Las Vegas - A trade group supporting the next-generation HD DVD format said that sales of HD DVD hardware were up 37% in the first quarter of 2007, while Blu-ray hardware sales were down 27% in the same time frame.

However, the figures do not include sales of Blu-ray players included in Sony's PlayStation 3 video game console.

The North American HD DVD Promotional Group said it based its data on reports from NPD, Nielsen NetRatings and point of sale data from the studios.

The group also said that software sales for HD DVD players experienced a 20% increase in growth during the first quarter, while actual Blu-ray software sales were down 5%.

"The numbers are clear -- HD DVD is steadily gaining momentum and market share," said Ken Graffeo, executive vice president of HD strategic marketing for Universal Studios Home Entertainment, and co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group.

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