Blu-ray vs. HD DVD: Nielson VideoScan Comparison for Week Ending 12/2/07

 

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 12/2/07

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

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

YTD sales: Blu-ray leads HD DVD 65% to 35%, 100:53.8, or 1.86:1

Since Inception sales: Blu-ray leads HD DVD 62% to 38%, 100:61.3, or 1.63:1

Not a superb week for Blu-ray, but considering essentially nothing was released that week on Blu-ray, it's certainly a win we'll take.  With the huge releases coming to Blu in the next few weeks, it will be interesting to watch just how much of a lead Blu-ray can deliver then.

Nielson VideoScan Top 10 for Week Ending 12/2/07

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

"Live Free or Die Hard" remains the top title for the week, and none of the "big catalog titles" released on HD DVD last week even made the list.  Only 3 HD DVD titles made the cut, with 7 Blu-ray titles on the list despite it being an off week.  Like it or not, most of all of these titles will be shoved off the list over the next week or two in favor of the HUGE holiday release titles.

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Rumor: Warner Brothers Going Blu-ray Exclusive!

 

For those who've been watching from the sidelines of the format war, waiting for one side or the other to emerge as the definitive victor, you may not need to wait much longer.

According to Business Week, both Blu-ray and HD DVD groups have been actively courting Warner over the last several months, attempting to win the last 'neutral' studio over to their side exclusively.  Apparently, Blu-ray has taken a substantive lead in the battle for Warner.

"Why? Because despite a setback this summer when the HD DVD companies signed up Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation, the Blu-ray forces have still lined up more studios than the HD DVD side. Plus this year, the Sony team has sold more than twice as many discs. "The rumor is that Warner is coming aboard soon," says Michael Burns, vice-chairman of studio Lionsgate, which makes its movies available on the Sony-backed format. "That will make it awfully tough for HD DVD to stay in this game."

For those who don't know the studio landscape it presently looks like this:

Blu-ray Exclusive	Neutral	HD DVD Exclusive
Sony	Warner Brothers	Universal
MGM	New Line*	Paramount/Dreamworks^
Disney/Touchstone
Fox
Lionsgate

* -- New line is officially neutral, though their day and date titles are being announced for Blu-ray only due to international distribution agreements

^ -- Paramount/Dreamworks are officially HD DVD exclusive, since signing an 18-month contract giving them $150 million in advertising concessions to do so -- they still have over 30 Blu-ray titles that were previously released on Blu-ray, however, and films by Steven Spielberg are specifically exempted from their exclusivity contract

If Warner does decide to go Blu-ray exclusive (and takes sister company NewLine with it), it would quickly place well over 70% of Hollywood films in the Blu-ray exclusive camp, making it very difficult for HD DVD to continue.  If they should go the other way, it would produce an almost dead even split of films and studios between the disc formats.

With CES fast approaching in early January, it's looking more and more like Blu-ray may be able to put this format war to rest sooner rather than later.  Here's hoping!

Source

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XBOX 360 Receives Fall Dashboard Update...

... And is Still an Awful DVD Player.

 

With the new XBox 360 fall update out (and undoubtedly 'bricking' consoles around the world), one would hope Microsoft would have addressed one of the more pressing problems with its "all-in-one" media super-system... the picture quality.

To put it simply... it sucks (or is "asstastic" as Gizmodo put it).  Extremetech put the system with its new update through the HQV testing suite once again, testing the quality of both DVD and HD DVD output.  And, despite Microsoft's promises to make improvements in the quality of the playback the system still failed miserably.

Playing back standard DVDs at 1080p, the XBox 360 scored an awful 40 out of 130 points on the HQV DVD test.  Using the HD DVD HQV test, the 360 (with add-on) scored a rock-solid 0 out of 100.

Comparing the results with those of earlier tests of the PS3, Extremetech stated:

In contrast, the PS3 with its latest firmware makes a really excellent upscaling player. We last tested it with the 1.8 firmware, where it scored an 88 on HQV. Most importantly, it passed several critical film mode tests.

Oh, well.  Maybe by the time the XBox 1080 comes out, they'll have figured out how to play back video on the thing.  Then again, Microsoft keeps telling everyone gamers don't watch movies.  Perhaps they're just trying to prove themselves right by making it so that no one wants to on their system.

Source

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PS3 Software Update for BD Profile 1.1 Coming This Month!

 

It has always been assumed that the PS3 would be updated for BD Profile 1.1, but it was finally confirmed earlier today by Don Eklund, Executive Vice President of Advanced Technologies for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.  BD Profile 1.1 (aka Final Standard Profile) allows for advanced content, such as "BonusView" dual-stream PIP content to be authored onto BD discs and played back on supporting players.  Up till now, only Panasonic's BD30 player has featured support for Profile 1.1.

