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Tag: bd

  • Full HD broadcasting claims mislead consumers

    The Blu-ray Disc Association has taken issue with announcements from satellite and cable providers that they offer “full HD” programming – but report says Blu-ray not threatened by full HD broadcasting

    Satellite and cable providers on both sides of the Atlantic have recently claimed they are offering full HD – or 1080p – programming.

    These assertions have annoyed the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) – not least because the publicity material has stated video quality matches that of Blu-ray.

    The BDA is objecting to these claims of equality, suggesting the comparisons are irresponsible and misleading.

    It argues that satellite companies cannot technically match the Blu-ray experience and it will do whatever it can to prevent consumers receiving incorrect information.

    However, a report from Strategy Analytics suggests that satellite providers are competing primarily with cable and IPTV companies, and not with the Blu-ray Disc format itself.

    It states that Blu-ray content providers and device vendors have little to fear. Instead, they should focus on developing emerging Blu-ray business models and improving the availability of Blu-ray content and devices.

    Despite this, a statement from the BDA said advertising by companies claiming their products deliver high definition picture and sound “equal” to that delivered by Blu-ray Disc are “irresponsible and are misleading to consumers”.

    “Up conversion and satellite broadcast cannot provide a true Blu-ray high definition experience, as neither is technically capable of producing the quality delivered by Blu-ray players and Blu-ray discs,” the statement said.

    The BDA said it was exploring these claims further and will take “appropriate action”, as necessary, to prevent consumers seeking the ultimate in high-definition home entertainment from being misled.

    David Mercer, principal analyst at Strategy Analytics, said 1080p, or Full HD, is the video quality benchmark set by the Blu-ray Disc format.

    “It was inevitable that television service providers would seek to emulate this standard, but their aim is primarily to increase the pressure on rival services, rather than compete with Blu-ray itself,” he said.

    DirecTV and Dish Network in the US, as well as cable operator Numericable in France, have recently introduced Full HD programming in the 1080p format.

    However, according to Strategy Analytics research, many consumers are confused by HDTV services. In the company’s most recent survey, 15 per cent of European consumers believe that they are receiving HDTV service, whereas in reality the figure is only 2 per cent.

    Mercer said that one of the main objectives of Blu-ray Disc developers was to set a benchmark in video quality that would provide sufficient encouragement for DVD owners to upgrade.

    It was also to provide a challenge that few, if any, alternative video distribution platforms could hope to match, at least in the foreseeable future.

    “Those assumptions are now being questioned by recent announcements from broadcasting service providers on both sides of the Atlantic,” he said.

    “These claims have clearly struck a sensitive nerve within the Blu-ray community, which, given their strategy as outlined above, is perhaps not surprising.”

    Mercer said that instinctively he agreed with the BDA because he didn’t believe that DirecTV or Dish would actually be offering programming at the same level of quality of BD.

    But he added that the technical arguments to prove the claim that they are not “technically capable” of doing so could be very difficult to prove one way or the other.

    “In the end, these new Full HD initiatives are more of a statement of competitiveness against rival service providers than against BD itself,” he said.

    “As has often been the case in the past, the satellite providers in the US are battling against cable companies, and now IPTV providers, to set new benchmarks in quality and customer experience.

    “The 1080p story is just another phase in that competitive battle, but it is unlikely to seriously affect Blu-ray’s potential.”

    Is the BDA right to get stroppy? Will this end up in the courts? Please let us know your thoughts.

  • DVD still dominates but Blu-ray sales up

    DVD remains the most popular home entertainment choice but Blu-ray disc sales up more than 500 per cent in the UK

    Sales of Blu-ray discs for the first half of 2008 have grown by 506 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to the British Video Association (BVA).
    Yet, despite the huge increase, the format still only represents 1.2 per cent of the total UK video market, with sales of nearly one million units.
    The BVA’s half-year results show total sales in 2008 are up 3.3 per cent compared with the same period last year, a rise it attributes to the increased level of consumer choice provided by the HD formats – both BD and HD-DVD.
    In the US, DVD also remains the most popular home entertainment choice but there are differences emerging among age groups.

