Audio Video News

Can you sell a million game consoles in three months and still be behind? Apparently so. Game console sales numbers through January have been distributed, and while Sony's overall numbers for the PS3 are impressive, Nintendo's Wii has outsold the PS3 in total units by aroung 50% in North America- 1.5 million units compared to around 1 million for the PS3. Microsoft's Xbox 360, which launched well over a year ago is in the overall lead with around five million units.

Blockbuster has a promotion that it apparently thinks is so good that it's worth doing twice. Last Sunday through Wednesday current Netflix subscribers that brought in the tear away flaps from a Netlfix movie rental envelope were given a free movie rental at Blockbuster. According the AP story on the promo, this is the second time Blockbuster has run this offer, the first being a two week stint in the Dallas area last December.

A report from Informa Telecoms and Media estimates that the number of HDTV households will grow to over 150 million worldwide by 2011 from just under 50 million as of the end of 2006. The US leads the pack by a long shot, currently comprising 58% of the worldwide totals, followed by Japan with 20% of world HDTV households.

Almost lost in the aftermath of <A HREF="http://www.ultimateavmag.com/news/20807walmart/">Wal-Mart's big announcement</A> that it was tackling the movie download space was the unveiling last week of the deal between Amazon and TiVo to partner on movie and TV show downloads. TiVo owners with broadband connections can now shop for video downlods from Amazon's Unbox and have the movies and shows sent directly to the TiVos- in their living rooms, connected to their TVs. The new service is called Amazon Unbox on TiVo.