Comparison of high definition optical disc formats

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In 2006, the release of two next-generation optical disc formats attempted to improve upon and eventually replace the DVD standard. The two formats, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc, are currently in a format war. This article compares their respective technologies, business alliances, hardware support, and sales.

There are two other high-definition optical disc formats: the multi-layered red-laser Versatile Multilayer Disc and a Chinese variant of HD DVD known as CH-DVD.

Contents

[edit] Technical details

A Table Comparing the High-definition Optical Media Formats
DVD included for comparison

Mandatory codecs must be supported by the player. Each disc must use one or more of the mandatory codecs.
v • d • e
 Blu-ray Disc HD DVD DVD
Laser wavelength 405 nm (blue-violet laser) 650 nm (red laser)
Numerical aperture 0.85 0.65 0.6
Storage capacity
(single side) 		per layer 25 GB 15 GB 4.7 GB
maximum 50 GB 30 GB 8.5 GB
Mandatory Video codecs H.264/MPEG-4 AVC / VC-1 / MPEG-2 MPEG-1 / MPEG-2
Audio
codecs 		lossy Dolby Digital Mandatory @ 640 Kbit/s Mandatory @ 504 Kbit/s Mandatory @ 448 Kbit/s
DTS Mandatory @ 1.5 Mbit/s Optional @ 1.5 Mbit/s
Dolby Digital Plus[c] Optional @ 1.7 Mbit/s Mandatory @ 3.0 Mbit/s N/A
DTS-HD High Resolution Optional @ 6.0 Mbit/s Optional @ 3.0 Mbit/s N/A
lossless Linear PCM Mandatory
Dolby TrueHD Optional Mandatory[a] N/A
DTS-HD Master Audio Optional N/A
Maximum
bitrate 		Raw data transfer 53.95 Mbit/s 36.55 Mbit/s 11.08 Mbit/s
Audio+Video+Subtitles 48.0 Mbit/s 30.24 Mbit/s 10.08 Mbit/s
Video 40.0 Mbit/s 29.4 Mbit/s 9.8 Mbit/s
Secondary video decoder (PiP) Mandatory for Bonus View players[b] Mandatory N/A
Secondary audio decoder Mandatory for Bonus View players[b] Mandatory N/A
Interactivity BDMV and Blu-ray Disc Java Standard Content and Advanced Content Rudimentary
Internet support Optional (BD-Live players only) Mandatory N/A
Video resolution (maximum) 1920×1080 720×480 (NTSC), 720x576 (PAL)
Frame rates 24/25p, 50/60i 24/25/30p, 50/60i 50/60i[d][dubious – discuss]
Digital Rights Management AACS-128bit / BD+ / ROM-Mark AACS-128bit CSS 40-bit
Region codes 3 Regions Region free 6 Regions
Hardcoating of disc Mandatory Optional

^ a All HD DVD players are required to decode the two primary channels (left and right) of any Dolby TrueHD track,[73][74] however every HD DVD player released thus far decodes 5.1 channels of TrueHD.
^ b On November 1 2007 Secondary video and audio decoder became mandatory for new Blu-ray Disc players when the Bonus View requirement came into effect. However players introduced to the market before this date can continue to be sold without Bonus View.
^ c There are some differences in the implementation of Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) on the two formats. On Blu-ray Disc, DD+ can only be used to extend a primary Dolby Digital (DD) 5.1 audiotrack. In this method 640 Kbit/s is allocated to the primary DD 5.1 audiotrack (which is independently playable on players that do not support DD+), and up to 1 Mbit/s is allocated for the DD+ extension. The DD+ extension is used to replace the rear channels of the DD track with higher fidelity versions, along with adding additional channels for 6.1/7.1 audiotracks. On HD DVD, DD+ is used to encode all channels (up to 7.1), and no legacy DD track is required since all HD DVD players are required to decode DD+.
^ d On NTSC DVDs, 24 frame per second content is stored as 60 interlaced fields per second using a process called 3:2 pulldown, which if done properly can be reversed to retrieve the original 24 frame per second content.

[edit] Capacity/codecs

Blu-ray has a higher maximum disc capacity than HD DVD (50 GB vs. 30 GB for a single sided disc). In September 2007 the DVD Forum approved preliminary specification the triple-layer 51GB HD DVD (ROM only) disc. It is still unknown if the upcoming triple layer HD DVD is compatible with current players. Toshiba has confirmed that testing still needs to be done. In September 2006 TDK announced a prototype Blu-ray Disc with a capacity of 200GB[1]. TDK was also the first to develop a Blu-Ray prototype with a capacity of 100GB in May 2005[2]. In October 2007 Hitachi developed a Blu-Ray prototype with a capacity of 100GB. Hitachi has stated that current Blu-ray drives would only require a few firmware updates in order to play the disc[3].

