The high-definition DVD version of the Discovery Channel and BBC’s Planet Earth has sold about 45,000 copies. That’s “one for every five owners of a high-def disc machine, a ratio only a handful of DVDs have ever come close to,” USA TODAY reports.

Those sales translate to $3.2 million, “the biggest moneymaker yet to hit Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD.” The set actually has “a list price of nearly $100 costs more than the average DVD player,” although it retails for around $65—still more than many DVD players.

The four-disc high-definition set has been available in both HD-DVD and Blu-ray; both have the British narration by David Attenborough, and are not the Sigourney Weaver-narrated US version. There’s also a standard DVD version. Today, the Discovery Channel starts selling HD versions of the US version.

Warner Home Video’s Ron Sanders tells the paper, “This series was made for high definition. Its success points to consumers wanting to see and hear high-definition content, and there isn’t a huge amount of content available from broadcast or cable or satellite.”

The BBC’s Burton Cromer tells the paper, “In a month and a half, we’ve sold more copies of Planet Earth across all three formats than we’ve sold of The Office or Fawlty Towers. And we don’t see any letup; in fact, we’re selling more units a day than when we first streeted.”

He attributes that success in part to Oprah, who talked about the series during two episodes of her show. “If you don’t think I have a shrine to Oprah set up in my office, you’re wrong,” he said.
‘Planet Earth’ looks great in HD — and to the BBC [USA TODAY]


So, best selling HD DVD title yet and has made the most money on either format. Yeah, HD DVD really is a failing format :rolleyes:

So, best selling HD DVD title yet and has made the most money on either format. Yeah, HD DVD really is a failing format :rolleyes:

I would like to know what the breakdown is for this title on BD and HD DVD as it has been the number one high definition optical title on Amazon for quite some time and has been higher on HD DVD than on BD.

Also the "one copy sold for every 5 high definition players" is completely misleading. They apparently aren't counting the millions of PS3s as "high definition players" when it's only because of the PS3 that BD is ahead.

Yeah 45,000 is both format included,the best selling title was Departed with about 100,000 sold copy on both format.. here's the estimated sell back June 16, first being Blu-Ray , Second HD DVD (Based on Neisel Videoscan Numbers)

Departed: 62.7k vs 37.8k
Happy Feet: 25.5k vs 14.6k
Superman Returns: 22.6k vs. 11.5k
Planet Earth: 25.4k vs 19.3k

Yeah 45,000 is both format included,the best selling title was Departed with about 100,000 sold copy on both format.. here's the estimated sell back June 16, first being Blu-Ray , Second HD DVD (Based on Neisel Videoscan Numbers)

Departed: 62.7k vs 37.8k
Happy Feet: 25.5k vs 14.6k
Superman Returns: 22.6k vs. 11.5k
Planet Earth: 25.4k vs 19.3k

Hmm, if my math is right that averages out to a 60:40 sales split on four of the hottest releases in high definition that are available in both formats.

It seems hard to draw the conclusion from those numbers that BD is overwhelmingly the choice of the consumer.

Hmm, if my math is right that averages out to a 60:40 sales split on four of the hottest releases in high definition that are available in both formats.

It seems hard to draw the conclusion from those numbers that BD is overwhelmingly the choice of the consumer.spin coming in 5....4....3....2...

It seems that Oprah's endorsement is the key to winning the war.

Yeah 45,000 is both format included,the best selling title was Departed with about 100,000 sold copy on both format.. here's the estimated sell back June 16, first being Blu-Ray , Second HD DVD (Based on Neisel Videoscan Numbers)

Departed: 62.7k vs 37.8k
Happy Feet: 25.5k vs 14.6k
Superman Returns: 22.6k vs. 11.5k
Planet Earth: 25.4k vs 19.3k

Uh... you've got the Planet Earth numbers reversed I believe. Hasn't the HD DVD version has sold more than the Blu-Ray version?

Uh... you've got the Planet Earth numbers reversed I believe. Hasn't the HD DVD version has sold more than the Blu-Ray version?

Correct.

The four-disc high-definition set has been available in both HD-DVD and Blu-ray; both have the British narration by David Attenborough, and are not the Sigourney Weaver-narrated US version. There’s also a standard DVD version. Today, the Discovery Channel starts selling HD versions of the US version.


Anyone know what this means?

