As a consumer, I find this data interesting, because I have no real intention of upgrading to either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, unless I am forced to. By forced to, I mean the production companies, and stores stop selling DVDs, and they are replaced by HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. I am surprised at the fact they have combined sales of over 3.5 million units. It seams as though none of these companies can decide which format will ultimately take over, and more importantly for how long it will last. As of right now, it appears Sony’s Blu-Ray has won the battle, but it is up to consumers to purchase the units or not.
It is becoming more apparent that upgrades in high speed internet service i.e. Comcast, which are making it possible to download a movie in 4 minutes (previously this would take hours), which will result in not needing any type of DVD player at all. The Blu-Ray player will no longer be needed. This is similar to how the MP3 replaced the CD. Comcast is making it possible to download a certain number of movies directly to your television or computer, which will result in storing your movies directly. On Apple iTunes, they are currently offering certain movies to purchase directly from your computer. With the help of Apple TV, you can watch directly to your television.
By doing this, theses companies are showing consumers they do not need to purchase the Blu-Ray (or DVD) discs to watch movies. Movies can already be downloaded from Apple iTunes, cable companies offer videos on demand, and consumers can record shows and movies digital video recorders. It is only a matter of time before there is no need for a separate home movie player, because all home entertainment (i.e. games, music, movies, photos, etc.) will all be part of one single home entertainment system.
