Business
"Transformers" on HD DVD Sets All Sorts of Sales Record
Transformers is best-selling movie on both standard and high-definition
Transformers is undoubtedly one of this year’s biggest films, so it should come to no one’s surprise that its release on the home video market quickly rose to the of the charts. Paramount Pictures today informed the media that Transformers is the top selling day one high-definition release ever.
Transformers on HD DVD sold 100,000 copies on October 16, making it biggest home video high-definition day yet. The release eventually gathering 190,000 sold over the first week, leading Paramount to boast Transformers as, “the fastest and best-selling week one release on either high definition format as well as the best selling HD DVD ever.”
One should wonder how much better Transformers may have sold if it were available on Blu-ray Disc, but as Paramount and Dream Works signed an exclusive deal, the robotic battle-filled film currently graces only HD DVD in 1080p.
Owners of only Blu-ray Disc players are likely jealously staring across the line at HD DVD owners – a feeling that Transformers director Michael Bay understands. Bay initially threw a fit after learning that his film would be released in high-definition only on HD DVD, threatening to not return for a sequel. Bay later posted on his blog in a different tune, praising HD DVD’s hardware pricing and said that he might indeed be back to direct Transformers 2.
With home video companies boasting about their record-setting high-definition sales, regular standard-definition DVD continues to cast a mammoth shadow both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc combined. Day one sales of Transformers on DVD hit 4.5 million, with the first week collecting 8.3 million – also setting records for DVD sales this year.