While discs featuring the new, advanced content aren't in stores just yet, a few titles due by the end of January will make use of the new profile.  Existing Blu-ray disc players will be able to play the new titles, but will not be able to view the advanced Picture-in-picture content.

Eklund made the announcement at the High-def 2.0 Conference held this week in Los Angeles.  The PS3 software update is due this month.

Source

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New Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer Released

 

You know a game is going to be huge when just the release of a trailer creates a frenzy of excitement across the internet.  So it is with the latest trailer for the (soon?) to be released GTA:IV.

So, without any further ado... I present "GTA: IV -- Move Up, Ladies" trailer!

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AVM$ is Officially Biased...

(and a collective "NO SH!T" rings out across the internet)

 

In case their was any doubt left as to the bias of the formerly great audio/video science forum, the moderators there finally decided to essentially come clean today and let the world know where there true allegiance lies.

After deleting every thread discussing Michael Bay's comments reported here earlier, they let one thread stay, but locked it with the comment "AVS doesn't care what they [presumably any industry insider who doesn't work for Microsoft] think about the formats, just what they put on the formats."

This really isn't shocking as the "insiders thread" on AVM$ has been made up almost exclusively of Microsoft employees for some time now, with the Blu-ray insiders either fleeing the inquest or being banned by the site altogether, and Microsoft has provided a nice chunk of advertising incentives to the forum over the last couple of years.  Those who have favored the Blu-ray format have long-suffered as threads have been consistently deleted or purged of any pro-Blu-ray statements, yet the forum has always "officially" maintained a format neutral stance.

When a Blu-ray fan wrote to a moderator about the closing of threads and the bias inherent in the news the site chooses to present they received this reply (emphasis mine):

"News items and feeds are just things pick up off the various news wires that pertain to AVS. The absence of equal news reporting for the HDM formats is not a coincidence. AVS may not be the place for you. AVS does not care whether one of the formats appears to be "winning" or not. It does take sides. Like I said in the locked thread, AVS cares what is put on the formats. AVS is here to help solve problems for people using either format for HDM. Be there 1 format, 2, or 10, it doesn't matter."

So there you go.  Lest there be any doubt, AVM$ has taken sides... and, shockingly, has chosen it's chief sponsor.  Go figure.

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... And The Michael Bay Saga Continues

 

Michael Bay, who made headlines earlier this year for coming out against Paramount's decision to go HD DVD exclusive, has come out swinging again.  Responding to an agitated fan on his website, Bay stated the following:

"What you don't understand is corporate politics. Microsoft wants both formats to fail so they can be heroes and make the world move to digital downloads. That is the dirty secret no one is talking about. That is why Microsoft is handing out $100 million dollar checks to studios just embrace the HD DVD and not the leading, and superior Blu Ray. They want confusion in the market until they perfect the digital downloads. Time will tell and you will see the truth."

This certainly isn't the news Microsoft's army was hoping to have spread by a major Hollywood director... especially one whose latest film is exclusive to their format due to an exuberant payoff.  While Bay certainly isn't the first to attempt to tell the world this, he is likely the highest profile insider without a stake in the war to be so blunt.

When Microsoft's minions came by to challenge him on the premise that their format looks "just as good" as Blu-ray, Bay let loose another tirade:

"Does anyone out here want to challenge what I feel suits my films better in terms of look. I see every frame of my films over a hundred times before it is ever released. I know the lighting conditions I shot it and the result on the DI. I know the range. I know what the final product should look like - Blu Ray suits my films better. But that said - I don't a care about this format war because I have both formats in my screening room - I'm just filling you in on what people deep in the film industry feel ultimately is going on - Transformers looks great even in DVD!!"

As I've been saying all along, since both formats use the exact same video and audio codecs, the ONLY thing that matters is that Blu-ray discs can hold 60% more and have 63% higher audio/video bandwidth for improved picture and sound.  Everything else is just noise.

Source

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High Def 2.0 Conference Award-winners

 

One of the highlights of the High Def 2.0 conference happening in Los Angeles this week, was an awards ceremony where critics and bloggers (my invite must have been lost in the mail) voted on the best high definition disc releases to date.  All Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD titles released since the launch of the two respective formats were eligible. 

