The Energon Pub

[i_amtrunks]

Digital Magazine <a href="http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&&article_ID=11439" target="_blank">Home Media Magazine</a> have posted some startling figures on the sales of the HD DVD release of the <a href="http://webmaster.transformersmovie.com/click.html?c=FLINCG" target="_blank">Transformers Movie</a>:

<i>Paramount says Transformers sold 190,000 units its first week in stores, but Home Media Magazine market research and studio estimates puts the actual number of units that sold through to consumers closer to 115,000. </i>

<a href="http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&&article_ID=11439" target="_blank">Home Media Magazine</a> also claim that Blu-Ray won the week of sales 51% to 49%. To read the full Home Media Magazine article, please <a href="http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&&article_ID=11439" target="_blank">click here</a>.

In related news, Home Media magazine have confirmed that the <a href="http://webmaster.transformersmovie.com/click.html?c=FLINCG" target="_blank">Transformers Movie</a> did take the #1 DVD sales spot, trouncing all other competition, <a href="http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?article_id=11433" target="_blank">click here</a> for the full article.

[Blitzwing the warrior]

Should've gone with the Blu

[Bouncy X]

well considering all the different extras all these different stores offered, its no surprise everyone jumped on the regular dvds instead.

[Wheeljack35]

Maybe there aren't alot of people out there that own HD DVD players

[Tigertrack]

Well, I know I don't an HD DVD player, ot HD TV yes for that matter.

In time, I suppose.

[DevastaTTor]

Hell, I would have bought a Blu-Ray player if the movie had been released on BR Disk. Not a good call on the part of the studio.

[Roll_Out]

Blu Ray is unstoppable. It is the only way to go.

[DevastaTTor]

Blu Ray is unstoppable. It is the only way to go.

Yep, to hell with HD. It's becoming obvious that unlike in the 80s, Sony's platform is acutally winning!

[Orin_Thomas]

Blu-Ray is region encoded. HD-DVD is not. I can play a HD-DVD I purchased anywhere in the world on a player anywhere else in the world. With Blu-Ray I can only play a Blu-Ray disk I purchase only in the places that Sony allows me to play them.

You know how you can get all those cool box sets of Transformers in the UK that you can't get anywhere else? That's the future with Blu-Ray. With HD-DVD, you could order them from the UK and play them wherever the hell you want.

But hey, if you're happy with only being allowed to watch only those products that Sony says you're allowed to watch in your "home region".

[Brakethrough]

Scru the Blu. HD for me.

[Decatron]

Not suprising. I havent jumped on this format bandwagon...I'm still with the dvd.

[dragons]

whoa that was fast alright transformers..... when i get my portable media player im going to put live action film and the 20th aninaversy edition on the player so i can watach it anywhere anytime i want keep on going cybertronions.

[Rodimus Primal]

I think its bogus that they are saying that the HD sales are low. Most of the people who are BUYING the DVDs are the fans or people who liked the movie. It's not about Blu Ray or HD with this. It's about the consumer base. The vast majority of consumers who want to buy Transformers do NOT have HD TVs or High Def DVD players. That being the case more people are buying the regular DVD. Besides the regular DVDs 2disc special editions have exclusives to each store, so they basically catered to the market that they were going to sell to anyway. I bought the Walmart pack with the prequel. I'll wait for an extended Special Edition to come out to get any extras.

[NuclearConvoy]

Ha! **** HD-DVD!
Blu-Ray all the way!

[Ravage XK]

Blu-Ray is region encoded. HD-DVD is not. I can play a HD-DVD I purchased anywhere in the world on a player anywhere else in the world. With Blu-Ray I can only play a Blu-Ray disk I purchase only in the places that Sony allows me to play them.

You know how you can get all those cool box sets of Transformers in the UK that you can't get anywhere else? That's the future with Blu-Ray. With HD-DVD, you could order them from the UK and play them wherever the hell you want.

But hey, if you're happy with only being allowed to watch only those products that Sony says you're allowed to watch in your "home region".

Blu-Ray CAN be region encoded, that doesnt mean to say that the discs ARE region encoded. I just took a look at the discs I have bought here in the UK and it seems that only those from Comubia Pictures are region locked.

[TheKnightShift]

Didn't have to worry about this. We've got a 37-inch LCD HDTV, and an "upscaling" DVD player that does a terrific job of converting standard DVDs for display on a high-def set via the HDMI channel.

It's not true 1080 high-def by any stretch... but the standard Transformers DVD on that setup still looks bloody darn amazing!

Given how it's probably still going to be some time before the Blu-ray/HD-DVD format war gets resolved, I'm quite happy with the regular DVD.

[Orin_Thomas]

Isn't that a bit like suggesting that it is possible to have DVDs non-region encoded so there must be a whole lot of non-region encoded DVDs?

Region encoding is the format killer for me. I already have enough stress trying to remember which computer's DVD player will allow me to play UK, US or Australian content and someone wants to repeat that monumental cockup with Blu Ray?

