High-def player sales even, says NPD Group
Tight supply of Toshiba HD DVD models could be a factor
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 2/2/2007
FEB. 2 | Despite price differences, high-definition stand-alone Blu-ray and HD DVD players are neck-and-neck in sales, according to the NPD Group.
Between April and December, 48% of high-def stand-alones sold were Blu-ray and the remaining 52% were HD DVD. Blu-ray stand-alones, including models by Sony, Samsung, Philips and Pioneer, are priced at about $1,000 and up. In contrast, certain Toshiba HD DVD models can be found for about $500.
One possible contributing factor to the results is that retailers have noted tight Toshiba inventory relative to the flusher availability of stand-alone Blu-ray players.
Also, there are more Blu-ray manufacturers than HD DVD manufacturers releasing stand-alone players.
NPD’s data excludes sales of high-def gaming devices, the Blu-ray-compatible PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360’s HD DVD drive. NPD plans to update this information on a quarterly basis.
