'Transformers' Sets Hi-Def Sales Record
Although the reviews were lackluster, Michael Bay's Transformers has become the fastest selling title on HD DVD. More than 100,000 copies of the movie sold in the first day and over 190,000 in the first week, setting a record that beat every title on both HD DVD and rival format Blu-ray.
The HD DVD Promotions Group says the success of Transformers has shown the importance of standalone players, the area where the format is beating Blu-ray due to lower prices. Still, HD DVD sales paled in comparison to over 4.5 million copies of the movie sold on regular DVD on its first day of release. 8.3 million units on DVD have sold since October 16, over 43 times the number sold on HD DVD.