HD DVD is this generations BETAMAX

Blu-ray Disc sales have seen a sharp spike in recent weeks since the bruising format war against rival HD DVD came to an end in the middle of February.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment's "No Country for Old Men" realized 9.8% of its total sales from Blu-ray Disc its first five days in stores, according to an analysis of Nielsen VideoScan First Alert numbers conducted by Home Media Magazine's market research department.

Fox's "Hitman," also released March 11, fared even better, generating 12.6% of its total unit sales from Blu-ray.

"That one hit the sweet spot," said Steve Feldstein, Fox senior vp marketing and corporate communications. "It's a great action title that looks beautiful in high-def -- and it's right in the cross hairs of Blu-ray's target demographic of young adult males."

By comparison, while the format war was raging, unit sales of high-definition discs, either Blu-ray or HD DVD, generally accounted for no more than 2%-3% of a title's sales.

Even in the busy fourth quarter of 2007, sales of high-profile new releases were overwhelmingly tilted toward DVD. Fox's "The Simpsons Movie" generated just 2.8% of its total sales from Blu-ray, while the Blu-ray version of "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," from Walt Disney Studios, accounted for 3.7% of total sales.

Only after Toshiba threw in the HD DVD towel on Feb. 19 did Blu-ray sales spike. Warner's "Michael Clayton," released that day, generated 5.5% of its total first-week sales from Blu-ray. Sony's "30 Days of Night," released Feb. 26, snagged 8.9% of its total unit sales from the Blu-ray version.

Home entertainment industry analyst Tom Adams of Adams Media Research credits the end of the format war with igniting Blu-ray sales, a trend he sees continuing throughout the year.

"Before, there was a tendency to play it safe and stick with the standard DVD," Adams said. "But now there's no longer anything to worry about."

Feldstein agrees. "Consumers in the high-def marketplace are now purchasing with confidence," he said. "The confusion in the marketplace that you saw when there were two formats continues to work itself out, and once education campaigns begin and the retail presence (of Blu-ray) expands, we should start to see the numbers soar even higher."