HD DVD outsold Blu-ray 4 to 1 last year…in England

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HD DVD might have lost the sales lead in the U.S. but like many acts that struggle for acceptance domestically, it can take solace in knowing that it’s still topping European charts…for now. HDTV Org reports that UK figures show HD DVD outsold Blu-ray 4 to 1 in the period leading up to Christmas last year, helped by the fact that the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive was by far the most easily available HD player on the market. Unlike U.S. charts which have only provided ratios and no specific numbers, the British figures show just how small the market is at this point, with 8,200 HD DVD movies sold to Blu-ray’s 1,834. We’ll keep an eye on the market to see how it is affected by the launch of standalone players and the PlayStation 3 in March, and how well that tips the scales proportionally towards Blu-ray and how much total sales increase in general.