The four-disc high-definition set has been available in both HD-DVD and Blu-ray; both have the British narration by David Attenborough, and are not the Sigourney Weaver-narrated US version. There’s also a standard DVD version. Today, the Discovery Channel starts selling HD versions of the US version.


Anyone know what this means?


What don't you get?

Right now when you bought or rented the series it was narrated by a guy and now Discovery will sell the same thing but with that chick narrating it..


BTW, the chick is better.. The guy sounds drunk..

Uh... you've got the Planet Earth numbers reversed I believe. Hasn't the HD DVD version has sold more than the Blu-Ray version?
how many people would you venture to guess bought the "HD-DVD" version of Planet Earth thinking they could watch it in their SD DVD players?
just sayin' :eek:

quick search on amazon:

HD DVD Format?, May 24, 2007
By Francesca Matterhorn "skeptic" (WA) - See all my reviews
Thanks to Amazon's pathetic scheme, I now own an HD DVD format piece of plastic. It was very deceiving of them to have the HD formatted DVD as the first choice in a search on this series. So I'm out almost $80 because I took the plastic off... I now know that an HD DVD is not only a different format, but is being compared to laserdiscs, so don't bother buying this version of Planet Earth or an HD DVD player for that matter.


Horrible Experience, May 30, 2007
By Elaine E. Paasch - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Real rating is a minus 30! I was unable to access the DVD on ANY player! I took it to Best Buy, and they said it will not work in any player they have in stock and are unable to program any player to play the DVD. It was a total waste of money and a horrible experience with Amazon because they will not help in any way to correct the problem.

The Complete BBC Series , May 29, 2007
By Charles A. Jacques "Tony" (S.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
I Purchased the HD DVD to finf out that it would not work in my DVD Player. I could not return It because it was opened but not used. How are you supose to know it a thing works if you don't open it. So your return is not worth a dime! I ored the regular DVD and Found that all one needs is DVD one. The outher four DVD Has the same things as on the first DVD.
I was very dissapointed in the series and wouldn't recomend it to any one.
It is to much money for the little you get.

what a bunch of douchebags..i guess the huge ass "this will only work on an hd-dvd player" sticker wasn't obvious enough.

I Purchased the HD DVD to finf out that it would not work in my DVD Player.


Ermmmm........are people really this moronic? I mean....come on. That has to be a fake post.

I Purchased the HD DVD to finf out that it would not work in my DVD Player.


Ermmmm........are people really this moronic? I mean....come on. That has to be a fake post.

All of them are fake?

I doubt it.

As for people being this moronic... alas, yes, it's true. If you work in customer service for any length of time you realize very quickly that all of the "Caution: Coffee is Hot!" signs in the world exist for a very simple reason: stupid people will burn themselves and then claim you didn't warn them that the hot coffee they ordered might in fact.... be hot.

I Purchased the HD DVD to finf out that it would not work in my DVD Player.


Ermmmm........are people really this moronic? I mean....come on. That has to be a fake post.

I'm sure the Blu-boys would love to run with the idea that 1/2 of all HD DVD sales are purchased by mistake. However I don't see why this would affect Planet Earth more than any other title. Why not other new HD DVD releases like Breach, Hollywoodland, etc

As for people being this moronic... alas, yes, it's true. If you work in customer service for any length of time you realize very quickly that all of the "Caution: Coffee is Hot!" signs in the world exist for a very simple reason: stupid people will burn themselves and then claim you didn't warn them that the hot coffee they ordered might in fact.... be hot.


Imagine if "survival of the fittest" and natural selection actually applied to humans....man, what a different world we would live in........

As for people being this moronic... alas, yes, it's true. If you work in customer service for any length of time you realize very quickly that all of the "Caution: Coffee is Hot!" signs in the world exist for a very simple reason: stupid people will burn themselves and then claim you didn't warn them that the hot coffee they ordered might in fact.... be hot.


Imagine if "survival of the fittest" and natural selection actually applied to humans....man, what a different world we would live in........

Absolutely: different and most likely BETTER.

What is it with this movie that everyone talks about it? Not bashing it just wondering cause I haven't seen it and wondering if I should rent/buy it. Is it the HD visuals that everyone buys it for?

Well, from what I gather its a documentary of life on planet earth from all the different ecoclimes and habitats. Its not really a movie like you'd get from Hollywood. More like a Discovery Ch. special on steroids. HD with pretty visuals or not, that is pretty much all I would watch on TV anyways so this is right up my alley. If its not sports or nature, the TV doesn't even get turned on.