The first 50 GB dual-layer Blu-ray Disc release was the movie Click, which was released on October 10 2006. As of September 2007, 40% of Blu-ray titles use the 50 GB disc and 60% use the 25 GB disc[4] while most HD DVD movies are in the 30 GB dual layer format.[5]

The choice of video compression technology (codec) complicates any comparison of the formats. Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD both support the same three video compression standards: MPEG-2, VC-1 and AVC, each of which exhibits different bitrate/noise-ratio curves, visual impairments/artifacts, and encoder maturity. Initial Blu-ray Disc titles often used MPEG-2 video, which requires the highest average bitrate. and thus the most space, to match the picture quality of the other two video codecs. As of 2007, more and more titles have been authored with the newer compression standards: AVC and VC-1. HD DVD titles have used VC-1 and AVC almost exclusively since the format's introduction. Warner, which releases movies in both formats, often uses the same encode (with VC-1 codec) for both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD, with identical results. In contrast, Paramount, before they went HD DVD exclusive, created separate encodings, VC-1 for HD DVD and either AVC or MPEG-2 for Blu-ray.

Whilst the two formats support similar audio codecs, their usage varies. Most titles released on the Blu-ray format include Dolby Digital tracks for each language in the region, and many also include a Linear PCM track for the primary language. On the other hand, most titles released on the HD DVD format include Dolby Digital Plus tracks for each language in the region, and some also include a Dolby TrueHD track for the primary language.

[edit] Interactivity

Both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD have two main options for interactivity (on-screen menus, bonus features, etc.), one of which is relatively basic whilst the other is more advanced.

Blu-ray's basic mode is known as HDMV or BDMV ("High Definition Movie Mode" or "Blu-ray Disc Movie Mode"), whilst HD DVD's is known as "Standard Content". Both offer modest upgrades from standard DVD, such as the use of more buttons on-screen, a larger colour palette, and expanded (but still very limited) programming environment. BDMV is more powerful than Standard Content, and has been used on many Blu-ray disc titles, whereas Standard Content has been used sparingly on high-profile HD DVD. Like the disc formats themselves, HD DVD's Standard Content is a small delta on standard DVD's subpicture technology, whilst Blu-ray's BDMV is completely new. This makes transitioning from standard DVD to Standard Content HD DVD relatively simple -- for example, Apple's DVD Studio Pro has supported authoring Standard Content since version 4.0.3.

For more advanced interactivity, Blu-ray disc supports BD-J, whilst HD DVD supports Advanced Content. Virtually all HD DVD discs have been released with Advanced Content interactivity[citation needed], whereas fewer titles support BD-J.[6].

[edit] Disc construction

Blu-ray Discs contain their data relatively close to the surface (less than 0.1 mm) which combined with the smaller spot size presents a problem when the surface is scratched as data would be destroyed. To overcome this, TDK, Sony, and Panasonic each have developed a proprietary scratch resistant surface coating. TDK trademarked theirs as Durabis, which has withstood direct abrasion by steel wool and marring with markers in tests.[7] At this point only TDK recordable 25GB Blu-ray discs and DVD-R discs use the Durabis coating.[8]

HD DVD uses traditional material and has the same scratch and surface characteristics of a regular DVD. The data is at the same depth (0.6 mm) as DVD as to minimize damage from scratching. As with DVD the construction of the HD DVD disc allows for a second side of either HD DVD or DVD.

A study performed by Home Media Magazine (August 5 2007) concluded that HD DVD discs and Blu-ray discs are essentially equal in production cost. Quotes from several disc manufacturers for 25,000 units of HD DVDs and Blu-rays revealed a price differential of only 5-10 cents. (Lowest price: 90 cents versus 100 cents. Highest price: $1.45 versus $1.50.)[9] Another study performed by Wesley Tech (February 9, 2007) arrived at a similar conclusion. Quotes for 10,000 discs show that a 15 gigabyte HD DVD costs $11,500 total, and 25 gigabyte Blu-ray or a 30 gigabyte HD DVD costs $13,000 total.[10] For larger quantities of 100,000 units, the 25 gigabyte Blu-ray was less expensive than the 30 gigabyte HD DVD ($1.49 versus $1.55).[11]

[edit] Hybrid discs

At the January 8 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, Warner Bros. introduced a hybrid technology, Total HD, that would reportedly support both formats on a single disc.[12]The new discs would overlay the Blu-ray and HD DVD layers, placing them respectively 0.1mm and 0.5mm beneath the surface. The Blu-ray top layer would act as a two-way mirror, reflecting just enough light for a Blu-ray reader to read and an HD DVD player to ignore. But the following September, Warner President Ron Sanders said that the company was putting the technology on hold due to lack of industry interest.

