Huge Dark Knight Day One Sales on Blu-ray and DVD

[Woochifer]

The U.S. sales figures haven't come in yet, but the British debut for The Dark Knight was huge. The title sold more than 513,000 copies on the first day in the U.K. While this is not a record-breaker (the Brits apparently have a thing for ABBA, as Mamma Mia holds the one-day sales record), it's a strong debut.

But, I think the bigger story is Blu-ray accounting for 26% of the disc sales so far in the U.K. :yesnod:

If this trend holds up in the U.S., then this really is Blu-ray's big breakthrough. Up to this point, Blu-ray has been holding at about 9% of the market share, and some blockbuster titles surpassing 10%. But, I haven't seen anything even close to 20% market share, and The Dark Knight has gone way past that

http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/09122008/5/huge-dvd-sales-dark-knight-0.html

Anecdotally, I ventured out to my local Best Buy because they were having a midnight release party with prize giveaways and even a Batsignal lighting up the building. Little did I realize that there would be about 200 people in line at that hour! And I had to freeze my butt outside while they let people into the store 20 at a time. But, I got my Blu-ray copy and it looks good (didn't win anything though!).

Just from what I saw at that store, it looked like close to one-third of the purchases were Blu-ray, and I was the only person among the groups around me that bought "only" one copy of the movie.

[Smokey]

Sine today was release date of Dark Knight movie on home medium, I knew it wouldn't pass without you posting a thread about it :ciappa:

[pixelthis]

Sine today was release date of Dark Knight movie on home medium, I knew it wouldn't pass without you posting a thread about it :ciappa:

Somebody had to.
But on to business, is it a good print? how is it PQ WISE?
And sound wise?:1:

[kexodusc]

Well, I braved the crowds and bought 5 copies..3 on BluRay, 2 on DVD. If the extended-Kex family has a BluRay owner in it, you can take it to the bank that BluRay is here! 1 of those was for my self, but I'm pretty damned surprised I have 2 relatives with BluRay players...not including my brother who can buy his own damn copy.

I'll be curious to see how this title does.

I really liked the movie, but the aura and hype around it are more formidable than the quality of the movie itself. Could this could do for BluRay what "The Matrix" did for DVD?

[Rich-n-Texas]

Sine today was release date of Dark Knight movie on home medium, I knew it wouldn't pass without you posting a thread about it :ciappa:
YO! Where you been Festus??? :incazzato:

[Rich-n-Texas]

My copy shipped yesterday via USPS. Hopefully I'll have it by the weekend. My Blu-ray collection is off to a good start. Ironman and Batman! :thumbsup:

[Worf101]

All things being "equal", I'll still wait on Oppo before I go Blu-Ray. Second, if I were going to buy my first Blu-Ray movie, this one wouldn't be it. Of the modern films I guess I'd do LOTR trilogy first, maybe Iron Man second and something loud and flashy third, perhaps "Casino Royale". Just my opinion.

Da Worfster

[Worf101]

HEY FESTUS!!! WHERE YA BEEN YOU OLE HORSETHIEF!!!!!

Please forgive me fer shoutin' but I think Smokey's a leetile deef.

Da Worfster

[Rich-n-Texas]

I think nurse Ratchett finally got that labotomy approved. :sad:

[Woochifer]

Sine today was release date of Dark Knight movie on home medium, I knew it wouldn't pass without you posting a thread about it :ciappa:

Smoke -

Where 'ya been? Don't you know how many of us are on pins and needles waiting for your frontline Black Friday reports from the DVD bins at Wal-Mart and Big Lots? :cool:

[Woochifer]

Well, I braved the crowds and bought 5 copies..3 on BluRay, 2 on DVD. If the extended-Kex family has a BluRay owner in it, you can take it to the bank that BluRay is here! 1 of those was for my self, but I'm pretty damned surprised I have 2 relatives with BluRay players...not including my brother who can buy his own damn copy.

I'll be curious to see how this title does.