What don't you get?

Right now when you bought or rented the series it was narrated by a guy and now Discovery will sell the same thing but with that chick narrating it..



What I don't get is what Discovery will be selling? Do they have some different pressing/version of the HD DVD? Or is it refering to downloading/payperview? I don't have Discovery so don't know exactly how they sell shows.

They will be selling the version of the series that's shown on their channel, which is the same video with Sigourney Weaver narrarating. It's available now (http://shopping.discovery.com/product-65763.html) on all three formats.

Wonder if they will include the extras that are missing from the HiDef versions.

What I don't get is what Discovery will be selling? Do they have some different pressing/version of the HD DVD? Or is it refering to downloading/payperview? I don't have Discovery so don't know exactly how they sell shows.


Read my quote in your post.. Just a different talking head..

This proves how insignificant the HD war really is, the biggest title only making 3mil. it Most studios wipe their ass with that much money. For studios to seriously put focus in hd it has to make a dent in their quarterly revenue.

Can you really blame universal for not putting out 500k or million or how much ever to re-master their titles when most likely they'll never get that back?

All of them are fake?

I doubt it.

As for people being this moronic... alas, yes, it's true. If you work in customer service for any length of time you realize very quickly that all of the "Caution: Coffee is Hot!" signs in the world exist for a very simple reason: stupid people will burn themselves and then claim you didn't warn them that the hot coffee they ordered might in fact.... be hot.

haha reminds of actual warning on a cup:
"Caution: Hot beverages are hot!"

and

"Product will be hot after heating."

:rolleyes:


ALSO:

"May be harmful if swallowed." - on a shipment of hammers

"Remember, objects in the mirror are actually behind you." - on a motorcycle helmet-mounted rear-view mirror

"Do not look into laser with remaining eye." - on a laser pointer

"Do not attempt to stop the blade with your hand." - in the manual for a Swedish chainsaw

"Warning: has been found to cause cancer in laboratory mice." - on a box of rat poison

"Do not iron clothes on body." - on packaging for a Rowenta iron

"Do not dangle the mouse by its cable or throw the mouse at co-workers." - from a manual for an SGI computer

"Warning: May cause drowsiness." - on a bottle of Nytol

"Do not eat if seal is missing." - on said seal

"Remove plastic before eating." - on the wrapper of a Fruit Roll-Up snack'

"Not dishwasher safe." - on a remote control for a TV

"Do not drive cars in ocean."

"Always drive on roads. Not on people."

"For a limited time only." - from a Rally's commercial that described how their burgers were fresh

"Ingredients: Artificially bleached flour, sugar, vegetable fat, yeast, salt, gluten, soya flour, emulsifier 472 (E) & 481, flour treatment agents, enzymes, water. May contain: fruit." - the ingredients list on a package of fruit buns.

"In case of flood, proceed uphill. In case of flash flood, proceed uphill quickly."

"Open packet. Eat contents." - instructions on a packet of airline peanuts

"Optional modem required."

"The appliance is switched on by setting the on/off switch to the 'on' position."

"Warning: do not eat ipod shuffle." - although this one was a joke :mad: if it had been for real it would've actually been funny

It seems that Oprah's endorsement is the key to winning the war.


Now thats funny!!! I don't care who you are.

They should have just included an alternate audio track instead of re-releasing the entire set.

All of them are fake?

I doubt it.

As for people being this moronic... alas, yes, it's true. If you work in customer service for any length of time you realize very quickly that all of the "Caution: Coffee is Hot!" signs in the world exist for a very simple reason: stupid people will burn themselves and then claim you didn't warn them that the hot coffee they ordered might in fact.... be hot.
Not stupid people, opportunistic lowlifes who prey on companies, caused them to protect themselves. The signs themselves may seem stupid but they save companies billions in phony lawsuits.

But back on topic, HD DVD owners are buyers not renters, hence the disparity in numbers.
Staying so close to Blu-ray sales despite being outnumbered about 70% in available hardware, more than proves that.

They will be selling the version of the series that's shown on their channel, which is the same video with Sigourney Weaver narrarating. It's available now (http://shopping.discovery.com/product-65763.html) on all three formats.

That's gotta be a first for HD media. A separate (and different) edition for one store. Hard to see that many will be willing to spend 30 bucks extra just to hear Weaver.