As of 4th of January 2008 Warner Bros announced to many news sources that they will be supporting the Blu-Ray format exclusively from June 2008 and & ceasing production of their HD-DVD titles in May 2008, This news suggests that the Hybrid discs once announced by Warner Bros will not be put into production at all due to them moving their entire catalog of movies exclusively to the Blu-Ray format[13]

[edit] Security features

The primary means of copy prevention on both formats is the Advanced Access Content System (AACS). Use of AACS is optional for HD DVD, but mandatory for Blu-ray, which can add thousands of dollars to production costs.[14] Other copy-prevention strategies include:

Blu-ray Disc HD DVD
  • HDCP encrypted digital output
  • ROM-Mark watermarking technology (physical layer)
  • BD dynamic crypto (BD+)
  • HDCP encrypted digital output

[edit] Region coding

The Blu-ray specification and all currently-available players support region coding. To date about 68% of Blu-ray discs are region-free and 32% use region codes.[15]

Main article: Blu-ray Disc#Region_codes

The HD DVD specification has no region coding, so an HD DVD disc from anywhere in the world will work in any player. The DVD Forum's steering committee has discussed a request from Disney to add it, but many of the 20 companies on the committee actively oppose it.[16].

Many film titles that are exclusive to Blu-ray in the United States like Sony's xXx, Fox's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Disney's The Prestige, are available on HD DVD in other countries due to different distribution agreements. Because of this, film titles that are exclusive to Blu-ray in the U.S. can be bought on HD DVDs by U.S. consumers purchasing them online from Europe or Asia. Since there is no region coding in HD DVDs, there are no restrictions playing these foreign-bought HD DVDs in an HD DVD player.[17] Similarly, European customers can obtain HD DVD discs from American online retailers for titles that are Blu-ray exclusive in Europe.

[edit] Studio support

This section documents a current event.
Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

[edit] North America: major studios

Image:HighDefShare.svg
Major US film distributors' format support v 2007 US box office share.[18]
Image:HighDefShare 2008-06-01.svg
Format support as of June 1 2008: Warner Bros. and sister company New Line will exclusively support Blu-ray

In North America, three of the Big Six film studios exclusively support Blu-ray and two exclusively support HD DVD. Warner Bros., which has been supporting both formats, will become Blu-ray exclusive as of 2008-06-01.[19] The move will give Blu-ray about 70 percent of the high definition market.[20]

Image:Spiderman3bluray.jpg
100px
Image:Transformers hddvd.jpg
100px

Prior to October 2005 and before the release of either format, each had the exclusive support of three of the Big Six. Then HD DVD supporters Warner Bros. and Paramount added support for Blu-ray.[21] But in August 2007, after supporting Blu-ray for over a year, Paramount announced it would release high-definition content exclusively on HD DVD. (The agreement excluded titles directed by Steven Spielberg.) At the same time, DreamWorks Animation SKG, which had not released any high-definition discs, announced it would release exclusively on HD DVD. Explaining their decisions, the companies cited perceived advantages to HD DVD's technology and lower manufacturing costs. The companies together received about $150 million in cash and promotional guarantees, including a Toshiba HD DVD marketing campaign with a tie-in to Shrek the Third.[22][23]

On 2008-01-04, Warner Brothers announced plans to drop HD-DVD support as of the beginning of June. In the interim, Warner Home Video will release its titles first in the DVD and Blu-ray formats, then, after a short period, in HD DVD.[19] In explaining its decision, the studio cited Blu-ray's domestic and international sales, as well as delayed purchases due to consumer confusion, and suggested that its own dual-support policy was contributing to the problem.[24]

Among the second-tier studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., which is owned by a consortium of companies that includes Sony,[25] has indefinitely postponed its planned Blu-ray releases.[26] The Weinstein Company has not released any new HD DVD titles since June 12 2007.[27]

At the end of 2007, 388 titles have been released on Blu-ray in the United States, and 376 titles have been released on HD DVD.[28] This count excludes 33 Blu-ray titles released by Paramount but discontinued in August 2007.

[edit] European independents

Talking during an IFA 2007 press conference held with Toshiba, Ken Graffeo - vice president for marketing at Universal Studios Home Entertainment and co-chairman of the HD DVD Promotion Group - said that the HD DVD format now has the support of 75% of European independent film studios.[29] These include 2 Entertain Video, Ascot Elite, Concorde Video, DeA Planeta, DVD International, EMS, Filmax, Galileo, Highlight, Imagion, Monolith Films, Moviemax, Nixbu, Optimum, Pathé, Pinnacle Vision, SHV, SPI and Studio Canal.[30][31]

European independent films account for a 30% share of the market in the UK, 35-40% in Spain, 40% in Germany and 50% in France.[32]

[edit] Japan

As of 2007-12-26 in Japan, 238 Blu-ray titles have been released while HD DVD has 189.[33]

[edit] Adult studio support

As of October 2007, adult film studios had not yet played an influential role in the format war, collectively releasing fewer than 20 titles in either format. But the industry reportedly leaned towards HD DVD because of perceived difficulties in contracting replication services from Sony-led production facilities. For example, Digital Playground, originally a Blu-ray supporter, had released at least five titles on HD DVD.[34] Sony dismissed the claims, saying there is no prohibition against adult content. The Blu-ray Disc Association, which handles all licensing for Blu-ray technology, said in a statement that the group is "an open organization that welcomes the participation of all companies interested in using and supporting the format, including those that represent the full spectrum of genres in the content industry." [35]

[edit] Hardware support

[edit] Standalone players and recorders

Dollar prices listed below are United States MSRP. U.S. street prices are also listed if lower.

