NPD Hardware Sales Data

[gadgtfreek]

I wonder if Blu-ray standalones really outsold HD DVD standalones in December of if they just counted the ones given away with the purchase of LCD and plasma sets from Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, Pioneer, etc. It is water under the bridge now. However, business studies will look back on the ability to manipulate numbers (BOGO free is the reason why Transformers didn't *cough* deliver the week for HD DVD in the fall.) as one of the main reasons Blu-Ray pulled ahead in 2008.

You need to add the comment in my sig to yours

And just like the BOGO, if they did, smart for them and DUMB for Toshiba.

 

[allargon]

You need to add the comment in my sig to yours

And just like the BOGO, if they did, smart for them and DUMB for Toshiba.

Toshiba did, too. However, one of the many arguments BD supporters spouted (and I'm inclined to agree with them) is that just about all the other mass market CE's (except RCA) supported Blu-Ray. This means Pioneer, Samsung, LG, Sony, Sharp, Philips and Panasonic could bundle players with their TV's. Mitsubishi is in both camps officially but only announced (and never released) a Blu player. My first DVD player was a refurb Mits. That was quite a bundle to overcome.

Honestly, Toshiba's major mistake was letting Disney and Fox go Blu exclusive by not at least offering region coding with HD DVD.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Honestly, Toshiba's major mistake was letting Disney and Fox go Blu exclusive by not at least offering region coding with HD DVD.

True, they accounted for 25% of all format sales last year.

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

Why put regional coding? people always find away around it anyways.

 

[allargon]

Why put regional coding? people always find away around it anyways.

Why put in copy protection? It doesn't thwart anyone that's determined. It makes content providers feel all warm and fuzzy. Plus, there's that evil DMCA thing that gets around fair use laws by saying you're committing a crime by circumventing copy protection, region coding, blah, blah, blah.

 

[allargon]

It was due to bundles according to the NPD!

Woot! I feel justified.

Warner Not Linked to Blu-ray Sales Gain?

Warner Not Linked to Blu-ray Sales Gain?
Blu-ray dominates high-def market share in week after the studio endorsement.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (January 23, 2008) -- Blu-ray players captured a 90 percent market share in the week after Warner Bros. announced it was endorsing the high-def disc format in its battle against HD DVD.

However, NPD Group, the research firm that provided those numbers, tells TWICE Magazine that the Warner endorsement may not be responsible for the Blu-ray sales boost.

In the week prior to the studio switch, Blu-ray and HD DVD players sold roughly the same number of high-def disc players. (Warner announced on January 4 that it would stop releasing films in both formats and would support Blu-ray exclusively starting this May.)

But NPD's Stephen Baker said the Blu-ray sales gain could be due to special promotions offered during the week by retailers.
“We’ve been doing weekly data for a long time, and we often times will see big shifts in sales for one week that doesn’t necessarily determine a trend,” Baker told the magazine. "There were some promotions in the marketplace during that week with Sharp and Sony bundling Blu-ray players with televisions — it seems to me unlikely that consumers would have made that kind of a choice that quickly based on new reports of Warner Bros. shifting from Blu-ray and HD DVD to Blu-ray exclusively.”

Blu-ray's dominance in player sales for the week ending January 12 is unprecedented in the high-def disc category since the two formats launched in the spring of 2006.

NPD said Blu-ray players captured 90 percent of unit and dollar sales for the week, compared to seven percent unit and four percent dollar share for HD DVD, according to TWICE. (The other three percent of unit sales were for dual-format players.)

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. (Sales of Play Station 3 consoles, which have Blu-ray players inside, were not included in the study.)

Warner's Blu-ray nod gave 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.

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.

 

[ONUOsFan]

It was due to bundles according to the NPD!

Woot! I feel justified.

Warner Not Linked to Blu-ray Sales Gain?

[/font]

I would buy that for the increase in BD player sales - maybe - but not for the drop in sales of the HD-DVD players.

 

[mike123abc]

It was due to bundles according to the NPD!

Woot! I feel justified.

Warner Not Linked to Blu-ray Sales Gain?

[/FONT]

Ok maybe the 50% bump in BD player sales were do to promotions. That still does not explain the cliff dive the HD-DVD players took. No wonder Toshiba had to rush out with a massive price cut. It really makes the move look desparate.

 

[toto]

From TWICE, today:
"NPD, which broke from policy to comment on its weekly share data, confirmed that dedicated HD DVD player share dropped suddenly compared to dedicated Blu-ray models the week ending Jan. 12, after being only slightly ahead of HD DVD the week ending Jan. 5. Video game consoles were not part of the study.


According to retail point-of-sale data (sell-through to consumers) that NPD would release publicly for the week ending Jan. 12, Blu-ray player sales accounted for 90 percent of unit and dollar share, compared with 7 percent unit share and 4 percent dollar share for HD DVD players. The remaining share went to Blu-ray/HD DVD combo players."