JAPAN: Blu-ray outselling DVD

News

Ben Parfitt Jun 30 2008, 12:49pm

Amazon sales charts in Far East show HD format is finally outperforming standard DVD

Sales data from the Japanese arm of internet colossus Amazon suggests that sales of hi-def disc format Blu-ray are creeping ahead of standard DVD for the first time… in Japan, at least.

Nikkei’s Tech On! reports that for the first half of 2008, Sony Pictures’ Resident Evil Trilogy Boxset was the best selling movie product on the website – with the Blu-ray release “significantly outperforming” the DVD version.

"Many software manufactures consider that 'action' is the genre that can make the most of Blu-ray," Amazon stated.

"The Blu-ray share is expected to grow among new titles especially in this genre from now on.

"Blu-ray 's high definition has greatly improved the reproducibility of details and is enchanting anime fans who put weight on image quality."

It will likely be quite some time yet until Blu-ray sales approach those of DVD in Europe, what with the massive DVD install base and the dirt-cheapness of domestic AV players.

However, Blu-ray’s presence on the UK High Street is steadily increasing, with stores such as HMV recently increasing the space devoted to Sony’s HD discs.