Retailers: Blu-ray Will Soon Top DVD Player Sales

[gadgtfreek]

Im posting this because I've seen it in two diff places now(Swanni and VideoBusiness). As you all know, Im all for BD ( ), but this is ridiculous. Who cares what Crutchfield, Ultimate Electronics and Bjorn claim?

Get back to me when Bbuy notes they are selling more BD than DVD

http://www.tvpredictions.com/blu052608.htm

Washington, D.C. (May 26, 2008) -- Blu-ray players will outsell standard-def DVD players by this August, according to several high-end electronics retailers, as reported by Video Business.

The research firm NPD said this month that sales of standalone Blu-ray players (not including Play Station 3 consoles) fell 40 percent from January to February in the U.S. Blu-ray sales increased two percent from February to March.

The sales numbers were disappointing because Toshiba announced in February that it was pulling the plug on Blu-ray's high-def disc rival, HD DVD.

But the retail executives say Blu-ray player sales have been slowed by a lack of supplies, and not a lack of interest from consumers. Ultimate Electronics, Crutchfield and Bjorn's all say demand for Blu-ray players has exceeded demand for the standard-def DVD player since the format war ended.

The executives say Blu-ray makers such as Sony, Panasonic and Samsung will soon launch new players, leading to more supply at retail. Additionally, the new set-tops will likely allow stores to lower prices on current Blu-ray models, which also could trigger more sales.

Rick Souder, executive vice president of merchandise for Crutchfield, tells Video Business that Blu-ray supplies have been low because companies were surprised by the sudden end to the format war.

 

[vurbano]

OT-

I was in blockbuster last week renting BD. (They just started renting them) The sales guy asked me "Does it really look any better then DVD?"

Can you believe that?

Another customer was talking about how HD DVD folded and the sales guy said he wasnt buying into these new formats because another one will be just around the corner. There is still a long way to go with consumer education.

 

[teachsac]

Im posting this because I've seen it in two diff places now(Swanni and VideoBusiness). As you all know, Im all for BD ( ), but this is ridiculous. Who cares what Crutchfield, Ultimate Electronics and Bjorn claim?

Get back to me when Bbuy notes they are selling more BD than DVD

Retailers: Blu-ray Will Soon Top DVD Player Sales

I was reading through NPD this weekend. Their poll shows that the state of the economy right now is hurting every industry, including Consumer Electronics. The average joe is not going to be making any purchasing, where as the higher end consumer, Crutchfield, etc. will continue to make their purchases. The average person has too much to worry about right now, rising gas, food, mortgage, etc.

Hopefully the economy will improve and we'll see the average consumer making more purchases. Until then, it will be a while before stores like WM, BB, and CC start matching sales.

S~

 

[gadgtfreek]

I agree that education for the format should be increased.

I also understand why Crutchfield might see the flip flop, I just dont agree with reporting it as positive news. Its not.

Maybe Im just looking at it as them trying to shed a positive light, when they really arent.

 

[John Kotches]

elway:

You saw it one place. Swanni was simply parroting what was printed in Video Business.

As far as Blu-rays outselling DVD -- considered how saturated the market is for standard def DVD players is this necessarily a surprise? And are we talking units sold or $$$ revenue? Both of these are "outselling" but units sold is a more accurate arbiter.

 

[gadgtfreek]

elway:

You saw it one place. Swanni was simply parroting what was printed in Video Business.

As far as Blu-rays outselling DVD -- considered how saturated the market is for standard def DVD players is this necessarily a surprise? And are we talking units sold or $$$ revenue? Both of these are "outselling" but units sold is a more accurate arbiter.

True, I just chose not to post it when I saw VB's article, but once Swanni copied it I was slightly irritated. Like I said, maybe its not big deal and Im all for pos press. Just seems like this is another smoke up the arse article like we got daily from both the BD and HDDVD camps.

I think one of those companies in the article claimed more revenue, another claimed more units. Neither is very important from the three as far as Im concerned.

I agree that units are much more important because we all know bd players offer a decent profit margin.

 

[John Kotches]

True, I just chose not to post it when I saw VB's article, but once Swanni copied it I was slightly irritated. Like I said, maybe its not big deal and Im all for pos press. Just seems like this is another smoke up the arse article like we got daily from both the BD and HDDVD camps.

I think one of those companies in the article claimed more revenue, another claimed more units. Neither is very important from the three as far as Im concerned.

I agree that units are much more important because we all know bd players offer a decent profit margin.

It's more along the lines of the fact that the BD players retail for anywhere for 4-8x what a BD player does. For argument's sake, we'll say that standard DVD is outselling BD @ a 3:1 clip in units. That doesn't make up for the 4:1 (or more) price advantage BD has -- so BD is "selling" more than DVD even when the units sold are lagging.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Agreed. For survivals sake, units sold weighs more.

 

[mike123abc]

Notice the list of retailers saying BD is outselling DVD players. The masses buying DVDs are probably all at Walmart.

 

[haertig]

It could also be that everybody on the planet already has a DVD player. Or two. Or three. So the ones being sold now are mostly replacements for worn out units. I'm all for HD moving forward and becoming more reasonably priced. But I think this announcement is just an example of "magic with numbers". "Player demand" had some minimal meaning when comparing BD to HDDVD, but no meaning when comparing BD to DVD since most everybody already has their DVD player.

 

[navychop]

I can believe that certain high end retailers might sell more Blu-ray players than DVD players. Possibly even more in unit sales. Because the people shopping there might be more inclined toward high end stuff.

But it will be quite a while before BB sells more Blu-ray players than DVD players, in terms of unit sales. Even considering DVD players have saturated the market. Eventually, the added cost of a Blu-ray player will be so small over a DVD player that Blu-ray will overtake DVD in unit sales. I don't see that for many years.