HD DVD sales "still very strong" in States "Cheap entertainment always does well in a recession"

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30 September 2008 13:09 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

HD DVD sales are currently strong in the States, reports the Financial Times.

The doomed high-def disc format was effectively cancelled by backers Toshiba and co earlier in the year, after the rival Blu-ray format emerged victorious, but "tough economic conditions" have breathed new life into the platform.

Aggressive price cuts for the hardware - said to be around $60 for HD DVD players, some of which upscale ordinary DVDs - have apparently made them attractive to cash-strapped consumers.

In addition, the cost of discs has fallen to around $10, and can still be found online at Amazon and Buy.com as well as smaller electronics stores.

"We expected to see a huge increase in Blu-ray sales [with] HD DVD dying but it just hasn’t happened", Jeff Wisot, vice-president of marketing with Buy.com, told the FT. "HD DVD sales are still very strong."

Ryan Kugler, president of Distribution Video & Audio, a buyer of excess video and audio inventory, has sold one million HD DVDs that were returned to the studios by big retailers and expects to sell another two to three million for Christmas.

"Cheap entertainment always does well in a recession or depression", Kugler said.

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Comments

  • Wouldn't it be great if corporations realized that HD DVD was the better product all along, and it came back and buried Blu-ray? Posted by trickfred, Canada
  • I wont buy a blu-ray player until the prices come down more, so I have been buying up HD DVD's at rock bottom prices. Amazom.com has a great sale going on right now. Posted by ravenfire, USA
  • I have started building a collection of HD DVDs as my computer plays them back and burns blu-ray. With a HDMI cable to the TV - Cheap & Brill HD. Hope they rethink and start to release more HD DVDs Posted by Michael, UK
  • Unfortunately, I really think that Optical Media has run it's course. HD DVD if it were to be revived (which I would love to see) it would probably only end up in the same place that Blu-Ray will in 5 years. Posted by The_Omega_Man, BrokeVille Formaly known as the US of A
  • Wouldn't it be great if DVD-Audio and SACD made a comeback.....never mind.

    The public wants convenience, not high quality. How else do you explain our elected officials.     Posted by Ford, USA
  • Clearout sales always have better prices. Its like buying a Durex instead of a Trojan. Its not as good and you have a chance of being screwed (twice) but if it works it gets the job done. Posted by Aaron, USA
  • I brought a BluRay player a couple days ago (DBP-S301) and thinking to replace my 1 year old HD DVD player. But found both pictures (1080P) and sound quality of the BR player are worse than my HD-A3 (1080i). I am returning the BluRay player and will keep my HD-A3. Posted by J. Wong, USA

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