Seems this fight is going into its final stage. PCpro has new intelligence on battlefield Europe:
“The PlayStation 3 looks set to drive Sony’s Blu-ray high-definition format into pole position, according to research. Understanding & Solutions says it has identified a huge gap in the numbers of homes in Western Europe which have HD-ready screens and the number of those that have the means to play HD content or receive HD content.
The research group predicts that by 2010, some 115m HD-ready screens will be installed in European homes, but only 17m homes will be located within reach of HD broadcast signals.
This, the company claims, will create demand for HD content that will make the PS3′s Blu-ray capabilities one of the main reasons to buy one, rather than being viewed simply as an extra.” …more
Also big news from warzone USA. Home Media Retailing reports that for the first time – since the start of this ugly war – Blu-Ray outsold HD-DVD discs.
“Buoyed by a rush of titles this year, Blu-ray has racked up a slight lead in unit sales — 100 units to every 98.71 units of HD DVD — since the inception of both formats, according to First Alert data.
HD DVD had a headstart on Blu-ray sales because of its earlier launch. However, in late December, following the Nov. 17 launch of Sony’s Blu-ray-enabled PlayStation 3, the Blu-ray Disc began to catch up in unit sales, according to Nielsen VideoScan data. ” …more