A few AVS members got together and decided to show their support for HD DVD by organizing to all purchase movies from Amazon on the same day: April 15th.
More specifically, many planned to buy Planet Earth on HD DVD. They were successful and as a result now HD DVD is on top according to the Amazon sales rank and at one point, the
Planet Earth HD DVD was ranked #4, which is even higher than Casino Royal achieved. While this is certainly an interesting result, it just goes to show how easily the Amazon sales ranks can be manipulated. If you missed out on showing your support for your favorite format, you can join in by buying as many titles as you can afford from Amazon for the rest of April, or you can join the next group buy when the
Matrix trilogy comes out on May 22nd. In the meantime, we will wait for
the next Neilson/Videoscan ranking to assess their success.
Read - 15th April buy HD DVD day: Tally update
Read - April 15th has come and gone...what's next?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Dave @ Apr 17th 2007 12:38PM
50-100 people bought movies and its a big deal.
Blu-ray outsells hd dvd in a constant basis. Everywhere.
Brandon @ Apr 17th 2007 1:00PM
Ya...It was more like 1000, but you can be uneducated if you want.
Jon @ Apr 17th 2007 1:04PM
Blu-Ray has only outsold HD-DVD recently when the "stars aligned" with the launch of the PS3 and a BlockBuster Movie (James Bond: Casino Royal).
This just goes to show everyone that Sony's arrogance of claiming they've won the format war is presumptuous and premature.
Just remember that Blu-Ray is up against not only HD-DVD but other High Def delivery models such as Xbox Live Video Marketplace and probably soon the Apple store. Read the Tea Leaves if you will...Netflix has Watch it now up and running and is reported to be one of the companys that will use Microsofts new SilverLight that allows for HD streaming unlike Flash which is the current most popular method of streaming video on the net (You Tube).
It could very well be that both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will be eclipsed by online delivery and IPTV even before they gain a substantial foothold.
coyurtney @ Apr 17th 2007 6:16PM
As long as "everywhere" doesn't include Eurpoe where HD-DVD is winning.
Frankenstein Black @ May 12th 2007 3:21AM
http://www.dvdempire.com/Content/Features/hidef_wars.asp
NUFF SAID!!
Frankenstein Black @ May 12th 2007 3:21AM
http://www.dvdempire.com/Content/Features/hidef_wars.asp
NUFF SAID!!
Frankenstein Black @ May 12th 2007 3:22AM
http://www.dvdempire.com/Content/Features/hidef_wars.asp
NUFF SAID!!
KissTheRing @ Apr 17th 2007 1:21PM
I've been wanting to get Four Brothers on HD DVD so if buying HD DVDs this month helps I'll use that as an excuse to get it now. Plus Mark Wahlberg is a bad ass.
TJ @ Apr 17th 2007 1:37PM
The fact that people have to make a concerted and organized effort to put the sales numbers back on top isn't a good thing. It implies that the larger, more casual purchase market is buying Blu-ray, while only a smaller, enthusiast market is going for HD DVD.
If the casual shoppers swing the numbers toward HD DVD, that will be a better sign for the format. That and more studio support. But with the numbers the way they are right now, I still think there's more life in Blu-ray than HD DVD. Just wait until more exclusive blockbuster titles like Pirates and Spider-man come out. This isn't over yet.
MIkesOnline @ Apr 18th 2007 4:49PM
TJ - "The fact that people have to make a concerted and organized effort to put the sales numbers back on top isn't a good thing. It implies that the larger, more casual purchase market is buying Blu-ray, while only a smaller, enthusiast market is going for HD DVD. "
You do know that the blu-ray group planned the same thing on the same day don't you? I guess the hd dvd people are more devoted than the blu-ray people.
TJ @ Apr 17th 2007 1:38PM
Jon- Based on the quality of Apple TV and Xbox Marketplace's HD Video, I wouldn't ring the death knell for either format just yet. I definitely prefer the picture and sound of Blu-ray and HD DVD, not to mention the special features that downloads currently lack.
That said, I do agree that we'll all just download them one day like we do with music now, but the technology just hasn't caught up yet.
Andy @ Apr 17th 2007 1:40PM
It was quite the show of force.
Planet Earth HD DVD peeked at #4 on Amazon, the highest a next gen disc has ever gone (CR only made #7). Lets not forget that this is a $70 title.
Even now two days later HD DVD is still leading Blu-ray in top 10, 25, and 100 sales rank.
I think so many people were saving up for this day that the numbers for the last month may have been artificially low (even though they were dam close to Blu-ray).
