fryinpan1

Maybe we should have an official sales numbers thread for information like this.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070607/...m/highdef_dc_1

"Planet Earth" reaches high-def heights By Thomas K. Arnold
Thu Jun 7, 1:20 AM ET

A British TV documentary has overtaken "The Departed" to become the biggest high-definition disc moneymaker yet.

"Planet Earth: The Complete Series," from BBC Video, has generated $3.2 million in consumer spending since its April 24 release on both the HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats, according to figures provided by Warner Home Video.

With an average sales price of about $70, that translates to about 42,000 units. Sales of Martin Scorsese's "Departed," another WHV title, recently topped the 100,000-unit mark, but at an average street price of $25, the total generated was less than that of "Earth." To date, "Departed" has sold 102,000 units and generated about $2.8 million in consumer spending.

"Planet Earth" contains the original, unedited British version of the celebrated series narrated by David Attenborough. It also includes 90 minutes not seen in the U.S. broadcast this year on cable channel Discovery HD.

Five years in the making, the series cost $25 million to produce and was filmed by 71 camera people in 62 countries.

The next dual-format high-definition disc releases from BBC Video will be the Oscar-winning "A Room With a View: Special Edition" and the Peabody Award-winning natural-history documentary "Galapagos." Both titles will be out in the fall.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Mr. Cinema

That's good to hear. In fact, any news of increasing HD sales is good news to me.

heavy liquid

That is good news. And I'll buy Galapagos for sure. Beautiful documentary.

Adam Tyner

I can retitle the thread, if you'd like.

fryinpan1

Yes, maybe "Official HD DVD and Blu-ray sales numbers"

Giles

if you did that, I could chime in and link the story from HiDef Digest that the two Pirates movies have sold more units than the Matrix box sets.

The Bus

I wonder how that compares in sheer dollar revenue, since (aside from the CC mispricing), the Matrix HD sets cost more than both Pirates movies, although not by as big of a margin as Planet Earth vs. The Departed.

I thought Casino Royale had sold over 100,000?

wewantflair

Shipped, not sold.

fryinpan1

This week's Home Media Magazine has updated sales numbers for both formats:

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ques...p?startpage=52

bunnydojo

Based on the Home Media Magazine link...

Planet Earth total sales: 44,700
HD DVD sales: 25,400
Blu-Ray sales: 19,300

Blu-Ray is the clear winner and the format war is over!

Bandit03

Thanks OP, nice to see Planet Earth doing so well on HD (even though I would like to see higher numbers for Blu-ray )

matome

Please post the whole list for context if you want to make statements like that:

Top 24 Titles (YTD)

Blu-Ray
HD-DVD

Casino Royale 83,600
The Departed 62,700
The Departed 37,800
The Prestige 34,700
Night at the Museum 28,100
Batman Begins 25,900
Happy Feet 25,500
Planet Earth: The Complete Series 25,400
Crank 24,800
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead... 23,700
Deja Vu 22,700
Superman Returns 22,600
Black Hawk Down 21,600
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse... 21,100
The Fifth Element 20,900
Saw III 20,400
Planet Earth: The Complete Series 19,300
Underworld: Evolution 19,100
Rocky Balboa 18,600
X-Men: The Last Stand 18,300
Eragon 17,800
The Pursuit of Happymss 17,800
Apocalypto 17,300
Smokin' Aces 17,200

The Bus

I'm a fan of comparing sales of exact products between both formats. I think that's a slightly more accurate representation. Using since-inception numbers. So:

The Departed
HD DVD: 37,800 (*This was a combo disc so MRSP was $5 more)
Blu-Ray: 62,700

Goodfellas
HD DVD: 26,100
Blu-Ray: Below 20,000

Mission Impossible III
HD DVD: 25,800
Blu-Ray: 25,500

Planet Earth
HD DVD: 25,400
Blu-Ray: 19,300

Happy Feet
HD DVD: 14,600 *
Blu-Ray: 25,500

Superman Returns
HD DVD: 39,300 *
Blu-Ray: 44,800

darkside

I hope the studios look at these numbers and realize that the combo discs have to go. Glad to see Planet Earth do so well on HD DVD.

bunnydojo

If you're going to make that statement, it seems convenient that you would post the list of sales this year rather than sales in total or the comparisons posted by The Bus.

Boy oh boy, having the Pirates movies outsell a forced 3-pack of The Matrix is a huge victory, but having HD DVD outsell Blu-Ray on a level playing field for one title is "out of context?"

The subject of the first post in this thread was Planet Earth and I posted the numbers break-down between the two formats... what further context is needed? My post what not necessarily even pro-HD DVD, so much as mocking the constant "Blu-Ray is the winner" mentality. Thanks for the example.

T1000

I guess this on on topic;
Funniest thing was not including the 3 million people that own PS3s. Don't know about anyone else, but when I got my PS3 it was the cheapest player out and it was obviously a factor in me getting one.

clckworang

^^^ You know, I don't know how to account for the PS3 owners. Maybe getting a Blu-ray player was a factor for you, but most people I know don't even have HD TVs. Most just want a gaming console. And I bet most that have a PS3 use it just as a gaming console, not for Blu-ray.

But obviously there's a segment of PS3 owners who are big Blu-ray supporters. How do you measure that segment? I don't think you just not count them, like the HD-DVD Promotions Group did, but I'm not sure I would count all 3 million people who own PS3 either. Kinda a tricky area.

Sdallnct

In all likelyhood it is not as simply as "households" in regards to PS3 usage. My household is split:

We bought one for my son for x-mas purely as a gaming machine. He had a bunch of PS2 games, and time for an upgrade.

I thought it was a good value as while my son would use 90% of the HIS time for a gaming machine, I would use it 90% of MY time for a blu-ray player.

I would not have been an early adapter had the unit not boasted a upgraded gaming machine AND blu-ray player. I would have waited another year or more for only a gaming maching. But with both, it was an easy choice.

So I use the machine as a blu-ray player ONLY.
My son uses the machine as a gaming machine ONLY.

Yet it is the same machine.

Josh H

But at the same time, I know a handful of people who have PS3s and don't even have HDTVs.

They're just hardcore gamers (and playstation fanboys) who just had to have the latest and greatest Sony console.

clckworang

In your case, I think it is as simple as households. Your household uses the PS3 as a Blu-ray player. Your son maybe doesn't, but your household does.

Sdallnct

Then I would argue (and I'm sure Sony is betting) that the PS3 will bring them in the HD world. Since the games are in HD (at least the newer ones), then folks will likely get into HD TV, then blu-ray.

Heck, look at the threads we have seen "I got a PS3 now what TV do I get?"

clckworang

But after spending $600 on a PS3, many people are not going to rush out and buy a TV just to get the most of their PS3. Most people didn't rush out to buy a new TV when DVD players started coming out, even though many of those TVs maybe only had a coaxial output.

And when you're dealing with something like a gaming console, you have to wonder how many of the people who are purchasing the console are actually going to use it. There are a lot of kids who get these things for birthdays and Christmas. Do you really think most parents will turn around and then buy a new TV so their kids can play games in widescreen? Or make proper use of an HDMI cable?

There's just a lot more variables with the PS3 than with conventional players or the 360 add-on. You see that someone buys the 360 add-on or a set-top player, you KNOW they are interested in HD-DVD or Blu-ray. The same can't be said for a PS3 purchase.