Blu-ray vs. HD DVD: Nielson VideoScan Comparison for Week Ending 11/4/2007

 

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 11/4/07

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

Weekly sales: Blu-ray leads HD DVD 71% to 29%, 100:40.8, or 2.45:1

YTD sales: Blu-ray leads HD DVD 64% to 36%, 100:56.3, or 1.78:1

Since Inception sales: Blu-ray leads HD DVD 61% to 39%, 100:63.9, or 1.56:1

Now, that's how you launch a blockbuster!  With the release of SpiderMan 3 on Blu-ray, Blu-ray discs managed to outsell HD DVD discs--selling almost 2 1/2 times as many discs.  With less than two months left in the year, it's worth noting that Blu-ray discs have outsold HD DVD discs EVERY SINGLE WEEK this year.  Given the big-name releases coming in the last couple of months of the year, hopefully Blu-ray can sustain incredible numbers like those seen in this data.

 

Nielson VideoScan Top 10 for Week Ending 11/4/07

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

In case the overall numbers weren't enough to show the strength of Blu-ray right now, then by all means look at the Top 10 data for last week.  9 out of the Top 10 discs are Blu-ray Discs, with only the Transformers on HD DVD making it into the Top 10.  Even more impressive, 4 Warner titles (the only major neutral studio left) made the Top 10, and only the Blu-ray versions of these titles ranked.  Hopefully, someone at Warner is paying attention to these numbers.

Also, notice how well the SpiderMan boxed set did.  Most people assumed the 3rd film would do extremely well, but not many had counted on such strong sales for the more expensive three film collection.  Next week's data should show the strength of Disney's Pixar titles on Blu-ray, while the following week will be a head's up match of the Ocean's titles on both formats.  It's looking to be a very Blu Christmas!