Now that bean counters have a sense for consumer Blu-ray appetite when HD-DVD is out of the picture, it looks like 15 million of the high-def discs will sell in 2008, according to HMR Research. From mid-2006 (Blu-ray's launch) until the end of 2007, 9 million Blu-ray movie discs were sold in the U.S. But from January 2008 until the mid-March, 3 million sold. Only 12 million more to go!
During a typical early-2008 week about 250,000 Blu-ray discs sell, but
during the week ending March 16, 319,000 discs sold. Analysts say
that's because of the release of Disney's best-picture Oscar winner No
Country For Old Men. 68,000 went out and bought the Blu-ray version of
that movie immediately. Maybe Netflix wasn't stocking enough copies,
and Tommy Lee Jones and Coen brothers' fans just couldn't wait.
As the last HD-DVD discs are yanked from store shelves — Best Buy already
started getting rid of left over inventory this week—Blu-ray's sales
figures should climb even higher in coming weeks. —Rachel Rosmarin