I really liked the movie, but the aura and hype around it are more formidable than the quality of the movie itself. Could this could do for BluRay what "The Matrix" did for DVD?

Since The Matrix was the first million seller on DVD, I have no doubt that The Dark Knight will do the same thing for Blu-ray and not just because it will be the first to cross the 1 million unit sales threshold. If more than 20% of TDK purchasers buy this title on Blu-ray, then it obliterates the previous benchmarks -- so far, no Blu-ray title has accounted for more than 15% of disc sales. This is a huge milestone for the format.

The disc itself is a very good reference source, particularly the action scenes filmed in IMAX that get reframed at 1.77:1 on the Blu-ray version. The only drawback on the video side is some visible edge enhancement in some scenes. I read that might be a byproduct from the DMR transfer process that digitizes and enhances the image for the IMAX prints.

Another disappointment is the lack of deleted scenes and feature commentaries, and not much focusing on Heath Ledger. A lot of other solid behind-the-scenes stuff, but the disc does fall a bit short on the bonus features.

I also started looking through the BD-Live features. I noticed the "community screening" feature where you can gather up a group of people to watch the movie together, and exchange comments in real time. Any of you PS3 gamers up for a communal movie night, or are you all content with just shooting and blowing each other up? :D

[Rich-n-Texas]

Smoke -

Where 'ya been? Don't you know how many of us are on pins and needles waiting for your frontline Black Friday reports from the DVD bins at Wal-Mart and Big Lots? :cool:
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Couldn't have said it better myself, except you left out Dollar Riot, which is big down here with the trailer park communities. :yesnod:

[Smokey]

Thanks guys for the love.

There was a rare opportunity for me to tour middle east for six weeks (for free) and I took it. And it was an eye opening experience to say the least. The trip was too short to make any kind of sound judgment, but they were most hospitable and usually went out their way to make outsiders feel welcome.

The trip itself got started on a wrong foot (got sick the first week due to climate & cultural change), but ended up on a high note as one see the first hand how the other half lives without the usual nightly news politics sound bites. As one wise man once said.....“Sometimes you have to expand your comfort zone”.

But I sure missed my own bed :smile5:

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Well, Dark Knight did 600,000 in disc sales the first day on bluray, and that represents about 20% of the total disc sales against DVD. Big day for Warner I might say!

[pixelthis]

Smoke -

Where 'ya been? Don't you know how many of us are on pins and needles waiting for your frontline Black Friday reports from the DVD bins at Wal-Mart and Big Lots? :cool:

HEY, lay off ol smokey.
I got an authenic HD disc from the "bargain bin" at walfart for five bucks.
Standing in the shadows of MOWTOWN, just in order to watch it in HD you need a
computer and net connection, but it looks and sounds great.:1:

[pixelthis]

My copy shipped yesterday via USPS. Hopefully I'll have it by the weekend. My Blu-ray collection is off to a good start. Ironman and Batman! :thumbsup:

Matches that Iron butt of yours.
I have my rental copy ready to go, NYAH NYAH NYAH.
Tell ya how it ends.
Went to pick up my reserved copy of wanted, which I actually liked better,
and they had several copies of dark in Blu, said they were renting well.
CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH:1:

[kexodusc]

I also started looking through the BD-Live features. I noticed the "community screening" feature where you can gather up a group of people to watch the movie together, and exchange comments in real time. Any of you PS3 gamers up for a communal movie night, or are you all content with just shooting and blowing each other up? :D

Communal movie night? That could have potential...I'd love to be clued in to all the subtle film nuances that I miss when Batman is pistol whipping Joker in the interrogation...

Seriously though...I'd be up for that...sounds kinda neat.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Matches that Iron butt of yours.
I have my rental copy ready to go, NYAH NYAH NYAH.
Tell ya how it ends.
Went to pick up my reserved copy of wanted, which I actually liked better,
and they had several copies of dark in Blu, said they were renting well.
CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH:1:
You don't have to. I already saw it in the theater when it was first released. Thanks anyway chuckles.

