Damion Chaplin
04-14-2007, 12:00 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070409-hd-dvd-takes-early-lead-in-european-market.html' target='_blank'>http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070409-hd-dvd-takes-early-lead-in-european-market.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Blu-ray may have the upper hand in the North American high-definition market, but HD DVD appears to be the format of choice in Europe. European movie studios are favoring HD DVD over Blu-ray due to the cost savings involved in HD DVD duplication for these independent European studios, according to a report on the Financial Times. Part of the reason for Blu-ray's success in the US is due to the inclusion of Blu-ray players in Sony's newest console, the PS3. According to recent research from Adams Media Research, Blu-ray players that are built into consoles account for roughly 94 percent of all Blu-ray players purchased in the US. Going by that data, Sony's delay in launching the PS3 in Europe could then be holding back the adoption of Blu-ray among the movie studios there, many of which are independent and must focus on targeting the largest installed user base—HD DVD—with their limited budgets."</i><br /><br />So basically what they're saying is that the reason Blu-ray is ahead here in the states is because of the PS3. Conversely, the reason why HD-DVD is ahead in Europe is because of the lack of the PS3. So does this mean that Blu-ray will be the eventual winner? At this point I'm so tired of the format war that I just wish one would win so we could get on with our lives. I was really hoping for HD-DVD to win, but at this point I just don't care. Anyone else here turned completely apathetic over the high-def disc war? Or are you still routing for one or the other?