AfterDawn: News

Sony reveals prices for Blu-ray

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has become the first major movie studio to give pricing details on Blu-ray Disc movie releases. The discs are expected to become available in stores in the United States around summer this year. Catalog Blu-Ray titles will wholesale for $17.99, mirroring the cost of DVDs when the format first hit stores 9 years ago in 1997. New release titles will wholesale for about $23.45, about a 15% - 20% increase compared to when DVDs were first released.

"The higher pricing structure for new releases is meant to accommodate the sell-through and rental markets" said Benjamin Feingold, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. "The premium is for a way better format and to remind retailers that at the time we launched DVD, VHS was selling for $55 wholesale in the first window". He added that Sony will not suggest any prices for the initially released discs, saying the company believed in a free market.



"From the retail perspective, this is going to be a hot product, and retailers will no doubt determine their own margin structure," he said. The company also gave details on another selling point for Blu-ray; bundling multiple formats to accommodate consumer needs. This is like Sony's offering of DVD / UMD releases.

"With the launch of Blu-ray, we're going to try to introduce the managed-copy concept, where if you buy Blu-ray you'll be able to get additional versions (of the same title) to use in your home," Feingold said. "Ultimately, we might even get to the point where we'll offer consumers the ability to have different versions of the same movie on different devices in the home -- that's something we're working on." Feingold would not specify whether future Blu-ray bundling would be electronic or physical.

Source:
Reuters

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Written by: James Delahunty @ 8 Feb 2006 7:45

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• 40 comments

• GrayArea

  "From the retail perspective, this is going to be a hot product,"
  
  I'll believe that when I see it. I know I won't touch ANY HD disc products until this idiotic greedy format war has been settled in some reasonable way.

  8.2.2006 08:47 #1

• nonoitall

  Quote:"Ultimately, we might even get to the point where we'll offer consumers the ability to have different versions of the same movie on different devices in the home -- that's something we're working on."WOW! Such great new technology to be able to move data from one device to another... oh, wait... we already had that, but now they've taken it away and are trying to replace it with something they control.

  8.2.2006 09:36 #2

• OzMick

  And meanwhile, they try to also push crappy UMD format movies for the PSP. So you pay a premium for quality eh? So UMD movies should be next to free I suppose... Nice one Sony. And considering that probably 99% of homes still have just SD televisions, next to nobody besides Sony fanboys are going to believe they are getting better quality anyway.
  
  "From the retail perspective, this is going to be a hot product..." Yeah, hot as in sold off the back of a truck, nobody will pay significantly more than a standard DVD, especially this early in the game.

  8.2.2006 10:30 #3

• Glitched

  I expected the movies to be around 40-45$, well there just 10$ more thats a good price

  8.2.2006 11:28 #4

• evilh0ly

  well the price are pretty reasonable for these new product. but the players are overpriced. well that's where ps3 comes in place.

  8.2.2006 13:16 #5

• Glitched

  lol ya i cant believe its 500$ while a blu ray player is like 2000$ ,thats the main reason im buyin the ps3

  8.2.2006 13:20 #6

• riplord

  I think I'm gonna stick to SDTV 'til the united states broadcasting channels switch to ATSC in a couple years.

  8.2.2006 16:41 #7

• limelight

  VHS to DVD worked. It allowed consumers to get a much better picture/sound, plus the big one (for me) was to be able to skip ahead/return to menus/subtitles/extras on the fly. Blue Ray offers the same, but with a better picture (that most people like myself could care less about) and a higher price. In my opinion, people wont buy it. Look at CD's, its the same transistion from cassetes. Who cares about SACD, or DVD-audio? I dont.

  8.2.2006 16:51 #8

• neo1000

  Thank god we all have hdtv`s.

  8.2.2006 18:04 #9

• Distorded

  limelite
  
  You hit it on the head. HD, who cares right now. The only reason they are pushing this is because the U.S. is going to HD in some distant future (They will push it back again). Personally I could care less about HD, DVD quality is great also why shoud I have to pay more for a disc that won't be able to be played on my current system?
  
