While some HD DVD die hards pointed to CH-DVD as if it were some kind of phoenix in the form of which HD DVD would rise from the ashes, it looks like even those hopes have been dashed. The BDA points out that since the demise of HD DVD, Chinese manufacturers have been flocking to Blu-ray, and that while the number of members in the BDA has increased to 187, the number of members in the DVD Forum (which backs DVD and HD DVD) has decreased from 240 to 163! The BDA last fall began evaluating Chinese codecs for inclusion in the BD specification. China has made support of the codecs a requirement for any advanced format released in China, and the codecs were the main difference between HD DVD and CH-DVD. This license development could hint at progress in including those codecs to support a domestic BD release in China.

Video Business reports that high-end consumer electronics retailers expect Blu-ray players to begin outselling DVD players as early as this August, riding a wave of increased player availability and lower prices. On a dollar basis, retailer Crutchfield is already reporting that Blu-ray is outselling DVD 60:40, but that’s largely due to the higher prices on BD decks.

The current Home Media Magazine has a product guide which provides an overview and comparison of the forthcoming Blu-ray players that have been announced. It is worth checking out if you’re thinking about buying a BD deck. Personally I wouldn’t even consider a Profile 1.1/Bonus View deck at this point – stick with Profile 2.0/BD-Live – at least BD-Live Ready.

From Blu-ray.com and Blu-ray Stats.

This means no high-def releases from the two studios for a couple of months, as they plan to begin distributing their films on Blu-ray this summer. I imagine that the HD DVD films that were dropped will be undergoing a crash remastering effort for Blu-ray. Picked up from High-Def Digest, Video Business, and The Hollywood Reporter.

EngadgetHD also made me aware of an article in Video Business about the shift in the retail world toward Blu-ray since Warner’s announcement. Trans World Entertainment, Newbury Comics, Video Buyers Group and Hastings Entertainment are beginning to emphasize Blu-ray over HD DVD.

Trans World operates over 800 F.Y.E. retail locations, and they will be giving more room to BD titles than HD DVD titles. Going forward they will be ordering ‘key’ new releases on HD DVD, while continuing to stock most of the released BD titles. Customers will be able to special order HD DVD titles that are not stocked.

Hastings Entertainment is continuing to stock HD DVD, but sees a shift to an emphasis on Blu-ray in their stores.

Newbury Comics plans to cut back on the ‘copy depth’ of HD DVD titles compared to BD. Before the Warner announcement they were ordering about half the copy depth on HD DVD as BD, and that will shift to 1/3 to as little as 1/4. And going forward they may only stock HD DVD at specific retail locations have have show strong HD media sales.

The Video Buyers Group supplies a large number of retail outlets. Due to the market confusion stemming from the format war roughly half of their members, 600-800 stores, have avoided offering either format. With Warner’s announcement and the perceived shift in the market to Blu-ray, VBG is preparing a new BD introduction package to help stores launch a new Blu-ray high-def section.

Major retailers, like Best Buy, are still selling both formats for the time being. But there is likely to be a natural shift toward Blu-ray simply due to more titles being available on the format as Warner, and other studios, stop releasing HD DVD. There will naturally be more titles on BD, which translates to more shelf space.

The last outlets to see a shift will likely be online, like Amazon.com. Since they don’t have the same shelf-space limitations as physical stores, and their unit costs for stocking the formats is much lower, they can continue to offer both formats the longest.

But there is a positive feedback loop forming now. With Warner, New Line, HBO, and other studios dropping HD DVD in the coming months, there will be a shift in available titles to BD. This will naturally create a further shift in media sales toward BD. As retailers shift shelf space to BD this will reinforce that shift in sales. And as the sales shift there is more incentive for retailers to increase their focus on BD, further reinforcing the sales shift. And as the shift increases and HD DVD sales suffer, there will be growing pressure on the studios to release their titles on BD.

As far as I’m concerned, it can’t happen soon enough. I want to see the industry backing one format, moving the technology forward.