According to Bloomberg reports, Randy Waynick, senior vice president of Sony’s US home products division, reckons the number of stand-alone Blu-ray players hitting the stores in the US in 2007 will be around 600,000. If such expectations prove to be true it would mean a huge leap for Sony, considering the fact that the company shipped only 100,000 in 2006.

Sony will be tempting consumers with plans to release 20 top blockbusters with 14 or 15 new releases exclusive to Blu-ray.

The statement is seen as a response to the North American HD DVD Promotional Group’s recently announced figures. According to the group's report, the HD DVD was “significantly ahead in the dedicated consumer electronics player market”, with 60% of all high definition set-top players sold. HD DVD movie sales saw over 75,000 movies sold during the last week of May alone.

In another move, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has begun an online promotion that will offer the "third disc free" on Blu ray titles at participating retailers including Amazon. Consumers who purchase three Sony Blu-ray movie titles will receive the third title free.

Although the full Sony catalogue is not included in the promotion, the high selling titles Black Hawk Down and Casino Royale are. So far, the promotion seems to be working as eight Blu-ray titles have made it into Amazon's 100 best selling DVDs list. No word onhow long the promotion will last.

Story filed 17.06.07