[edit] Blu-ray Disc

Player List Price Street Price Profile Notes
Sony BDP-S1 $799 $499.99 [1] 1.0 Review: [2], Producer support: [3]
Sony BDP-S300 $399 $294.08 [4] 1.0 Review: [5], Producer support: [6]. Spider-man 3 in box. Free copy of Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End from Amazon.com [7]
Sony BDP-S301 $499 $420 [8] 1.0 Producer support: [9]
Sony BDP-S500 $669 $541.85 [10] 1.0
Sony BDP-S2000ES $1299 $1074.99 [11] 1.0
Panasonic DMP-BD10A $899 $399.99 [12] 1.0 Review: [13]
Panasonic DMP-BD10AK $599 $429.88 [14] 1.0 Producer support: [15] (five free movies are included in the box "while supplies last") Review: [16]
Panasonic DMP-BD30K $499 $439 [17] 1.1
Pioneer BDP-94HD $999 $699.50 [18] 1.0
Pioneer BDP-95FD $999 $772 [19] 1.0
Samsung BD-P1400 $499.99 $279.98 [20] 1.0 Free Blu-ray copy of Planet Earth Vol. 1 and 2 additional Blu-ray Warner Bros. movies with purchase [21]]
Sharp Aquos BD-HP20 $500 $369.00 [22] 1.0
PIONEER BDP-LX70 open price Japan Only
PIONEER BDP-LX80 open price Japan Only
Sharp AQUOS BD-HP1 open price Japan Only Blu-ray player for recording with BD-RE.
Sharp AQUOS BD-AV1 open price Japan Only BD-RE/DVD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Sharp AQUOS BD-AV10 open price Japan Only BD-RE/DVD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Sharp AQUOS BD-HDW15 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Sharp AQUOS BD-HDW20 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Sony BDZ-V7 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Sony BDZ-V9 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Sony BDZ-T50 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Sony BDZ-T70 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Sony BDZ-L70 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Sony BDZ-X90 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Panasonic DIGA DMR-BR100 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Panasonic DIGA DMR-BW200 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Panasonic DIGA DMR-BW700 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Panasonic DIGA DMR-BW800 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Panasonic DIGA DMR-BW900 open price Japan Only Blu-ray/DVD/HDD recorder. Tuner for digital broadcasting.
Announced
Denon DVD-3800BD $1049 (November 2007), Profile 1.1
Denon DVD-2500BT Profile 1.1, unknown price and release date
Philips BDP7100 €600 (October 2007 in EU, no information for American release)
JVC Blu-ray Player Unknown
Daewoo DBP-1000 Blue-coloured, unknown price and release date, Profile 2.0 compliant
Daewoo DBP-2000 Black-coloured, unknown price and release date, Profile 2.0 compliant
Loewe Blu-ray Player €1,400 GBP700 (October 2007)
Funai Blu-ray Player Q1 2008, unknown price and release date
Pioneer BDP-LX70A €1,300 (October 2007)
Sony BDP-S2000ES $1,300 €599 (September 2007)
Discontinued
Panasonic DMP-BD10 $599 $499 [23] 1.0 Review: [24]
Philips BD-P9000 $799 $747 [25] 1.0 Review: [26]
Samsung BD-P1000 $899 $399 [27] 1.0 Review: [28]
Samsung BD-P1200 $599 $450 [29] 1.0 Review: [30], Producer support: [31]
Pioneer BDP-HD1 $1499 - 1.0 Review: [32]