    Lavinia Carey, director general of the BVA, said the availability of DVD, Blu-ray and legal downloading meant viewers now had more options when deciding how to consume their home entertainment. She said this increased supply of choice was  a factor in the growing demand.
    “Last year proved a bumper year for the home entertainment industry with 250 million videos sold and DVD accounting for 99 per cent of that,” she said.
    “We are delighted to see that the half year 2008 figures reveal an increased demand for home entertainment, especially in the current challenging economic climate.”

    Other figures released by the BVA include:
    Ratatouille is the best seller of 2008 so far with over 1.2 million copies sold
    Stardust, Atonement and The Golden Compass have also experienced high sales each exceeding 800 thousand copies on DVD alone.
     Titles such as Family Guy, Die Hard 4, Alien vs Predator and Alvin & the Chipmunks have made 20th Century Fox the best selling studio of the 2008 so far.

    Research from Knowledge Networks in the US found that 98 per cent of the 30- to 43-year-old Gen X and the 13- to 29-year-old Gen Y groups, and 88 per cent of 44- to 54-year-old Young Boomers, said they use DVDs.
    But the report, “How People Use the Video Marketplace”, shows that 67 per cent of Gen Y said they buy DVDs at least once a month, 71 per cent of Gen X and 51 per cent of Young Boomer.
    Additionally, 67 per cent of Gen Y said they rented at least once a month; 65 per cent of Gen X and 44 per cent, Young Boomer.

    The pattern starts to diverge with Web-delivered content, with 52 per cent of Gen Y, 37 per cent of Gen X and just 21 per cent of Young Boomers saying they stream video.
    With downloading, the breakdown is 37 per cent Gen Y, 18 per cent, Gen X and 11 per cent, Young Boomer.

    However, both younger and older generations indicate they normally do not pay for this new media video usage. With video streams, 3 per cent of Gen Y said they bought monthly; 4 per cent, Gen X and 3 per cent, Young Boomers. With video downloads, 2 per cent of Gen Y said they bought monthly, 2 per cent Gen X and N/A for Young Boomers.

    David Tice, VP and group account director at Knowledge Networks said DVDs were the “bread and butter” of content providers.
    “But the growing availability of video in digital forms is impacting on peoples’ expectations,” he said.
    “We found, for example, that 84 per cent of consumers expect to be able to watch video on the device of their choice.”
    The question is, will consumers be willing to pay for the convenience of access in the digital world? And how can content and service providers encourage repeat use and buying in the new media? We’re interested in hearing your thoughts.

  • Blu-ray awareness and potential rising in the US but barriers remain


    High cost and a belief that standard-definition DVD is “good enough” are the main barriers to US consumers purchasing Blu-ray players.
    These are the conclusions of a study by the NPD Group, which found that manufacturers still face challenges despite rising awareness of Blu-ray.
    The market research company found that 45 per cent of HDTV owners in the US now claim to be familiar with Blu-ray Disc (BD), up from 35 percent in June 2007.
    And, while only 6 per cent of all consumers surveyed said they plan to purchase a BD device in the next six months, NPD found purchase intent to be higher among the growing population of HDTV owners, boding well for the future of the format.
    The report reveals that 9 per cent of HDTV owners plan to buy a BD-capable player in the next six months.
    Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD, said: “With HDTVs now in approximately 40 million US households, that percentage translates to a pool of almost 4 million potential BD player buyers.”
    While manufacturers still face the challenge of convincing some consumers to ditch standard-definition DVD players and content, those who do appear pleased with the move.
    Consumers who purchased a BD set-top player cited “leading-edge technology” and a “superior viewing experience” as primary reasons for making the purchase.
    And they indicated a clear preference for BD content. In fact current BD set-top player owners expect that 80 per cent of their upcoming purchases will be in BD rather than standard DVD.
    By comparison, 43 per cent of PS3 owners use the BD capability in their consoles at least once a month; however, they do not view BD movies as often as set-top device owners do.
    “The door is open for studios to feed the consumer’s appetite for Blu-ray content, and we expect sales to increase, as prices for hardware and software moderate in the coming months,” said Crupnick.
    “Even so it will take a concerted effort by manufacturers and retailers to ratchet awareness even further and convince all of those potential buyers of the superiority of Blu-ray Disc versus standard DVD.”