AfterDawn: News

Blu-Ray costs come into question

Blu-Ray seems to be in the number one position currently in the format war it is waging against Toshiba's HD-DVD technology. However, concerns are now growing about the cost of bringing this new format to consumers. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are new formats that both use blue lasers instead of red. They offer much higher storage capacity than the DVD format, making it possible high definition movies on the DVD-sized discs.

Since Blu-Ray is the format most Hollywood studios intend to release movies on, concerns are now growing that the cost of manufacturing the discs may be very high at least in the short term, which could lead to price hikes affecting consumers. It's unknown how much of a price hike could be in store however. One manufacturing executive who asked to remain anonymous said that a production line for HD-DVD discs produced twice as many usable discs as a Blu-Ray line in the same time frame.



Also component costs for Blu-Ray are nearly double that of HD-DVD. Sony still disputes the price estimates however. "If there is a (cost) difference, that has yet to be determined," said Sony Pictures' Adrian Alperovich, the studio's executive vice president in charge of new business development. "There are (manufacturers) on both sides of the equation. If there is a difference in price either way, we think it will be minimal."

Alperovich also argues that the advantages that Blu-Ray has over HD-DVD outweigh a possible price gap. Blu-Ray requires completely different production equipment to DVD, whereas basic HD-DVD can be produced with relatively minor modifications to existing DVD manufacturing lines. A senior executive a disc manufacturing facility has been worried about Blu-Ray for some time now.

"We feel that some of the (Blu-ray backers') statements are setting unrealistic cost and price expectations for the content owners they are courting," said the executive, who asked to remain anonymous. "They're right at the zero point in terms of operational knowledge."

Source:
News.com

Written by: James Delahunty @ 28 Nov 2005 23:47

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• 26 comments

• skippy486

  Just to let everyone know. E-bay has a Sony Blu-ray burner up for bid, over $3600 + $95 shipping, its brand new and you would have to know japanese to learn to use it.

  29.11.2005 04:42 #1

• holoman

  Maxell and Blu-Ray miss the mark, and then some.
  
  
  http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=12682

  29.11.2005 07:16 #2

• RCHILD

  Fuck all those formats chicken memory is the next format................
  http://www.engadget.com/entry/4979866987686398/

  29.11.2005 10:06 #3

• tozzich

  I will never buy a blue ray DVD. Maybe rent one. I mostly watch DVDs on my computer while away from home. I don't want to carry around a bunch of flimsy DVDs. I want to copy them to hard drive and watch them from there. You can't make copies of Blue Ray disks, and they always fail with the tiniest scratch. I am not risking my money on them. They could fail before you watch the movie.

  29.11.2005 14:24 #4

• stve2

  i dont have a problem with blue ray more info on a disk makes better games,inside hint ps3

  29.11.2005 14:37 #5

• tozzich

  Toshiba HD would do the same, and you could make a copy. My god, games are way to expensive to put on a fragile Blue Ray dvd. A scratch too small to see with the naked eye would render the entire game useless.

  29.11.2005 15:14 #6

• alex1

  if the new blu-ray and hd-dvd uses a blue laser and old dvd's and cd's use red where does that leave us. hundreds of useless dvd's or are they backwards compatable or do we buy NEW players and burner's and car stereos AGAIN????

  29.11.2005 18:21 #7

• skippy486

  alex 1 Blu-ray Burners use 3 or more lasers to burn their disks. Its supposed to stop pirating. The disks don't even look like a dvd or cd. Their in a sleeve or cartrige with the sony.

  30.11.2005 02:02 #8

• skippy486

  By the way to all the Blu-ray disks to by for the sony are going to be $55+ for a 27 Gig. disk.

  30.11.2005 02:07 #9

• plutonash

  What these exes really ned to worry about is the hatred towards anything Sony right now. Sony products stink and that includes the inferior Ps2. The rootkit scandal doesnt help either.

  30.11.2005 02:35 #10

• alex1

  SKIPPY 486 ARE THEY LIKE PSP MOVIES AND GAMES AND WILL THEY WORK IN OUR OLD DVD PLAYERS??

  30.11.2005 05:30 #11

• skippy486

  As far as I know now Their coming out with movies on Blu-ray that no one will be able to copy without a blu-ray burner and then you would have to know the codes and have a burner that would copy them exactly right with Several diffrent lasers going. A Dvd only uses one. Try to copy a Blu-ray disk burnt with 3+ lasers to a one laser DVD 9 disk, going from 8 Gig. To a 27 Gig. or 27 Gig. and trying to go to 8 Gig. forget it. Give it Time and someone from the best site in the world and has the best people will find a way. If Blu-ray Survives! Not!

  30.11.2005 08:07 #12

• skippy486

  To alex1, i don't think Blu-ray and Dvd as of now will work their to complicated and diffrent to be compatable, as far as playstation games or movies i wouldn't know. Just being real.

  30.11.2005 08:16 #13

• skippy486

  To alex1 Blu-ray in our old Dvd player? I don't think so, sorry. Skippy.

  30.11.2005 08:19 #14

• alex1

  skippy486 thanks I love it when they find new ways to spend our money

  30.11.2005 08:51 #15

• stve2

  i would not worry about how to back up your movies ,cd,or games on blue-ray.remember kids hacker are 2 steps in front.if theirs a need they will find a way.remember what site your on.

  30.11.2005 14:57 #16

• nato1200

  That's an interesting speculation by the HD DVD forum about production run efficiency on the discs. The blue ray format has been in use in japan for a while already. So the only one with actual "facts" is blue ray. What a headache this this has become.