[edit] HD DVD

Player List Price Street Price Notes
Toshiba HD-A2W $299 $288.28 [33] Identical to HD-A2, sold only at Walmart.
Toshiba HD-D2 $279 - Identical to HD-A2, sold at Costco and Sam's Club. Review: [34], Producer support: [35]
Toshiba HD-A20 $399 $179.95 [36] Review: [37], Producer support: [38]
Toshiba HD-XA2 $799 $459.95 [39] Review: [40], Producer support: [41]
Toshiba HD-A3 $299 $160 [42] 300 and The Bourne Identity included.
Toshiba HD-A30 $399 $209.90 [43]
Toshiba HD-A35 $499 $279.90 [44]
Toshiba HD-D3 $299 - Identical to HD-A3
Toshiba HD-EP30 €400 €316.35 [45] £170.20 [46] European equivalent of HD-A30[36]
Toshiba HD-EP35 €499 €395.92 [47] £255.35 [48] European equivalent of HD-A35
Toshiba HD-XE1 €609 [49] £356.59 [50]
Toshiba VARDIA RD-A300 ¥150,000 ($1,200) Japan Only HD DVD-R/DVD recorder with built-in HD tuners, firewire and 300GB hard drive
Toshiba VARDIA RD-A600 ¥200,000 ($1,600) Japan Only HD DVD-R/DVD recorder with built-in HD tuners, firewire and 600GB hard drive
Toshiba VARDIA RD-A1 ¥398,000 ($3,464) Japan Only HD DVD-R/DVD recorder with built-in HD tuners and 1TB hard drive
Venturer SHD7000 $199 €300 £200 $189.98 [51]
Venturer SHD7001 £169.92 £169.92 Launched in UK on 2007-12-29 [52]. Troy and Hulk in the box.
Onkyo DV-HD805 $899 $899 [53]
Announced
Integra DHS-8.8 $1,099 (Winter 2007)
Toshiba VARDIA RD-RX7 $unknown (release date unknown) HD DVD/DVD recorder with built-in 160GB hard drive
Toshiba VARDIA RD-A101 ¥unknown, $unknown (release date unknown) HD DVD/DVD recorder with built-in hard drive
Toshiba VARDIA RD-A201 ¥unknown, $unknown (release date unknown) HD DVD/DVD recorder with built-in hard drive
Toshiba VARDIA RD-A301 ¥100,000 $870 (December 2007 Japan) HD DVD-R/DVD recorder with built-in 300GB hard drive
Discontinued
Toshiba HD-A1 $499 - Review: [54]
Toshiba HD-XA1 $799 - Review: [55]
Toshiba HD-A2 $299 $279 [56] Archived support: [57]
Toshiba HD-E1 €194 [58] £167 [59]
Toshiba HD-EP10 €699 £478 €259 [60] £199 [61] European equivalent of HD-A20[37]
RCA HDV-5000 $499 - Review: [62]

[edit] Dual-format (Blu-ray & HD DVD)

Player List Price Street Price Notes
LG BH100 $1,199 $699 [63] The player does not support the HDi interactivity features of HD DVD but performs all Blu-ray functions. Review: [64]
LG BH200 $999 $799 [65] LG's second-gen dual format HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc player fully support both of their interactive technologies, HDi and BD-Live.
Announced
Samsung BD-UP5000 (15 January 2008 [38][66]) Full support of both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats and their interactive technologies, HDi and BD-Java. (Announcement: [67])

[edit] Game consoles and accessories

Player Format List price Street price Profile Notes
Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD Drive HD DVD US$179[68] $179.99[69] N/A Include a copy of King Kong HD DVD and Universal Media Remote in the box. Xbox 360 console or high-end PC required.
Sony PlayStation 3 (40 GB) Blu-ray US$399[39] - 1.1 JP¥39,980 [70] £299[71]. Free Blu-ray copy of Spider-man 3 included.
Sony PlayStation 3 (80 GB) Blu-ray US$499[39] - 1.1 Available in the South Korean and North American markets. Free copy of the video game Motorstorm included.
Discontinued
Sony PlayStation 3 (60 GB) Blu-ray $499 $499 1.1 JP¥49,980 GBP349 [72]
Sony PlayStation 3 (20 GB) Blu-ray $499 $499 1.1

[edit] Personal computers

Prices for dual format PC drives are approaching $300, which is making the format war less of an issue[40]. Drives can be added to any PC and supported by the drive manufacturer.

  • Blu-ray and HD DVD are both supported in selected Hewlett-Packard desktop and laptop models. HP uses dual-format drive for its desktops (Blu-ray reader/writer and HD DVD reader).[41]. For its laptops, it offers option for either Blu-ray Disc drive or HD DVD drive via its online shop (formerly only HD DVD available). Both, Blu-ray and HD DVD are available as choice in some Acer laptops, formerly exclusive to HD DVD[42]. During IFA 2007, the Blu-Ray Association announced that Acer had joined their ranks, followed by CEDIA 2007 announcement that they are officially joined North America HD DVD Promotion Group. ASUSTek, commonly known as ASUS, also a formerly exclusive HD DVD supporter, has begun releasing notebooks with Blu-ray drives included, such as ASUS Lamborghini VX2[43] and W2W[44], in addition to HD DVD models.
  • Blu-ray Disc drive is the only high definition media drive supported by Dell, Lenovo and Sony. Hewlett-Packard's business laptop range, unlike the Pavilion consumer line, features Blu-ray drive as the only high-definition drive available to choose from.[45]
  • HD DVD drive is the only high definition media drive available on Toshiba personal computers, and Rock (Pegasus and XTreme Series) notebooks.