It should speak volumes that three different English speaking markets (Australia, the USA and Australia) all use different DVD regions. Where is the sense in a Blu-Ray disc made in England not being able to be played in a US player, but a Blu Ray disc from Indonesia being able to be played in a US player?

It is all about control of your entertainment. Sony wants to make sure that Americans can only source that cool BBC stuff like Life on Mars and Dr Who from Sony Approved American Retailers. Sony wants to make sure that Brits can only source cool American stuff like Battlestar Galactica from Sony Authorized UK retailers.

Now that's fine if you only want to be spoon fed content from your approved Sony region, but as someone who has put up with the insanity of the DVD region system for the last decade in an attempt to watch legally purchased and produced stuff that I can't get in my own region I think doing the same thing with a new format is insanity.

Blu Ray is objectionable because it divides the world up into content regions when the HD-DVD spec shows that such a division is simply not necessary. And when movies in either format look the same on the same TV, why would anyone go with the deliberately freedom limiting technology?

[TheKnightShift]

It is all about control of your entertainment. Sony wants to make sure that Americans can only source that cool BBC stuff like Life on Mars and Dr Who from Sony Approved American Retailers. Sony wants to make sure that Brits can only source cool American stuff like Battlestar Galactica from Sony Authorized UK retailers.

Now that's fine if you only want to be spoon fed content from your approved Sony region, but as someone who has put up with the insanity of the DVD region system for the last decade in an attempt to watch legally purchased and produced stuff that I can't get in my own region I think doing the same thing with a new format is insanity.

Blu Ray is objectionable because it divides the world up into content regions when the HD-DVD spec shows that such a division is simply not necessary. And when movies in either format look the same on the same TV, why would anyone go with the deliberately freedom limiting technology?

That is the real reason why DVD encryption was cracked. So that technology wouldn't be controlled and limited.

In the case of DVD encryption, it was broken largely out of frustration by the Linux-using community, which wanted to be able to play DVDs on their systems just as Windows and Mac users could.

And then cracked DVDs started appearing for download on the Internet. And we know that a lot of people download them not because they are too cheap or too lazy to go out and buy the DVD... but because these are movies and TV shows that haven't been made available in their area. They would absolutely buy the DVDs if they could.

If Sony et al. want to stop the illegal downloading, then they should put an end to outmoded policies like region encoding. Because as it is they are only encouraging the black market to keep growing.

[Barbaric]

this stupid war between hd-dvd and blu ray is retarded!!!!
it's obvious the only ones even buying hd-dvds or blu rays are folks with lots of extra money to throw around, have ps3s, the hd-dvd add-on for 360. those with less money on tighter budgets can't afford an hdtvs, ps3s, or an hd-dvd or blu ray players. so until regular dvds are phased out completely, and everyone is forced to choose blu-ray or hd-dvd there is no sense in anyone saying one is selling better! true one may be out selling at this point in time, but in the future the other could make a huge come back. and crush the other. but until everyone is forced to choose neither will be the winner!!!!!! AND IN MY OPINION, THE MOVIE COMPANIES CHOOSING SIDE ARE IDIOTS, RELEASING MOVIES TO ONE FORMAT AND NOT THE OTHER IS A DUMB ASS MOVE, AND IT ONLY HURTS THE CONSUMERS!!!!!

[Big Grim]

Should've gone with the Blu

I agree. Blu-Ray is winning and frankly region encoding does not bother me too much. If at all.

[Knightrun]

I'm pretty sure all the Blu-fanatics on here are PS3 fanboys. Can't see any other reason to be so hardcore about it. =/

[Knightrun]

Forgot to mention, Blu WILL probably win just because the name is catchier. HD-DVD is a mouthfull.

[Ransom]

I'm not surprised. Most people that I know want Blu-Ray, not HD DVD.

[PrimulArchangel]

Maybe there aren't alot of people out there that own HD DVD players

my thoughts exactly.. I know i dont have the money to dump on HD players and TVs and services... I actually could care less if something is HD lol... And i bought the normal plain dvd and just downloaded all the extras lol so saved me a nice chunk of change lol...

[Sid Burn]

I'm pretty sure all the Blu-fanatics on here are PS3 fanboys. Can't see any other reason to be so hardcore about it. =/

Well that is your ignorant opinion then, Bluray holds nearly double the space per disc compared to HDDVD.
If you are into lossless audio and uncompressed HD content then bluray is the only place you can get it.

It is as simple as this, the maximum storage of HDDVD is 30 gigs (thats dual layered to the brim)
Bluray holds 50 gigs dual layered.
HD transfers and lossless audio require A LOT of space, and only Bluray has the capacity to do it properly.

The reason HDDVD has TF right now and Blu doesnt is due to a $150 mil payoff to paramount from supporters of HDDVD. This is considered by many to be HDDVD's last ditch effort to save the format which is being dominated by Blu throughout the world.

The exclusive rights only last 18 months, so you can bet that once that expires, we will be treated to a Bluray ultimate edition of Transformers.

I for one will wait.