They don't. Every statistic report I've ever seen for DVD player sales has specifically stated that they do not include video game consoles in their numbers. They only include standalone players and combo players (DVD + Laserdisc or DVD + VCR).


You make a valid point, especially about the practical aspects of the migration to DVD from VHS, but I think if properly positioned, people don't have look at HD DVD or Blu-ray as buying into a new format, and they certainly don't have to think of it as upgrading software. They can look at it as supercharging their existing format (and software).

Every high definition disc player manufactured for the foreseeable future (probably forever) will continue to play existing DVDs, and they will do so very well. The smart consumer, i.e. the same consumer who moved to DVD in the 1999-2001 time frame, would be looking at the new formats from the perspective that new titles should be purchased in HD, since that will be the way of the future, as opposed to worrying about replacing existing titles in their collections.

Most people replace their players every 5 years or so. Given the choice, with all else (price) being equal, why wouldn't a consumer that is considering a new player opt for a player that had the ability to handle all of their existing software as well as new, higher quality software?

The problems that remains is which format to choose, and when will the price point reach a level that more people can accept? Had the two warring camps been able to come to a compromise and release a single, unified format, I am confident that HD player and disc sales would have been dramatically stronger than they now are, and that would have helped drive player prices down much more quickly.

HD will eventually prevail, but I'm not so sure about the HD-DVD and Blu-ray formats specifically. In fact, all things considered, I think they'll probably fail in their goal to become the next predominant format. They'll falter along for awhile until one finally dies off, then the winner will sail along for awhile longer looking like the new laserdisc (i.e. a niche format). Then something else will drop that's 10x better and does have that "killer app" that gets everyone on board in droves the same way DVD did. And the studios will be more than happy to put out all their films on this new format, despite any existing commitments to the HD-DVD and/or BRD camps, once they see the potential to tap the mass market rather than a select one.