How long will HD DVD stay on top now that the king has been dethroned?
Geoff Gibson @ Apr 17th 2007 1:40PM
Yes the first time in a few months HD DvD outsells BD and here comes Ben with "NO WAIT! Its only because of some guys on an AVS forum!"
Get real Ben. I don't know which format will win but blind fanboyism being reported on an HD blog is not good.
Where are the reports that Europe is almost unamimously supporting HD DvD? How about the fact that OVERALL sales of HD DvD have outsold BD for this month? Look at the graphs, HD DvD has gone up consistently, not just from some ploy.
I'll tell you this much, 500-1000-2000-3000 AVS guys on a forum aren't going make that kind of impact.
Ben @ Apr 17th 2007 1:58PM
Geoff,
I wish I could take full credit for coming to this realization, but I can't. WiFispy actually brought it to my attention, in case you don't know him, he leans red.
Either way we will know more in a week or so, but the slight decline then a sharp incline indicates something is up.
KissTheRing @ Apr 17th 2007 1:59PM
@TJ
In your above comment you said:
"Just wait until more exclusive blockbuster titles like Pirates and Spider-man come out. This isn't over yet."
Now those are both Blu-ray and I'm sure they'll sell very well, but aren't the big titles that are on both formats more telling. I personally am looking forward to '300' being released.
chadow @ Apr 17th 2007 2:09PM
I expect a fanboy riot to start here....in 3....2....1
I just cant wait for ONE to come on top.
MasterCKO @ Apr 17th 2007 2:35PM
Alright, to anyone and everyone who thinks that Amazon.com rankings is an effective way to tell whether one of the formats is on top, it's not. Seriously. It's not. Take a statistics class. Learn something about how inaccurate of a measure it is, then please shut the hell up about how such and such movie is #such and such on Amazon, so such and such format is #1, w00t! That shit is ignorant. Kudos to Ben for pointing it out.
@Jon: It's not exactly arrogance that led Sony to say what it did. It's called salesmanship. They want to push their format, plain and simple. They're a company with a product that they want to sell, and so when early stats came in saying that their format significantly outsold the other guy, they hyped it up. TO GET OTHER COMPANIES TO BUY INTO THEIR FORMAT. And if Japanese law is like American law, they're legally obligated to attempt to improve the company's shares. So in a way, they had to do it. How do you not get that?
And while the future is unclear, if you think that RIGHT NOW, video streamed over the internet is a match for HD materials found on either of the next gen physical media, you're mistaken.
And I didn't realize that Planet Earth was available on disc. Man, I might need to pick up one of these players soon. Planet Earth is seriously the single best reason to have HDTV.
IseWise @ Apr 17th 2007 3:12PM
I totally agree with you about the Amazon sales ranking. I hate how ONE website becomes the definite source on sales ranking in a format war. So stupid. This story is so faulty in so many ways. I was reading comments on the digg story and one commented that this story need like 4 asterisks attached to it. http://digg.com/gaming_news/HD_DVD_Sales_Soar_To_1_Again#c6203596
* Amazon.com sales
** In Europe
*** For one day
**** Only The Top 10 Discs Sold (last time I checked, Blu-Ray had a better selection, so probably a lot more sales of not-top-10).
Kevin @ Apr 17th 2007 2:51PM
Everyone needs to realize one major thing, WHEN MOVIES ARE RELEASED ON HD DVD--PEOPLE WILL BUY!!! blu ray is definately in trouble. I own both and i also have a 1080p sammy and the theatre org. was right in giving hd-dvd the awards for best picture and content! samsung also sees the hd dvd side and now will support it. it`s just a matter of time before sony loses studio support for the format that has already beaten blu ray! hd dvd won all the awards not blu ray! by the way, planet earth is the greatest thing i have ever seen on a tele!!!
Alex @ Apr 17th 2007 2:53PM
Hopefully reasonable people (obviously this excepts you Dave) now understand that the numbers of both formats are still so low that a single title or "group buy" throws the sales numbers out of whack. And the sales numbers we get are never complete (i.e. Nielsen, Amazon, etc...).
Let's encourage people to NOT be fanboys and instead focus on productive things: getting ALL titles release on HD discs.
Terry @ Apr 17th 2007 2:54PM
Actually, Planet Earth on HD DVD has been outselling the Blu-ray version consistently, and it reached as high as # 4:
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t208/MidnightWatcher_photos/HDDVD_Top4.jpg
Movietime @ Apr 17th 2007 3:07PM
Engadget should change the Planet Earth (HD DVD)statement to include it actually was ranked at #4 a first time record for either format.