And the winners were:

High Def Title of the Year: 300 (Blu-ray), Warner Home Video

Best Live-Action Blu-ray: Casino Royale, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Best Live-Action HD DVD: Hot Fuzz, Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Best Animated: Ratatouille (Blu-ray), Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Best Picture Quality: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (Blu-ray), Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Best Audio Quality: Transformers (HD DVD), Paramount Home Entertainment

Best Bonus Feature: 300 (HD DVD), Bluescreen Picture-in-Picture, Warner Home Video

Most Innovative Use of New Technology: HD DVD U-Shop feature (Internet purchase ability), Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Best Long-Form Music Video: Dave Mathews & Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City Music Hall (Blu-ray), Sony BMG

Best Catalog: Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut (Blu-ray), 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Best Collection/Multidisc Set: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Blu-ray), Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

 

So, of the 9 non-format specific categories, Blu-ray won 6 and HD DVD won 3.  One of HD DVDs three wins was for creating a new way to get money out of consumers post-sale (thanks guys!), and another was for the picture-in-picture feature also found on some Blu-rays.  The third was for the non-lossless audio track of Transformers... not sure how that happened.

Blu-ray, meanwhile, won the awards for title of the year, best animated title, best picture quality, best music title, best catalog title, and best collection/multidisc set.  Wow... that was a nail-biter.  Somehow, I'm sure the red side will find a way to take this as good news, but I have no idea how.

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Blu-ray Releases for December

 

Well, it's crunch time now for the holiday shopping season and the movie studios are churning out lots of new releases every week, making for the perfect stocking-stuffers for everyone on your lists.  With just three shopping weeks left until Christmas, the biggest releases of the year are either on shelves now or about to hit.  Check out these lists to see if there are any last minute titles you need to pick up.

 

December 4:

	Buy From	Buy From
Title	Amazon	MoretonBay	Studio
Superbad (Extended Edition)	Amazon	MoretonBay	Sony
Pirate of the Caribbean: At World's End	Amazon	MoretonBay	Disney
20 Million Miles to Earth	Amazon	MoretonBay	Sony
Mr. and Mrs. Smith	Amazon	MoretonBay	Fox
Cast Away	Amazon	MoretonBay	Fox
Elton 60: Live at Madison Square Garden	Amazon		Universal Music
Queen Rock Montreal	Amazon		Eagle Rock
Sunrise Earth			Discovery

 

December 11:

	Buy From	Buy From
Title	Amazon	MoretonBay	Studio
Masters of Horror - Season 1, Volume 4	Amazon	MoretonBay	Starz
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone	Amazon	MoretonBay	Warner
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	Amazon	MoretonBay	Warner
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban	Amazon	MoretonBay	Warner
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	Amazon	MoretonBay	Warner
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	Amazon	MoretonBay	Warner
Harry Potter: The First Five Years Boxset	Amazon	MoretonBay	Warner
Rent	Amazon	MoretonBay	Sony
Lost: Season 3	Amazon	MoretonBay	Disney
High School Musical 2 (Extended Edition)	Amazon	MoretonBay	Disney
Legend of Zorro	Amazon	MoretonBay	Sony
Celine Dion: A New Day			Sony BMG
Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same	Amazon		Warner
Girls Gone Wild: Sexiest Moment Ever 2	Amazon		Mantra Films
SOS! Tokyo Metro Explorers: The Next			Bandai

 

December 18:

	Buy From	Buy From
Title	Amazon	MoretonBay	Studio
The Simoson's Movie	Amazon	MoretonBay	Fox
Blade Runner (Collector's Edition)	Amazon	MoretonBay	Warner
Blade Runner (Ultimate Collector's Edition)	Amazon	MoretonBay	Warner
That's Entertainment: The Complete Collection	Amazon	MoretonBay	Warner
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines	Amazon	MoretonBay	Warner
Underdog	Amazon	MoretonBay	Disney
Shakira: Oral Fixation	Amazon	MoretonBay	Sony Music

 

December 26:

	Buy From	Buy From
Title	Amazon	MoretonBay	Studio
Pan's Labyrinth	Amazon	MoretonBay	New Line
Rush Hour 3	Amazon	MoretonBay	New Line

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Blu-ray Deals of the Week (12/2 - 12/8)

 

Well, Philips appears to have already sold out of their amazing offer on the BDP9000 Blu-ray Disc player that I posted yesterday, but it's Sunday, so a new round of ads are out today.

 

Amazon.com:

• Samsung BD-P1400 Blu-ray Disc player on sale for $339.99
• Sharp Aquos BD-HP20U Blu-ray Disc player on sale for $375.64
• UPDATE: There is now a Buy 1 Get 1 Free sale on select Warner titles!

 

Taget:

• Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray player at $399 -- Buy the player and two movies from the following list and get a $100 Target giftcard (note: only select stores have the players in stock)
  • Spiderman 3
  • The Reaping
  • Ghost Rider
  • Ocean's 13
  • 300
  • Casino Royale
  • Surf's Up
  • Polar Express

 

Sadly, that's pretty much it.  No special deals on titles, though as always Amazon.com and MoretonBayBlu-ray have some of the best online prices available.

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