Page 1 of Blockbuster Ends Hi- Def Format War??

BBC News are reporting Blockbuster in the US will be concentrating on renting Blu-Ray titles over HD-DVD - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6762621.stm

According to the report, in the 250 stores piloting high-definition rentals the titles were going out overwhelmingly in the Blu-Ray format, and that Blockbuster management were concerned about the comparative lack of titles available in HD-DVD.

IMHO, this is the most positive action anybody has taken in the format war and is more likely to decide the winner than any other consideration.

J Mark Oates

At the moment Blu-Ray discs out sells HD-DVD discs counts 3 to 1 in the UK and from the start of this year counts for 64% by volume of sales.

Dr 42%er


Care in the football community is proved not to work.


It`s not easy being different. It`s not easy being cool....but somehow I manage....

At the moment I`m one of those sit on the fence people who are just waiting for `the decision` to be made by someone, so I`m welcoming their decision to do this.

I also agree that its a very definite (and positive) action to take...however, given the popularity of online rental services will it have that big an impact?

I really don`t know the stats on how many people use the online rental sites over the physical sites like Blockbuster, but combine the online sites that with the relatively low cost of actually buying a DVD in the first place (and the time between being available to rent and being available to purchase is shrinking)...add to that the popularity of downloading films and I begin to wonder how much of a market share the physical rental sites still have.

Still, its a step in the right direction as far as I`m concerned.

Miles

I was just reading the same story at Gamasutra: Blockbuster Sides With Blu-ray In Format Wars

Didn`t Blockbuster stop renting out films where they were simultaneously released for purchase aswell as some kind of stance against the movie industry?

I`m guessing that flopped massively and they had to backtrack?



My DVD collection

Correct me if I`m wrong but could this be due to the fact that the PS3 can only play Blu-Ray discs? Since the release of the PS3 I wonder if the sales and rental figures of Blu-Ray films have increased? Going by this statement maybe I`m right.....! :)



www.myspace.com/robbo72uk

"Sincerity?.....I can fake that!" - Hawkeye Pearce from M*A*S*H

I knew a few ppl on these forums bought the HD-Disc add on for their 360s, but I wonder if many "normal" ppl did?

I know a few ppl IRL who own 360s, but I don`t think any of them have got the HD add on. Then again, they bought the 360 for playing games, not as a multimedia home doodah. Don`t think I know anyone with a ps3, if I do, they`ve kept it quiet ;)

I suppose the average casual gamer if (s)he owns a PS3, will start to buy new films on BluRay, but would they be bothered to spend the extra money on the hd-disc drive, and then start to buy films for that?

This item was edited on Monday, 18th June 2007, 19:05

Quote:
I knew a few ppl on these forums bought the HD-Disc add on for their 360s

I totally forgot about that! Yes the 360 does come with an optional HD-Disc add on.....



www.myspace.com/robbo72uk

"Sincerity?.....I can fake that!" - Hawkeye Pearce from M*A*S*H

If the HD disc market was being used by the mass market then the Blockbuster decision may have had some bearing on the situation ,but everyone buying HD discs of either format at the moment can be counted as early adopters ,most of which will be into buying their discs.

I think the Blockbuster decision is just a short term cash in on the PS3 buyers who may want to sample HD movies,and will have little bearing on the eventual outcome of the format war.

There are still no affordable Bluray players bar the PS3 so mass market sales are still a long way off.

But the HDDVD camp should start releasing some quality titles.

With Universal the sole HDDVD only company ,they have some real classics they could get out into the shops to help the format along

I agree, Blockie are probably cashing in on the PS3 users. Sales figures for the PS3 might be "disappointing" (I`m sure smaller companies would be very happy with similar "disappointing" sales figures), but with PS3s coming with BR players built-in, they`re a ready user-base for BR movies. HD-DVD doesn`t have that luxury, being an add-on for a console.

I still think Blockie has taken a smart decision. Their own figures showed a 70% leaning in rental figures towards Blu-Ray, mainly because of the titles available. Market indications back this up, pointing towards Blu-Ray becoming the format of mass-preference, with BR titles selling 2:1 against HD-DVD this year. Prices are dropping for players, but with HD-DVD players being half the price of their BR equivalent, I don`t see hardware or software sales echoing that advantage.

J Mark Oates