Blu-ray captures 70% of HD disc sales

Blu-ray is riding high in the high-definition disc market.

Acording to US trade mag ‘Home Media Magazine’, during Q1 2007 nearly 1.2m pre-recorded Blu-ray and HD DVD titles were sold but while 832,530 of these were Blu-ray discs, only 359,300 of the titles were on rival format HD DVD.

Blu-ray overtook its rival in February, and its percentage of total sales accelerated rapidly. Blu-ray accounted for nearly three out of every four high-definition discs sold in March, with 335,980 Blu-ray Discs sold compared with 119,570 HD DVDs.

Consumers are also choosing Blu-ray over HD DVD when they have a choice between the two formats. Warner Home Video released ‘The Departed’ on 13 February in both formats. Between then and 31 March, 53,640 copies of the film on Blu-ray Disc were sold compared with just 31,590 on HD DVD.

Home Media Magazine’s research also shows that eight of the ten top-selling high-definition titles in the first quarter were on Blu-ray Disc.

Blu-ray Disc seems to be reaping the benefit of having the support of five of the six major studios, while HD DVD is supported by only three of them.

Sony, Disney, Fox and Lionsgate give their support exclusively to Blu-ray, while Paramount and Warner support both formats. Universal is the only major studio to release titles only in the HD DVD format.