December 22nd 2007

Will 2008 be the year of next-gen DVD?

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2007 was a quiet year for next-gen DVD. After the furious soundbite war of previous years, the manufacturers got down to selling their products and attempting to outsell their rivals. Will 2008 see the war intensify?

All the signs are that heavy discounting of Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players is going to kickstart sales in the new year.

So far Blu-Ray is definitely leading the pack with reportedly 75% of the European market, 95% of the Japanese market and a substantial advantage in the US arena. However, these figures include PS3 sales where one has to assume that the inclusion of a next-gen DVD player was less of an incentive to buy than having the most up to date games console.

Hollywood studios have been forming alliances with one format or another, but with many consumers unwilling to by a machine until one format wins out, expect many to jump ship in the next few months.

2008 may not be the year of next-gen DVD, but it's bound to be more exciting than 2007.