The world just keeps getting more Blu as the end of the format war has led to consumers jumping into high-def discs with both feet.

More than 11 million hi-def Blu-ray movies have been sold so far, according to data compiled by the Redhill Group for Home Media Magazine, and that's even before the potentially biggest Blu-ray title to date hits the market on September 2: "Transformers."

Projections based on preliminary data show that Blu-ray sales through May have already surpassed sales for all of 2007.

Blu-ray software sales in the first four months of this year more than quadrupled from the same period last year, climbing to 11 million since inception.

In an indication that the surrender of HD DVD had the overall effect everyone had hoped for in sparking the average consumer to feel comfortable jumping into the high-def market, this year's Blu-ray software sales through April are more than triple the number of sales of Blu-ray and HD DVD combined during the same period last year.

To further illustrate the point, consumers are increasingly choosing Blu-ray over DVD when new releases are available in both formats. For example, a year ago each new top 10 release mostly generated only 1% - 2% of sales from Blu-ray, with a couple titles collecting as much as 5% on Blu-ray.

This year in the first quarter, the top three Blu-ray titles, "I Am Legend," "3:10 to Yuma" and "No Country For Old Men," saw 8% - 10% of their sales in the Blu-ray format. Catalog Blu-ray titles that were also in the top 10, such as "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," "300," "Planet Earth: The Complete Collection," and "Casino Royale," saw overall DVD/Blu-ray sales jump to 18% - 28% for the Blu-ray versions of those titles during the first quarter.

The surge will no doubt continue with today's official announcement from Paramount that "Transformers" will be coming to Blu-ray on September 2. A slew of additional heavyweight new and classic titles begins to hit Blu-ray this week with "Cloverfield" and Warner's "Dirty Harry" collection and continues next month with "Top Gun" and special editions of Batman and Tom Clancy Jack Ryan movies and the "Starship Troopers" trilogy. Disney weighs in strong this fall with their first animated classic on Blu-ray October 7 in the most elaborate BD Live format yet on "Sleeping Beauty," followed by the first of a groundbreaking new series of Disc Exclusive computer-animated movies, "Tinker Bell" on Oct. 28.

http://www.hollywoodinhidef.com/blog_detail.php?id=201

What do you think? I was in the blu-ray camp since the ps3 drop i have at least 70 movies. This is good news to me.

Well of course Sony was right.

They were right to put a DVD drive on the PS2, and they were right to put a Blu-Ray drive on the PS3.

Never doubt Sony

Transformers is now a catalogue title, it's not going to break any records. It probably won't even make the numbers it did on HD-DVD

Yeah Blu-ray will be just as big as DVD was/is, maybe even bigger. It is catching on quicker than DVD did as well.

thats true. i dont think transformers will sell that well. i have it on HD-DVD and im not gonna rebuy it. But this is news to me. It sold in half a year what HD-DVD and Blu-ray sold in 2007..... thats awesome. Thats also because of the ps3 sales increase.

i guess people were all wrong. Blu-ray sales have increased a LOT. and people who buy ps3 can buy games and movies. thats not what people were saying before lol.

yawn

Sony is always right. Thank you Sony. You brought us the DVD in the PS2 and now you bring us the Blu-Ray in the PS3.

The biggest thing Blu-Ray in PS3 achieved was ensure that Nintendo had a walk over this generation. Not sure if that makes Sony right.

Wii is competing against the PS2. PS2 over 120 million consoles versus Wii 27 million consoles.

BTW: Blu-Ray films on 1080p HDTV's look awesome. But nothing can fully capture the thrill of seeing the movies at the cinema.

I'd gladly trade bluray in my ps3 for a dvd player and some glow in the dark stickers...plus a 100 dollar rebate. So I disagree...