Ancient and revered High Street retailer, Woolworths has decided to dump HD-DVD from its shelves, leaving Blu-ray as the only hi-def disc format to be sold next to the £10 Tender Strapocasters (sic) and the pic'n'mix.
Woolies - which has just 'parted company' with Lloyd Wigglesworth, the managing director of its EUK (Entertainment wholesale division) - in the form of DVD buyer Steven McGunigel commented on the decision as follows:
"Sales figures clearly show that the market is moving towards one format of high definition DVD. The main reason is the success of Sony's PlayStation 3 machine. Because it plays Blu-ray discs, there are over three quarters of a million homes in the U.K. that can view the new high definition format. There is nowhere near that number of HD DVD players around.
"Switching to Blu-ray only will provide one clear offer to customers in the format they want to watch high definition movies in".
HD-DVD mainstay, Toshiba, responded to decision to kick it out onto the High Street via its European assistant general manager (UK consumer products division), Olivier Van Wynendaele, telling MCV:
"We have been hugely successful in expanding the number of consumers owning HD-DVD players. UK consumers can now pick-up an HD-DVD player for less than £150, around half the cost of other HD formats. Even before pricing reached this level, HD-DVD represented more than 60 per cent of the overall standalone high definition market.
"Just as importantly for movie retailers, HD-DVD has always enjoyed greater software sales per player than any other HD format. In fact, HD-DVD owners have already bought around 3.5 movies each, compared to less than one movie sold per Blu ray device.
"While we’re disappointed by Woolworths’ decision, it is extremely early to spot which format will eventually win. As the figures I mention show – where consumers have a choice, they choose HD-DVD".
Right, thanks for that Olivier. Now, back on real life world...
Woolies - which has just 'parted company' with Lloyd Wigglesworth, the managing director of its EUK (Entertainment wholesale division) - in the form of DVD buyer Steven McGunigel commented on the decision as follows:
"Sales figures clearly show that the market is moving towards one format of high definition DVD. The main reason is the success of Sony's PlayStation 3 machine. Because it plays Blu-ray discs, there are over three quarters of a million homes in the U.K. that can view the new high definition format. There is nowhere near that number of HD DVD players around.
"Switching to Blu-ray only will provide one clear offer to customers in the format they want to watch high definition movies in".
HD-DVD mainstay, Toshiba, responded to decision to kick it out onto the High Street via its European assistant general manager (UK consumer products division), Olivier Van Wynendaele, telling MCV:
"We have been hugely successful in expanding the number of consumers owning HD-DVD players. UK consumers can now pick-up an HD-DVD player for less than £150, around half the cost of other HD formats. Even before pricing reached this level, HD-DVD represented more than 60 per cent of the overall standalone high definition market.
"Just as importantly for movie retailers, HD-DVD has always enjoyed greater software sales per player than any other HD format. In fact, HD-DVD owners have already bought around 3.5 movies each, compared to less than one movie sold per Blu ray device.
"While we’re disappointed by Woolworths’ decision, it is extremely early to spot which format will eventually win. As the figures I mention show – where consumers have a choice, they choose HD-DVD".
Right, thanks for that Olivier. Now, back on real life world...
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Comments
deleted 29 Jan 2008 14:18
1/4
Olivier Van Wynendaele wrote:
"While we’re disappointed by Woolworths’ decision, it is extremely early to spot which format will eventually win. As the figures I mention show – where consumers have a choice, they choose HD-DVD".
LOL, its not early 2007 now,
Bez 29 Jan 2008 14:36
2/4
Making players cheaper and cheaper won't make a format catch on, Its about availability and what the chosen system can offer, at the moment HD DVD is on its ass as most of the studios have gone to Blu-ray exclusivity. If I were new to high definition I would choose Blu-ray at this moment in time because I have more of a chance that my player isn't going to turn into a door wedge in a couple of months. Toshiba need to back down or stop promoting their machines as the cheapest on the market. Cheap to me does not mean quality!
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config 29 Jan 2008 14:49
3/4
HD-DVD talking head wrote:
HD-DVD represented more than 60 per cent of the overall standalone high definition market.
Just as importantly for movie retailers, HD-DVD has always enjoyed greater software sales per player
Just as importantly for movie retailers, HD-DVD has always enjoyed greater software sales per player
Notice how in one breath he clearly points out that in the "standalone" market HD-DVD is winning, and yet in the next breath he's talking about the attach rate "per player".
You can't have your cake and eat it, bugger lugs.
Stick to either "standalone" (ie. excluding PS3) or all "players" (ie. including PS3), and don't mix 'em up to bend the stats to your end.
Of course there's a lower attach rate on Blu-ray "players" - a massive number of owners are right now having way too much fun with Burnout Paradise to care about movies. But that doesn't change the fact that those PS3 owners = Blu-ray installed userbase, and potential future Blu-ray movie buyers.
DoctorDee 29 Jan 2008 17:29
4/4
config wrote:
owners are right now having way too much fun with Burnout Paradise to care about movies. But that doesn't change the fact that those PS3 owners = Blu-ray installed userbase, and potential future Blu-ray movie buyers.
It's true! Now that I have finished Burnout Paradise, I was dying to buy an HD movie to celebrate. Then I remembered that due to corporate greed and double standards, I'm tied to watching the mindnumbing drivel and hogwash that they've seen fit to release in our region.
Being a pretentious w****r, I only buy Thai, Korean and Japanese movies, and for those Blu-ray is about as good as a chocolate kettle. C'mon guys, can the region "protection" - at least for films you have no intention of releasing in multiple regions.