for the 50gb release.
Click to expand...

How can you tell which disks are 25 and which are 50. I mean i would like to buy some blu ray disks but don't wanna be stuck with something thats a little bit better the dvd.
 
The HD DVD camp must be giving Universal a very good deal on licensing and replication for them to remain exclusive. The same way Blu-Ray give Disney special treatment. Obviously Columbia/Sony/MGM pictures all being owned by Sony are going to stick to Blu-Ray exclusively without incentives.
 
Blu Ray is doing better this month from a sales standpoint, but they've got Crank and Talladega nights while we have mostly catalog titles. Clerks II is the closest, but that came out a month ago on DVD so many shrugged and got the vanilla DVD first.....

Universal better hurry up and start flooding the channel with some hot properties STAT. King Kong isn't enough. Break out Jurassic Park and then we'll start to sway some voters.... Ditto for Battlestar Galactica on HD DVD.
 
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