  Though I do have to comment on the fact that HD T.V.'s will drop in price once this happens and I will finally break down and buy one. But I will only buy DLP because all the other looks like S#!t. At least they do today.

  8.2.2006 18:04 #10

• Distorded

  Also:
  
  I think that movies have hit a low because they use to many computer created sceens that we can't get sucked into because we know and can see that they arn't real. The worst pat is it is due to HD. Everything looks so fake. LCD, Plasma define edges so much that they all look layerd unless you spend too much money on a T.V. in witch case you wasted it when the new lower priced highend T.V.'s come out. I see a future in HD but it won't come for a while.

  8.2.2006 18:12 #11

• Ludikhris

  23.45 wholesale is high for wholesale. They are making another mistake. Believe me after studying business five years now you can go back and look at all the flaws Sony has made. This looks to be one. I dont think they ever really learned from betamax because they are doing the EXACT same thing here. They are charging one price while HD-DVD will undercut them by a bunch and everyone will buy that format and Blu-ray will be a thing of the past.
  Why is it that the marketing departments in companies these days have their heads in their asses? I cant wait to get into the field and at least be able to fix one F***ed up company. This is ridiculous.
  
  In the great words of Red "Way to go, Dumbass!"
  
  
  Ludikhris

  8.2.2006 19:18 #12

• JaguarGod

  @limelight,
  Quote:Blue Ray offers the same, but with a better picture...You are not paying more for a better picture quality, but instead you are paying for the potential of better picture quality.
  
  The discs will be able to take a max bitrate of 25mbps which would take up about 21GB for movie only (no menus, audio, extra features, etc...)
  
  Actual bitrate will be about 15mbps, which is only 6mbps more than current DVD potential, however, the increased resolution will give the HD formats a similar picture quality (noise & backgrounds) to a Criterion Collection DVD, a Star Wars DVD, or a Superbit DVD...
  
  Also, if the new formats follow the patterns of the past, you will see higher bitrate movies at introduction to push the format, then after a while, once you get multi layered BD discs, you will get FBI Warnings in 27 languages, 100 previews, 14 different music videos, 18 different audio languages, 20 deleted scenes, etc... and bitrate will go to crap.
  
  If you remember, the first releases of DVDs were on single layer discs. However, these were pretty much movie only and 1 or 2 audio tracks with a still menu. This gave the movie a bitrate of about 4500kbps. Old releases on Dual layer were pretty much the same, almost movie only, still menu maybe a DTS track. This made bitrate about 6200kbps.
  
  Newer movies like Stealth, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, The Cave, Bewitched, etc... (basically most Sony releases), have a main movie of about 3.5GB which gives it a bitrate of about 3500kbps. This number is lower than most old single layer releases. I think that the same will be true for the newer HD formats, but only time will tell...

  8.2.2006 21:00 #13

• Crunk

  I guess we'll see what happens in the short term but some form of higher def. will catch on. It's like once you watched a DVD you relized how bad VHS sucked and you just couldn't go back. I personally think that as long as HD maintains their stance of being less proprietary than Blu-ray that they will win out. What kind of name is Blu-ray anyway, I guess it's like a Sno-cone.

  8.2.2006 23:10 #14

• akkuma

  i guess we all should re-do our home theatre system for the coming of blue ray?? wow how much will that cost us alone??

  9.2.2006 02:41 #15

• S2K

  akkuma if you already have an HD TV, like a whole lot of people, a player will probably cost $400 this year, $200 next year or $100 the year after.
  
  so the expense won't be much at all.
  
  the fall in player prices will be quicker than occured with current dvd players. (current manufacture cost as low as $25 and retail as low as $35)

  9.2.2006 04:07 #16

• Shinraboy

  damnit, this may be the end of media back-ups as we know it....