Ben @ Apr 17th 2007 3:07PM
Good point, I changed it.
Ian @ Apr 17th 2007 3:08PM
Just to clarify, the plan was not to get as many people to buy "Planet Earth" on HD DVD as possible. The plan was to get as many people as they could to go out and purchase at least one HD DVD of any title in order to support the 1-yr anniversary of HD DVD's launch. It just so happened that people really want "Planet Earth".
Also worth noting is that the HD DVD version of "Planet Earth" has been in the upper teens/lower 20s well before this event ever occurred.
IseWise @ Apr 17th 2007 3:15PM
If HD DVD really wanted a fighting chance, Microsoft should have put a HD DVD drive in the Elite. I think the Elite not having a HD DVD drive is Microsoft, in some context, admitting defeat.
James @ Apr 17th 2007 3:12PM
The big news is the fact that this title was the first HD DVD title to break the top 10 and the first HD boxset (of either flavour) to break the top 10.
The BD folks and this website went nuts when that Bond movie cracked the top 10.
Too bad HD DVD is getting the same level of respect.
The HD DVD version has been outselling the BD version from day 1 but I guess folks would rather believe conspiracy theories instead.
Terry @ Apr 17th 2007 3:30PM
There is really no need to include the HD DVD drive in the Elite, which would only add to the cost for those who don't need HD DVD. The price of set top HD DVD players is already down to $299 (Toshiba HD-A2) and anyone who wants HD DVD with the Elite can either opt for the add-on, or already have it.
http://www.valueelectronics.com/avstc.htm
Kevin @ Apr 17th 2007 9:54PM
Microsoft is very stern about what is factual: blu ray or hd dvd is not needed for gaming!!! that is the main reason for no hd dvd drive. not to mention the fact that if for some reason (highly doubtful) hd dvd fails, m$ is not stuck with a useless drive. so when blu ray does eventually fail, what of the pos 3?
xboxboi @ Apr 17th 2007 3:20PM
whops .. people, kindly note that the 15th April - Buy HD DVD day was innitiated in conjunction to the 1 year anniversary of HD DVD. the currently tally is nearly 1,000 titles with scores of untallied purchases. It is also intended to show exclusive BD studios what they are missing. If HD DVD player owner can purchase 1/5 of the amount of BD titles that FOX is able to sale SI, imagine .... :p
B Leisle @ Apr 17th 2007 4:21PM
Are there any bloggers or journalists (I use the term loosely) that are actually capable of printing UNbiased reviews or comments? Talk about a slanted blurb, intentional or not, obviously putting HD DVD in a negative light. If you're going to report the news, report the news, if you want to write an OpEd, then do so, but with the disclosure.
AVS members purchased roughly 1,000 movies on the same day, which happened to be the 1 year anniversary of the first HD DVD player hitting the market, to show support for the format they prefer - that's pretty incredible.
Ben @ Apr 17th 2007 4:20PM
B Leisle,
I think it is pretty obvious that this post as well as the rest on Engadget HD are OpEd and not "reporting the news".
As for disclosure, I own a Blu-ray player, but that doesn't mean I am unfair to HD DVD.
walk2k @ Apr 17th 2007 4:40PM
Only thing this shows is that sales are so LOW that a handful of people on the internet can sway the data so significantly (if only for a very short period of time).
Big whoop. Wake me when a title of either format is rivialing its corresponding DVD.
Liqwid @ Apr 17th 2007 5:15PM
Anyone, was Brotherhood of the Wolf a good movie? I wanted to watch it, but never got near it. I may end up importing it.
Liqwid @ Apr 17th 2007 5:15PM
The HD DVD version, that is.
MasterCKO @ Apr 17th 2007 5:21PM
not worth a purchase, no. I thought it was a good enough movie, but you can probably pass on it (or rent it or something), especially if you're importing.
Kevin Murphy @ Apr 17th 2007 8:08PM
So, if people go wild buying a Bond film, it's all "rah rah blu-ray", but if they do the same for an HD DVD exclusive, it's just a put-up job. Too bad engadget is publishing this kind of spin, rather than objective news.
Kevin Murphy @ Apr 17th 2007 8:23PM
whoops, not an exclusive. Just outselling HDDVD (#8) to BD (#24) at the moment. Must be crooked because it contradicts perceptions.
Other comparisons: Happy Feet #274 (HD) vs #404 (BD).