[edit] Market research

According to a survey published by The Diffusion Group on December 12,2007, one third of households that do not currently own a high-definition TV are interested in purchasing one over the next six months. Of those from the same households that are also likely to purchase a high-definition media player, 43% prefer HD DVD, 27% prefer Blu-ray and 30% are undecided. [46]

According to research by DisplaySearch and NPD Group, Blu-ray players could fall in price to $200-$250 by Black Friday 2008, and HD DVD players to far less than $100.[47]

According to a study by Forrester Research, 22% of Americans say they will not buy a next-gen player until one format wins over the other, and 25% say they'll never buy a next-gen player. [48]

According to a market report by Understanding & Solutions, the manufacturing costs for basic high definition players of both formats should be below $150 by early 2008. [49]

[edit] Rental company support

Blockbuster, the largest U.S. movie rental company, offers Blu-ray exclusively in 1450 stores. Previously, the company test-marketed both formats at 250 stores and found that more than 70% of high definition rentals were Blu-ray discs. Blockbuster continues to offer both formats at those initial 250 stores, as well as on its online rental service.[50][51]

Netflix, the largest online video rental service, provides both Blu-ray and HD DVD disc rentals at no additional charge[52]. In September 2007, Netflix released statistics from the months of June through August showing that customers viewed the available Blu-ray disc catalog nearly twice as often as the HD DVD catalog, but were 2.4 times more likely to set HD DVD as their preferred HD format[53]. Note that only 0.3% of Netflix users viewed either format during that time-frame.

[edit] Sales promotions

[edit] Blu-ray

Since 2007-10-01 the Blu-ray Disc Association has offered five free Blu-ray movies with the purchase of an eligible Blu-ray player or Playstation 3 console. This mail-in rebate is available to customers in the United States and Canada. (Movie selection is limited. Choose 5 by categories from a total list of 18.)[54]

[edit] HD DVD

From October 1 2007 to February 28 2008, Toshiba and Microsoft have offered five free HD DVD movies by mail with the purchase of any Toshiba HD DVD player, Toshiba HD DVD notebook, or Xbox 360 HD DVD player. (Movie selection is limited. Choose five titles from a total list of 15. Selecting one movie from each of five categories containing three possible selections in each category.) This offer is available to customers in the United States and Canada.

A similar offer is available in western Europe, although details vary from country to country.[73] United Kingdom and Ireland buyers can choose five titles from a total of 13 in three categories.[74]

[edit] Sales data

[edit] Discs/titles

[edit] United States

US top ten HD titles (aggregate) for
the week ending 23rd December 2007[55] 		Sales Index
Blu-Ray HD DVD
1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 56.34 43.66
2 The Bourne Ultimatum 98.36
3 The Simpsons Movie 83.09
4 Planet Earth: The Complete Series 28.04 41.62
5 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End 62.81
6 Blade Runner: Collector's Edition 35.43 24.54
7 300 29.46 13.14
8 Spider-Man 3 34.04
9 Transformers 32.22
10 Ocean's Thirteen 27.03
Image:HighDefSales.svg
Sales of high definition media in the United States. Week of December 23, 2007. Source: Nielsen VideoScan[56]

According to a market research company Nielsen VideoScan, U.S. sales of Blu-ray discs were ahead of HD DVD with 61% of the market for the week ended 2007-12-23. In 2007 U.S. sales, Blu-ray leads with 64% of the market. Since inception, US market share was 62% for Blu-ray and 38% for HD DVD.[57][56] Nielsen also releases normalized sales data (presented in the table to the right). The 2007 sales numbers are in contrast with much of 2006 (before the release of the PlayStation 3) when HD DVD held an early lead. The sales figures Nielsen tracks, however, do not include all points of sale, such as Wal-mart.

Although Blu-ray has sold more discs, the HD DVD group claims that the attach rate (the number of movies bought per player) is higher for HD DVD than for Blu-ray.[58]

[edit] Europe

In Europe, a study by Gfk revealed that Blu-ray lead with 70% of units sold with 650,000 units for Blu-ray and 332,000 units for HD DVD.[59] On 2007-11-27, the Blu-ray Disc Association cited independent Media Control GfK International figures showing its share of European disc sales was 73% and that over 1 million Blu-ray movies had been sold.[60][61][62]

[edit] Japan

In Japan, according to Nikkei, the sales figure as of October 2007 is approximately 9:1 in favor of Blu-ray Disc. [63]

[edit] Australia

As of December 2007, according to Gfk, more than 102,000 Blu-ray movies have been sold, compared to less than 18,000 HD DVD, giving the ratio of approximately 5:1 in favour of Blu-ray.[64]

[edit] Players

[edit] United States

On 2007-11-27, the North American HD DVD Promotional Group said that 750,000 HD DVD players had been sold, including stand-alone players and the Xbox 360 external drive.[65][66]