[Worf101]

Thanks guys for the love.

There was a rare opportunity for me to tour middle east for six weeks (for free) and I took it. And it was an eye opening experience to say the least. The trip was too short to make any kind of sound judgment, but they were most hospitable and usually went out their way to make outsiders feel welcome.

The trip itself got started on a wrong foot (got sick the first week due to climate & cultural change), but ended up on a high note as one see the first hand how the other half lives without the usual nightly news politics sound bites. As one wise man once said.....“Sometimes you have to expand your comfort zone”.

But I sure missed my own bed :smile5:
Glad to know you've been travelin' and are back safe and sound, despite having your conciousness and brain expanded. Yepper there's a whole world out there beyond the borders and the Malls.

Da Worfster

[Rich-n-Texas]

I thought a labotomy effectively cuts your brain in half, not expands it!

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I thought a labotomy effectively cuts your brain in half, not expands it!

You are making room for growth, so yes it actually expands it....uh huh.....

[Smokey]

You are making room for growth, so yes it actually expands it....uh huh.....

Reverse psychology at its best :thumbsup:

Take that Tex :ihih:

[pixelthis]

I thought a labotomy effectively cuts your brain in half, not expands it!

Sorry that didn't work out for ya, ace.:1:

[Rich-n-Texas]

The above poster is the perfect candidate for the old *ice pick up the eye socket* trick. :rolleyes:

[johnny p]

I still haven't seen this movie..... But I certainly want to (the hype surrounding it is a put-off, but I owe it to myself to see it)

[Rich-n-Texas]

Got my copy last night. AWESOME flick. Wooch was talking about some of the action scenes filmed for IMAX... :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: And the Dolby TrueHD audio was unbelievable. Simply unbelievable!

[Woochifer]

Here's yesterday's L.A. Times story about The Dark Knight's huge home video debut, which also includes sales from the U.S. and Canada.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2008/12/dvd-sales-not-r.html

Lot of great information, particularly about Blu-ray, which for the U.S., Canada, and Britain accounted for 25% to 30% of estimated first day sales, with 600,000 in total unit sales. Other sites say that The Dark Knight is on pace to break the home video sales record currently held by Finding Nemo.


As much as 25% to 30% of the "Dark Knight" discs sold -- or 600,000 copies -- were purchased in the new Blu-ray high definition format. That surpasses the previous record set by "Iron Man," which sold 260,000 Blu-ray discs upon its first day of release. Studio executives say it's a sign the format is gaining traction with consumers.

"It's encouraging," said Ron Sanders, president of Warner Home Video."The Blu-ray sales of 'Dark Knight' were exceptionally strong and much higher than our projections."

[Woochifer]

Got my copy last night. AWESOME flick. Wooch was talking about some of the action scenes filmed for IMAX... :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: And the Dolby TrueHD audio was unbelievable. Simply unbelievable!

The Blu-ray's awesome because with those action scenes, you see a larger image area than what people saw in regular theaters (and on the DVD version).

BUT, you ain't seen nothin' until you see those IMAX scenes on an actual IMAX screen! :yikes:^10! Warner announced this week that they will rerelease The Dark Knight in theaters on January 23, and this includes a return engagement in IMAX theaters. This is your second chance, don't blow it this time! :cool:

[Woochifer]

I was just thinking that Warner only shipped 1 million Blu-ray copies, and more than half of them were already spoken for by the end of the release date. Are we looking at supply shortages this weekend, or does Warner have another stash of Dark Knight Blu-rays that they've already sent into the channel?

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I was just thinking that Warner only shipped 1 million Blu-ray copies, and more than half of them were already spoken for by the end of the release date. Are we looking at supply shortages this weekend, or does Warner have another stash of Dark Knight Blu-rays that they've already sent into the channel?

Word has it they have shipped more out to every market on the globe. I haven't got any numbers on how many have been shipped, but I am told it is pretty significant.