Then again The Departed (BD) is wildly ahead of the HDDVD version.
I'm willing to bet that all those PS3 owners go for only certain kinds of films (action, sci-fi) and HDDVD owners have a broader interest.
Leo Lee @ Apr 18th 2007 6:48AM
So... I guess if BD fails to dominate the movie format wars, all the PS3 games will all of a sudden fail to work too and the media will be banned from being used for creating new games... damn...
friggin fanboy...
MS' decision to not include the HDDVD drive fits well in its strategy of allowing users to purchase a very functional base system that they later gouge you on for accessories. I'm just curious when a 360 game needs more space beyond a DVD9, will they release a game only on HDDVD thus forcing people to purchase the drive? I for one can't stand having multiple disks when they can just use 1 disk to lump everything in... remember the days of floppies before CDs came around? ugh... 4 disks for NHL94... awesome.
Asterra @ Apr 18th 2007 5:17AM
I have to agree with an earlier poster: Is it prudent to assume a handful of people on a forum have singlehandedly driven the sales of:
1: A brand spanking new high-definition release,
2: recently shown on TV, and
3: of decidedly higher interest to consumers than the VAST majority of HD releases so far?
To state that the phenomenon is nothing less than a desperate fanboy ploy is not merely highly ironic but also editorially irresponsible.
brian @ Jun 7th 2007 1:52PM
are you silly pc games which are better are still on dvd
Kevin @ Apr 18th 2007 7:56AM
@leo lee, you obviously don`t know much about gaming do you? but this thread is not about ps3 vs 360 is it? game devs are already shying away from the "blu ray player that can play a few games". it`s all about your graphics card and MEMORY! wich the ps3 is lacking in both areas. no no, blu ray or hd dvd is NOT needed for gaming. and i agree, a bunch of people on a forum is not enough to make hd dvd durge past blu ray that quickly, it`s just plain and simple, when there is hd dvd content out there, people will buy!! toshiba has announced that thier stand alone players have just hit the 100,000.00 mark, and that number does not include the hd dvd add-on for m$, or pc`s. the only reason`s blu ray was ahead is:
1. no real good games for ps3? (I know, I`m a fanboi huh?)
2. with no games, and just have spent 600.00 on a system, why not buy a movie?
3. there was no new releases on hd dvd untill now.
4. hd dvd is the clear winner in content and picture quality( and it is on a 30g disc(leo) not a 50---NOT NEEDED
But if you compare the numbers to dvd, hd dvd and blu ray both are in serious trouble. samsung now knows that hd dvd is going no where, so they will support it as well, another major hit for the sorny boys.
Leo Lee @ Apr 18th 2007 8:24AM
I must say again: How does the failure of BD as a movie format make it a worthless drive? It still is fully functional for games. Your failure to see that fact is quite amusing since you claim non-fanboyismish bashing? I can't agree with you more that the catalog is retardedly lacking so far. Can't really say much for the current 360 lineup either as console FPSes are something that I don't go gaga over and that seems to be all people cry 360 dominance via.
I think the reason MS doesn't include a drive is because they want a basic system with functionality. That's great cause most techie people like expandability options. MS gouges you but hey, that's business. It's funny how YOU made it into 360vPS3. Do you see me bashing the 360? Wow...
It's retarded when anonymous net users just hate. Instead of bashing things, just promote things and that'll make a better argument.
Shmoe @ Apr 18th 2007 8:13AM
Interesting that they chose the 95th anniversary of the Titanic sinking for this...
Kevin @ Apr 18th 2007 8:56AM
"Can't really say much for the current 360 lineup either as console FPSes are something that I don't go gaga over and that seems to be all people cry 360 dominance via." remember that most games for the ps3 will go to the 360, why--cheaper and easier to produce. looks like a little ps3 fanboism-wouldnt ya say? I have both systems and are ready to rid myself of the sony machine, it is a very nice machine, but sony lacks in all that is gaming! If for some reason blu ray should fail(god forbid-haha) game devs will not be as inclined to produce games for that machine, why--MONEY!! it costs way more of the mighty green stuff to put un-needed games onto the blu ray disc, M$ knew what they were doing, are you one of the people that thinks m$ didnt? all game devs told M$ that they did in fact not, i repeat, NOT need an hd dvd or blu ray drive for games!!!!! dvd is not going anywhere, we have just begun to scratch its surface and already toshiba and sony want to bury it. with todays technology we will see things done with dvd, that was said(by sony) that could not. every step of sony`s lies have been proven when they say it cant be. ( xbox 360 with 1080p, 50g hd dvd, blu ray winning format war-PLEASE)If it were needed for gaming, make no mistake about it, M$ would in fact include the hd dvd as part of the expeirence. by the way, I had to purchase my hdmi cable for the ps3, the 360 comes with all cables needed--who`s gouging who? even the 360 elite comes with the hdmi? look, if you are into the japanese rpg`s or platforms, then sony is definately youre console, if youre into the ONLY online expeirence, fps, racing, sports, arcade, movies, television(hptv), media sharing ect... then you definately want xbox! I`d say M$`s line up looks pretty great compared to the 600.00 i wasted on pos3--wouldnt you? oh of course not, you are a sony fb, and i am a 360 fb. i forgot..just wait, good things are comming for the pos3--or so they say, for months now. dvd is and will be just fine for video gaming! google it!!!
