European Blu-ray sales boosted by Playstation 3

Friday 06th July 2007, 12:40:00 AM, written by Carl Bender

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has been quoted as stating that European Blu-ray sales have increased over 1000% since the launch of the Playstation 3 this past March, with over 180,000 Sony Pictures BD films purchased to date in the territory.

Although a small market at present relative to the US in terms of HD adoption (under 20,000 standalone players sold), trends in Europe have been similar to trends in the US. Prior to the launch of the PS3 in Europe, HD DVD was enjoying a sales lead in both high-definition install base and media sales; as stateside, Toshiba's standalones and HD DVD add-on for the 360 held a considerable numerical advantage to their Blu-ray competition. With the launch of the PS3, however, BD has regularly claimed not only the weekly sales lead, but succeeded in surpassing HD DVDs "since inception" sales figures in the span of roughly a month. In a prediction originating in French-language print magazine Les années laser, format neutral studio Warner France expects their own sales of high-definition media to favor Blu-ray to HD DVD 5:1 by year end - 540,000 BD vs 121,000 HD DVD in France - in part due to the Playstation 3's effect in driving the format in Europe.

In related news, both the Blu-ray Disc Association and the HD DVD Promotion Group are presently under an antitrust investigation by the European Commission.

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