'Casino Royale' Blu-ray Overall Top Seller in March; 'Departed' Leads HD DVD

[OWA]

Casino Royale did pretty well in March. Looks like things will really heat up later though. Looking at the sales report from not too long ago it showed Universal releasing a bunch of movies this year so it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Blu-ray booster 'Casino Royale' was March's top next-gen title, handedly surpassing HD DVD's biggest seller for the month, 'The Departed.' Meanwhile, HD DVD backers say they're looking to a fourth quarter of more titles and cheaper players to close the sales gap with their rival.

According to Video Business, industry sources peg the month's high-def top title as Sony's 'Casino Royale,' which sold 59,000 copies on Blu-ray. (As reported, the studio shipped a record 100,000 units of 'Royale' to stores last month.)

HD DVD's leader was again Warner's 'The Departed,' which saw 16,000 copies move over retail counters. Though clearly trailing 'Royale,' it was still higher than the 13,000 HD DVD units of 'Departed' that sold in February.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Industry_Forecasts_(42_posts)/Disc_Sales/Disc_Sales:_Casino_Royale_Blu-ray_Overall_Top_Seller_in_March_Departed_Leads_HD_ DVD_Pack/584

The video business link is here: http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6435141.html

[Bad_Boy]

Some more interesting "numbers".


http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/questex/hom042207/index.php?startpage=2

http://xs114.xs.to/xs114/07166/nvs.jpg
Total discs sold Q1
BD: 832,530
HD: 359,300

Total discs SI as of end of Q1
BD: 1.2 million
HD: 937,500



Latest Videoscan Article... (http://www.tvpredictions.com/bluraysales042007.htm)
Blu-ray Trounces HD DVD Again
HD DVD backers say sales will improve this summer.
By Phillip Swann

(April 20, 2007) -- Sales of Blu-ray HDTV DVDs once again trounced rival HD DVD in March and the Sony-backed format now has a 69-31 percent sales lead in the first three months of 2007.

That's according to Nielsen Video Scan, which tracks the sale of the new high-def DVDs.

Blu-ray supporters say the widening lead is evidence that the format is pulling away from HD DVD in the high-def DVD format war. The two formats are competing for the new high-def DVD audience.

However, HD DVD backers tell Video Business that its format will rebound due to lower player prices and the release of 70 new HD DVD titles between now and summer. Toshiba, the biggest supporter of the HD DVD format, recently introduced a $399 player.

Ken Graffeo, executive vice president of marketing for Universal, the only studio to exclusively support HD DVD, conceded that Blu-ray would keep its lead until the fourth quarter. But he said HD DVD should perform well then.



But enough about numbers, does anyone know when prison break on blu-ray is hitting? I've been waiting for it forever but I don't think it has a solid release date. :(