Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE)’s blockbuster Bond title, Casino Royale, released March 13 on Blu-ray Disc, has hit the 100,000 units shipped mark and is setting records at retail for greatest number of high-definition copies sold in one day, it was announced today by SPHE Worldwide President, David Bishop. The title debuted in the top 10 on Amazon’s DVD top-sellers list - a first for any film in high definition. The film’s director, Martin Campbell, extolled the disc quality and commented, “It’s just unbelievable. Clearly, it’s fantastic. The comparison between standard definition DVD and Blu-ray is quite stunning and quite transparent to the master. It’s precisely what would make me want to buy a copy.”

Various online sources including RedHerring.com are reporting hackers have announced they have broken the AACS copy protection that is the backbone of the DRM system on both the Blu-ray and HD DVD disc formats. Microsoft, one of the major backers of AACS along with Intel and a number of studios, say these allegations aren’t true which leads to the question – does it really matter if AACS is broken at this stage of the format war, in the eyes of the people who will make or break these formats – the consumers?

Continuing its commitment to the Blu-ray Disc (BD) format, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announces it’s March wave of BD titles scheduled for release on March 13, 2007, including the animated family favorite Ice Age, the sizzling action blockbuster Mr. & Mrs. Smith and the hilariously irreverent comedy Dodgeball. In addition, the action-packed film Commando headlined by Arnold Schwarzenegger originally slated for January 2007 release has been rescheduled to release with these additional BD titles on March 13.

Continuing its unwavering commitment to the Blu-ray Disc format (BD), Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment today announced the North American Blu-ray debut of X-Men: The Last Stand on November 14, timed for the launch of Sony’s much-anticipated Playstation 3 on November 17. The three X-Men movies are among the studio’s most popular and successful, collectively grossing over $1 billion at the worldwide box office and selling over 45 million DVD/VHS units. X-Men: The Last Stand features 100 percent HD content in AVC (MPEG4) including the film and the bonus features – a first for Fox. It carries a suggested retail price of $39.98 U.S.

Without question, the early success of HD DVD and or Blu-ray hinges on the enthusiasm and support of the early adopter audience. This special group of one to two percent of the AV consumer base is willing to spend big to get in on something great at a time that insures they are first on their block. This group is who both parties in the HD disc format war are fighting over first, and when they get traction with the early adopters, they will move toward the mainstream. Right now, some are signing on. Others are scared to make a move, which is not good news for the parties involved in this format war.