As of 2007, nearly, 3 million Blu-ray equipped PlayStation 3 consoles have been sold in North America.[67]

[edit] Europe

In August 2007, a study by Gfk concluded that HD DVD leads the stand-alone market (i.e. excluding games consoles and computer drives) with 70% with 83,000 players sold.[59]

As of December 16, 2007, over 2.6 million Playstation 3 consoles, with Blu-ray video playback capabilities, have been sold in Europe.[68]

[edit] Australia

As of December 2007, according to Gfk, 2241 Blu-ray Disc players has been sold (excluding 100,000 PlayStation 3 sold), compared to 609 HD DVD players (excluding 2461 Xbox360's HD DVD add-ons).[64]

[edit] Retail price of consumer-writable discs

Disc BD-R BD-R DL HD DVD-R HD DVD-R DL DVD (for comparison)
Capacity 25GB 50GB 15GB 30GB 4.7GB
Bulk-Bought Cost $10.99 [69] $23.61 [70] $9.99 [71] $18.68 [72] $0.47
Cost Per GB (full disc) $0.44 $0.43 $0.67 $0.62 $0.10
Disc being compared 1 non-rewritable single-layer disc (Verbatim 25GB 2X BD-R) 1 non-rewritable dual-layer disc (Panasonic 50GB 2x BD-R) 1 non-rewritable single-layer disc (Verbatim 15GB 1X HD DVD-R) 1 non-rewritable dual-layer disc (Verbatim 30GB 1X HD DVD-R DL) generic pack of discs