Kevin @ Apr 18th 2007 9:19AM
Hey leo, I`m sorry but i think i have gotten us onto the wrong topic? But i do agree that we as consumers are being gouged by all companies. this whole format war should have never started in the first place. shame on the movie studios! just because one is better than the other does not make it the right choice. cost is the right choice. lets face it, most people could care less about xtra content on a movie, we just watch the movie! so who cares if you need an xtra dvd for the content(reg. dvd) we still pay as much for an hd dvd, blu ray that we do for a 2-disc special edition on reg. dvd. were in a war that cares not for the consumer, that is why I love samsung`s move to now support hd dvd, they feel the consumer is losing out. and you can bet youre bottom dollar that when that machine debut`s it will be the most popular player out, not only will it play both format`s, it will have support for both format`s functionality. this whole thing will end up like the war between dvd-r/+r, they will both be here for a very, very long time, and if you just spend a little more money for the sammy player, you will not have to choose anymore, just purchase the movie you want, and watch it! take that movie studios. hail to the king-SAMSUNG!!
Leo Lee @ Apr 18th 2007 10:00AM
Ew... you insist on calling me a fanboy when all I did was praise 360 for its expandability and defend BD use on the PS3 for its games... I love the internets... as for not needing HD discs for gaming, I wonder if space requirements for one game will ever grow beyond 8.5GB barrier with the current generation's system capabilities.
WTF haven't they released any massive blockbuster catalog movies yet to end this whoring of the consumer? End the exclusive titles and put everything on one compatible media for Pete's sake...
I just found out that I can see rainbows on my Sammy HLS... damn... I thought it was poor video stream encoding...
Kevin @ Apr 18th 2007 4:02PM
I haven`t seen any "rainbows" on my sammy, I hope it won`t happen(hl-s5087). that is what i think the new samsung total hd player will do, finally end the war on the consumer side.
Mr_Fizzlepop @ Apr 19th 2007 12:03AM
No..Blu-ray is planning it April 21st, in response to the HD DvD one :)
So look forward to a Blu-ray spike this weekend.
Oh, and they are also planning them every month and on the anniversary of Blu-ray, which is June 2? or early June I think someone wrote.
I figure when Matrix hits for HD DvD there will be a decent spike, but it's already also announced for Blu-ray, so eventually there will be another Matrix spike, but for Blu-ray.
Add in the spiderman movies(There are ads in BD cases that say spiderman 3 is coming out on BD in Oct) as well as the Pirates movies, it should be a pretty big Blu-ray disc selling year as well.
I do agree with someone that said the 300 will have an effect on the formats, it's likely to really sell alot.
Rob @ Apr 19th 2007 12:36AM
Ok any HDdvd fanatic that is on here trying to claim that this wasn't just the efforts of the HDdvd Fanatics Club, go to http://www.eproductwars.com/dvd/ now. The charts literly have a spike in them for 72 hours. Good job!! Seriously though, go look at the stock chart. You will notice that in the last 72 hours BRD stocks dropped the same if not more than Hddvd's did.
Goodiemob @ Apr 21st 2007 12:35PM
It always seemed to me that the movie companies were completely sold on the PS3 years ago as the de-facto future of console gaming. The promise of a blue ray drive in every sure-to-succeed PS3 was the exclusivity clincher. I wonder if those same movie companies are starting to see that the PS3 wasn't the consumer tsunami it seemed to be 6 months ago.
But I do have to say this about LIVE. If you like CSI Miami, the picture is amazing, the music full and impressive and the show a perfect example of how good this HD service can be. I hope they release alot more HD content. A whole lot more.