Blu-ray vs. HD DVD: Nielson VideoScan Comparison for Week Ending 5/27/07

 

Every week Home Media Magazine reports the latest Nielson VideoScan numbers for the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD battle.  They include three figures: Weekly, Year-to-date, and Since Inception.  Weekly numbers examine discs sold at retail over the course of just the current week, the YTD numbers look at sales from the first week ending in 2007 to the present, and the since inception numbers show the relative performance of Blu-ray and HD DVD discs since the formats' respective births.

 

Nielson VideoScan Data for Week Ending 5/27/07

Source: Nielson VideoScan via http://www.homemediamagazine.com/

Weekly sales: Blu-ray leads HD DVD 69% to 31%, 100:44.9, or 2.23:1

YTD sales: Blu-ray leads HD DVD 67% to 33%, 100:49.3, or 2.03:1

Since Inception sales: Blu-ray leads HD DVD 58% to 42%, 100:72.4, or 1.38:1

This was a big week for releases, with both 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movies being released on Blu-ray and two different 'Matrix' box-sets being released on HD DVD.  Given that many were billing the Matrix release as HD DVD's savior, the above chart must come as some sobering news, with Blu-ray discs continuing to outsell HD DVD discs by over 2:1.  This was also the week Toshiba launched their $100 rebate on new players, that was supposed to push HD DVD discs as well. It doesn't look like either plan worked out too well for HD DVD.

 

Nielson VideoScan Top 10 for Week Ending 5/27/07

Source: Nielson VideoScan via http://www.homemediamagazine.com/

So, for this week, 6 of out the Top 10 titles were Blu-ray, with 4 being HD DVD.  Also, the Top 3 titles were all Blu-ray!  Comparing the HD DVD Matrix releases to the first Pirates film release, we see that for every 100 copies of 'Pirates' sold, 59.16 copies of 'The Matrix' (either set) sold.  The other big releases, 'Letters From Iwo Jima' and 'Flags of our Fathers' were released on both formats this week, and the Blu-ray versions, as usual, are outselling their HD DVD counterparts.

 

Well, since it appears I missed posting last weeks info, here it is:

 

Nielson VideoScan Data for Week Ending 5/20/07

Source: Nielson VideoScan via http://www.homemediamagazine.com/

Weekly sales: Blu-ray leads HD DVD 58% to 42%, 100:72.4, or 1.35:1

YTD sales: Blu-ray leads HD DVD 67% to 33%, 100:49.3, or 2.03:1

Since Inception sales: Blu-ray leads HD DVD 57% to 43%, 100:75.4, or 1.33:1

 

Nielson VideoScan Top 10 for Week Ending 5/20/07

Not a terrific release week overall, but Blu-ray keeps 6 of the Top 10 selling titles.  Also, unlike the odd 'Planet Earth' box-set, the new release of 'The Fountain' shows the Blu-ray version outselling the HD DVD version by a sizeable margin.