Bourne, Harry Potter HD DVDs Hot Format Sellers
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 12/21/2007
DEC. 21 | Fourth-quarter HD DVD releases The Bourne Ultimatum and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix are turning in uniquely strong performances for the format, according to Universal Studios Home Entertainment .
In its first week on sale, starting Dec. 11, the Bourne single-disc HD DVD configuration sold 60,000 units, according to Universal estimated based on Nielsen/VideoScan data.
Including the boxed set of all three Bourne films, 71,000 units were sold, according to the studio.
The figures represent only sales through retailers that report to Nielseon/VideoScan and are not extrapolated nationally.
Additionally, Universal, citing Nielsen/Video Scan, said Warner Home Video’s HD DVD release of Order of the Phoenix was selling at a 45% HD DVD to 55% Blu-ray ratio, stronger than the HD DVD average which has been closer to 33%.
Ken Graffeo, Universal executive VP of marketing and co-president of the North American HD DVD Promotional Group, acknowledged the continued strength of BD over HD DVD software, on average. Graffeo said, however, that HD DVD is on an upswing with recent releases because of the surge in people buying HD DVD hardware, which also has been steadily and heavily discounted since before Thanksgiving.