  30.11.2005 15:08 #17

• Steve83

  I'm so glad that the clamoring hordes of consumers who have been complaining for decades about how crappy DVDs are will now be satisfied. Just like all the riots we used to have about low-res TV that have now been silenced by HD-TV.
  
  This entire NON-event is being blown SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO far out of proportion & context... The world consumers need to realize that THEY control the market - it has become too accepted nowadays that big companies decide what we need to buy, and we, like little sheep, bring our credit cards to them in outstretched hands wanting to be the first to have "the emperor's new clothes".
  
  Why would you even CARE how much this crap is gonna cost, whether it's gonna be compatible, whether you'll be able to buy a burner, how much the media will cost, or how many new formats there will be???? Does your DVD burner work? Can you buy blanks for $0.30 ea or less? Do they hold everything you need? Do they play in all your equipment? Can you rip/burn/copy/edit them as you please?
  
  The answers to ALL those questions is a resounding "YES".
  
  So then why would you be DUMB enough to spend a PENNY on anything else, regardless of how new it is? Hell! It's not even on the MARKET yet, and you're acting like you've been left behind!
  
  Haven't you noticed what a good little consumer you've been turned into?

  1.12.2005 15:03 #18

• Reasons?

  Production cost of the BD drive in the PS3 is estimated at $100.
  
  I think HD-DVD is throwing bullshit around personally, but wtf, think what you want.

  1.12.2005 18:18 #19

• skippy486

  I'll be blunt, very good point Steve83. I'm happy with what I got and what I'm doing with it!

  2.12.2005 15:38 #20

• akkuma

  yeah i guess you are right, we Have been turned into trained consumers.

  4.12.2005 05:15 #21

• Reasons?

  I would be pissed if they kept DVD, I want high def, and so doesn the majority of America's money. Only the complacent and the low class would want to keep DVD, and America is rarely a complacent country.

  4.12.2005 10:53 #22

• drne9of13

  who cares about hd-dvd? I say we as consumers dont buy any of the crap and force sony an co to improve the existing format DVD. I certainly will not be jumping on the HD bandwagon. Jeez how good does a picture have to be? how much do we have to pay for a supposedly better picture?
  U walk into 1 household that has HD dvd or Blu-ray disc playing and then walk into another playing the same disc on dvd and u be hard up telling the difference. However if the 2 formats were playing on 2 tv's butted up side by side and u stand there in front them straining your eyes as u shift your gaze from 1 set to the other and then before a migraine sets in u would concede that HD is better.
  In this country free 2 air broadcasts are done so in 3 formats. Still the old analogue, SD(present DVD quality) and of course HD.The trend here is SD(dvd)is good enough. Retailers are having trouble giving away HD decoders.
  So Mr High class REASONS? i suggest u dont come here for a holiday because u will spend all your time CRYING about our tv picture quality. Bugger!!

  12.12.2005 17:06 #23

• Reasons?

  Just for clarification, the difference between standard def and 720p at th eleast, not even 1080p, is quite noticable. The fact that you remark they way you did, leads me to believe you have never seen properly transfered and scaled 720p content on a 720p or 1080p tv or 1080p content on a 1080p tv. Because the difference is amazing to me. Even hooking up my Xbox 360 with th ehigh def cables, then regular, then highh-def, I can tell BIG TIME the difference, edges are just so smooth and you can appreciate the 360 more, just like you can movies.
  
  I don't know about you, but enough people are ready to move foward.
  
  And note- Properly set up HD tv and gaming makes a big diff, like runnign your HD 360 through a A/V reciver or VCR that will down scale the image, then when the tv get's it it has to upscaled. This is one example of improper HD set-up which puts you right back to regular def. Not only this, but Tvs when you buy them are set up to look good on the show room floor with more blue output over the others, it is marketing creatign that initial satifaction. When you properly set up your display, magic happens as well.
  
  HD content is very appreciated if you are actually getting that HD content to your eyes.

  12.12.2005 17:19 #24

• drne9of13

  Sorry to disappoint u but i have 2 hdtv's in this house. 1 has a SD decoder running 2 it the other a HD decoder. Believe me the HD is 100% properly set up.
  Therefore u can argue with me until u are blu in the face the difference between them is marginal NOT REMARKABLE. Certainly not enough 4 me to get excited about HD DVD.
  
  If both my tv's were destroyed i would replace them with equivalent size non hdtv's and run only SD decoders.
  
  I am not going to jump forward and embrace this new format.I will wait and see what the market dictates and if i am forced to change then so be it. I suspect i will be as there seem to be enough fools out there who believe the market hype and accept they need to have the best picture possible and pay top dollar.Could U be 1 of these Mr REASONS??
  
  Me, well i will keep watching dvd as long as i can until i can no longer and then buy the new gear at probably less than half the price the market guinea- pigs payed.

  12.12.2005 19:09 #25

• Reasons?

  To each his own. And yeah, I'm right with you, I wouldn't be an early adopter etiher, BUT, I am a big PS fan and gamer (Two Xbox 360s, very dissapointed by the way) and PS3 will come with a BD drive. That's awesome!!! for $400. You can get a BD player at COST if you just buy a PS3, it'll be good.
  
  No way I'd buy a BD player alone for $300+ when they come out. And HD-DVD has pretty much already lost cause MS screwed up and didnt' support it with the 360. That screams Microsofts confidence in Blu-ray and not HD-DVD.

  13.12.2005 06:28 #26