Blu-ray Players Outpassing Rival HD DVD

Retailers are reporting that, despite HD DVD's price advantage, Blu-ray stand alone players are selling better than HD DVD stand alone players, and could be selling much more if supply could keep up with demand. Abt Electronics and Ultimate Electronics have reported that sales of Blu-ray players have increased dramatically since the introduction of low cost 2nd-generation players, and that current supplies are very tight. John Abt, VP of Abt Electronics commented, "With all of the introductions of Blu-ray product, we have seen more sales in BD than in HD DVD, because there are so many options now out for consumers." “We were seeing a 50/50 split in unit sales,” Bjorn Dybdahl, president of Bjorn's said. “That was primarily all three Toshiba players versus Sony's $499 players. If the Blu-ray group wants to put a death knell on HD DVD, then they need to get it everywhere very quickly.”