The end of Blu-ray's road to glory still isn't in sight yet, despite winning the format wars over HD-DVD. But it may be soon, sooner than most analysts think. Details in the full article.

Blu-ray, or DVD? Apparently, a lot of people refuse to buy a BD player because they hold that standard-definition of DVD is "good enough." Seems like a hollow victory for Blu-ray in the format war if that's the case, but the NPD Group reports that things are picking up. Details in the full article.

While Sony's Blu-ray format now has an undisputed monopoly over the high definition video market, recent reports from the NPD Group noted that sales related to the standalone Blu-ray player have been rather anemic over the past few months. In our full article, you can find out NPD Group's analysis on the situation and why the Blu-ray format still doesn't seem to be picking up despite its lack of competitors.

You probably knew this one for years now, but a study conducted by NPD just had to make it official: The average age when children start using consumer electronics has dropped from 8.1 years to 6.7 years, with the majority getting into computers and mobile phones in the early goings.

According to the study, children get into the usage of these products due to educational and entertainment reasons. Most schools now teach kids computer subjects, allowing them to gain a headstart and start using their home computers, which a lot of American families already have.

In addition to PCs, cellular phones and digital media players are carried by children when they're out of the household. Mobile phones have been marketed on the ground of keeping track of children, and parents have caught on to the idea quickly with the security of their little ones in mind.

Video games are also popular with children. Some of these can be accessed and enjoyed by kids even before they learn to read, often with engrossing results. In addition to popular consoles such as the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 and  the Sony PlayStation 3, handheld game machines such as the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP are also favorites in the youthful demographic.

The exact impact of this trend on how society as a whole behaves is still unknown, but some psychologists suggest usage in moderation for children when it comes to consumer electronics to allow kids to develop in a more well-rounded fashion.

NextGen informs that Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has stated that cumulative Blu-ray movie unit sales stand at just over 439,000 units in the U.S. HD-DVD sales, on the other hand, are just under 438,000. Moreover, according to the NPD group, Blu-ray currently stands as the number one new DVD format in unit and dollar sales in the U.S.

Although Blu-ray only lead by around 1,000 units, Sony has said that they expect the gap in sales to widen throughout 2007. Sony adds that the company currently lays claim to 40 percent of the Blu-ray player market with the PS3 and the company's US$ 1,000 BDP-S1 standalone player.

NPD reports that since the November launch of the HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360, the add-on has sold 92,000 units in North America as of the end of December 2006.

We interrupt the game news with hardware "news" (more sales figures, an exec says something quotable, intercorporate politics, and questions about game format).

Parts of the porn industry may have "sided" with HD-DVD, but according to NPD sales figures, Blu-ray is still way ahead. Not that the HD-DVD Xbox 360 add-on isn't moving: the MS hardware sold an impressive 92,000 units in the last two months of 2006! But Sony's Blu-ray has sold 687,000 units in the PS3.

Still, Richard Parsons, CEO of Time Warner (Time Warner supports both HD-DVD and Blu-ray) says the PS3 sales figure doesn't necessarily mean Blu-ray is winning the format war. "Do I think that the game console platform is really going to drive the conversion?" Parsons said, "I don't think so. People get those things [PS3s] to play games, not watch movies."

The real winner will be determined by the sales of HD-DVD and Blu-ray players. Or both could end up as losers with some companies opting to manufacture a compromise. Warner Brothers is fielding Total HD, a disc that can play both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD media. Meanwhile, LG Electronics has its Super Multi Blue player which plays both formats.

What would be interesting would be a hybrid HD-DVD/Blu-ray format. That should end all this brouhaha about which HD-DVD versus Blu-ray, so we can finally stop arguing about disc players and start talking about what matters most: game titles. Right? Right?