[edit] References

  1. ^ TDK Develops Blu-ray Media with 200GB Capacity.
  2. ^ Develops 2X, 100GB Blu-ray Disc Prototype.
  3. ^ Hitachi Develops BD-100.
  4. ^ Blu-ray stats
  5. ^ Frequently updated list of historical release dates and disc capacities, HD DVD NEWS, High-Def Digest, 15 April 2007
  6. ^ BD-J Authoring Presentation.
  7. ^ Durabis durability.
  8. ^ Durabis product availability.
  9. ^ Indies wait for HD - Page 1 - lists bulk prices for blank discs.
  10. ^ Blu-ray vs HD DVD replication costs analyzed again - Lists 10,000-quantity prices for blank discs.
  11. ^ Blu-ray replication vs HD DVD replication costs revealed - Lists 100,000-quantity prices for blank discs.
  12. ^ Shilov, Anton (2007-01-04). Warner’s Total HD to End Blu-ray Vs. HD DVD War. X-bit labs. Retrieved on 2007-01-04.
  13. ^ Warner Remains Loyal To Dual HD Formats. TWICE (2007-09-12). Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
  14. ^ AACS Costs. AVSForum.
  15. ^ www.blu-raystats.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
  16. ^ Microsoft: why HD DVD can beat Blu-ray (2007-04-03). Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
  17. ^ Sarah McBride (2007-10-18). Blu-ray vs. HD DVD: a Solution Abroad. Wall Street Journal online. Retrieved on 2007-11-15.
  18. ^ The Numbers: Annual Movie Chart for Year 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
  19. ^ a b Warner Bros. Entertainment to Release Its High-Definition DVD Titles Exclusively in the Blu-ray Disc Format Beginning Later This Year. Warner Bros. press release (2008-01-04). Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
  20. ^ Barnes, Brooks. "Warner Backs Blu-ray, Tilting DVD Battle", New York Times, 2008-01-04. Retrieved on 2008-01-05. 
  21. ^ A Warner Bros. Green Light for Blu-ray?.
  22. ^ Paramount and DreamWorks Animation Each Declare Exclusive Support for HD DVD.
  23. ^ Barnes, Brooks. "Two Studios to Support HD DVD Over Rival", New York Times, 2007-08-21. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. 
  24. ^ Garrett, Diane. "Warner Bros. backs Blu-ray", Variety, 2008-01-04. Retrieved on 2008-01-05. 
  25. ^ MGM.com
  26. ^ Release Dates for Blu-ray Discs. High-Def Digest. Retrieved on 2007-12-16..
  27. ^ HD DVD Backer Weinstein Goes MIA; Speculation Mounts. High-Def Digest (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2007-12-16.
  28. ^ From the DVD Release Report. Home Media Magazine (2008-01-06). Retrieved on 2008-01-04.
  29. ^ Rob Mead (2007-09-02). HD DVD chairman disses PlayStation 3 effect. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
  30. ^ European independents choosing HD DVD over Blu-ray. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
  31. ^ xploitedcinema.com HD DVD catalogue. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
  32. ^ Palmer, Maija (2007-04-09). Toshiba takes European lead over Sony in HD. Financial Times. Retrieved on 2007-11-28.
  33. ^ Japanese BD/HD DVD titles
  34. ^ Swann, Phillip. "Island Fever 4 to Burn On HD DVD", VPredictions.com, 2007-10-16. Retrieved on 2007-11-07. 
  35. ^ Gonsalves, Antone. "Sony Denies Preventing Adult Content On Blu-Ray", informationweek.com, 2007-01-23. Retrieved on 2007-11-09. 
  36. ^ The Register
  37. ^ Smith, Tony (2007-03-15). Toshiba to bring 'budget' 1080p HD DVD player to Europe. Register Hardware. Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
  38. ^ No Samsung BD-UP5000 Under Your Xmas Tree
  39. ^ a b Sony Computer Entertainment America Announces New 40GB Playstation 3 Configuration (HTML) (English). Sony. PR Newswire (2007-10-18). Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
  40. ^ http://www.ncixus.com/products/26553/GGC-H20L/LG%20Electronics/
  41. ^ HP Adding HD-DVD/Blu-ray Hybrid Drives to PCs
  42. ^ Acer TravelMate 8215WLMi with Blu-ray drive.
  43. ^ Asus Lamborghini VX2 featuring Blu-ray and/or HD DVD.
  44. ^ Asus W2W with Blu-ray and/or HD DVD.
  45. ^ Some of HP Business Laptop including BD drive.
  46. ^ TDG's Latest Research Suggests HD DVD May Benefit From Pull of Mainstream HDTV Buyers. The Diffusion Group (2007-12-10). Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
  47. ^ Tribbey, Chris (2007-12-16). DVD Big Competitor to HD. Home Media Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-12-18.
  48. ^ Prediction: Blu-ray blows away HD DVD. Hollywood Reporter (2007-12-21). Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
  49. ^ Hi Def discs: format clarity a possibility for 2008 (2007-12-20). Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
  50. ^ Blockbuster backs Blu-ray CNN, June 18, 2007. (Web archive)
  51. ^ Blackbuster Online - HD
  52. ^ Netflix will support high-def DVD at launch
  53. ^ Blu-ray and HD DVD statistics from Netflix.
  54. ^ BDA Renews "Five Free Blu-ray Discs" Offer
  55. ^ Home Media Magazine 6th January 2008: High-Def Market Share
  56. ^ a b Home Media Magazine: January 6, 2008
  57. ^ DVD & HD FORMAT STATS, TheDigitalBits.com
  58. ^ Kate Bulkley (2007-05-28). Blu-ray versus HD DVD. smh.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-10-25.
  59. ^ a b Wells, James (2007-09-05). HD DVD uses stats to claim victory over Blu-ray. current.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
  60. ^ Blu-ray outsells HD-DVD format in Europe. Reuters (2007-11-27). Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
  61. ^ Andrews, Sam (2007-11-28). Blu-ray movie sales top 1 mil in Europe. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
  62. ^ Blu-ray is High-Def Champ in Europe. contactmusic.com (2007-11-29). Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
  63. ^ CEATEC 2007 Japan Sales comparison
  64. ^ a b Moses, Asher (2007-12-04). HD DVD told: 'you're missing the boat'. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
  65. ^ HD DVD Surpasses 750,000 Dedicated Players (2007-11-27). Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
  66. ^ Tarr, Greg (2007-11-27). HD DVD Penetration Grows. This Week in Consumer Electronics. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.
  67. ^ Monty Phan (2007-12-30). 2007 in video games: Wii is the champion. Newsday. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  68. ^ http://vgchartz.com/ehweekly.php
  69. ^ Verbatim 25GB 2X BD-R(Blu-ray) Single Jewel Case Branded Disc - Retail. newegg.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
  70. ^ Panasonic 50GB 2x DVD-R Single Jewel Case Branded - Retail. Retrieved on 2007-09-25.
  71. ^ Verbatim 15GB 1X HD DVD-R Single Jewel Case Branded Disc - Retail. newegg.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
  72. ^ 1PK HD DVD-R Dl 1X 30GB Branded Jewel Case. amazon.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
  73. ^ HD DVD Promotion Group
  74. ^ DVD Forum.org HD DVD Technology

[edit] External links

Blu-ray Portal
v • d • e
High Definition Media
High Definition MediaBlu-ray Disc · HD DVD
PromoterBlu-ray Disc Association · HD DVD Promotion Group
InteractivityBD-Java · HDi
Recordable FormatBD-R · BD-RE · HD DVD-R · HD DVD-RW  · HD DVD-RAM
ComparisonComparison of high definition optical disc formats
Copy ProtectionAACS (both)  · HDCP (both)  · BD+ (BD)  · ROM-Mark (BD)
Blu-ray Disc PlayerPlayStation 3 · Sony BDP-S1 · Panasonic DMP-BD10
HD DVD PlayerXbox 360 HD DVD Drive · Toshiba HD-A1 · Toshiba HD-XA1
ja:次世代DVD
Retrieved from "http://india.smashits.com/wikipedia/Comparison_of_high_definition_optical_disc_formats"
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