  9.2.2006 04:28 #17

• JaguarGod

  @S2K,
  Quote: akkuma if you already have an HD TV, like a whole lot of people...I do not know of any HDTVs that are capable of diplaying full 1080p 60fps HD contents that will be on Blue Ray. As for 1080i there are only a handful like Sony's new SXRD XBRs & Qualia and JVC's LCoS. There are maybe 2 or 3 more sets that can disply the resolution but they cost more than the SXRD XBRs. I think the JVC is the cheapest at about $3000 for a 60", the XBR is about $5000 & the Qualia is about $14,000, but that one is 70". Of course they can all be found on sale or on-line for cheaper though...
  
  1080p will not be supported until the newest revision of HDMI (v1.3) will be released. I do not know when that will be.
  
  Basically all plasmas, DLPs, LCDs, etc... are only 768p displays. The ones that claim 1080i/p only upconvert the signal (similar as in those up conversion DVD Players).

  9.2.2006 06:29 #18

• mudearies

  yeah boy ,as soon as i get my ps3 all my new movies i will buy them on Blu-ray format,its the bomb and just to think when the bd-burners drop and those 25gb single layer discs wow ,cant wait.
  blu-ray the king.

  9.2.2006 12:22 #19

• S2K

  Juaguar,
  
  You miss my point. right now people are bying dvd's that are underutlizingf their hdtv's. prpbably 90% of cpontent watched on HDTV under utlizes capability. so the question is not full exploitation of the hd dvd.
  
  by the argument you are making -- why would anyone have bought an hd tv in the first place since current dvd's under-utilize them?
  
  

  9.2.2006 15:00 #20

• OzMick

  Ever heard of the saying "A fool and his money are soon parted?"

  9.2.2006 16:07 #21

• PirateDan

  And a sucker is born every minute.

  9.2.2006 18:15 #22

• Distorded

  The past three comments have made my point. A DVD can't live up to a HDTV potential and a HD-DVD will not live up to what we are looking for in HD-DVD. Never ending. I can't even begin to think of where we will end. But for now I stay up on my computer and its componets because people like yourselves will always be there to give me the best programs to do what I want with my media. Also my computer like everyone else's will be the focal point of any home entertainment system. In simple terms F**k Blu-ray and HD-DVD My computer will support both and will backup anything I throw in it. Legal or not it will also play on my whatever-DVD player. Thanks AD for making me belive that I can do what I want with what I have.

  9.2.2006 18:34 #23

• mudearies

  you can store about 2 hours of high def. picture in a 25gb..im soo looking forward to buying a Blu-ray movie...

  9.2.2006 23:17 #24

• ZippyDSM

  Ok so new moives will be around 30$ ocne hollywood adds thier fees and shit..but who caes how much are drives how much are blanks?? HHEELLOOOOO????
  morons.......

  10.2.2006 00:51 #25

• S2K

  distorted when you said:
  "The past three comments have made my point. A DVD can't live up to a HDTV potential and a HD-DVD will not live up to what we are looking for in HD-DVD."
  
  Do you see a conspiracy or even a problem with that? there isn't either.
  
  most people upgrade in parts. foir example two years ago I had no need for 5.1 soudn tracks on my dvds. so standard dvds I was buying were underutilized by me in both audio and video. I got a 5.1 sound system. Later when I upgraded my monitor I got a better picture bt also went above what a standard dvd and player can utilize.
  
  you make it seem like this is all soem kind of rip off. it isn't.
  
  smart people moderate between the chain being as strong as its weakest link, and the simple fact that upgrading "links" can (and is usuall best) be done in parts, and those upgrades fall in price over time.

  10.2.2006 01:41 #26

• weazel200

  ARe they going to re-release all the films that are on normal dvd's on to blue ray or is it just going to be new films?

  10.2.2006 04:06 #27

• neo1000

  Of course they`re gonna re release all the movies since the begining of the movie industry,that copy of the wedding crashers you just bought already is old,maybe you should wait to the blu ray release of your next buy.

  10.2.2006 08:18 #28

• dummy1982

  I agree that most people could care less about high def, but... someone has to make the move in that way or it will never become the standard. It will start with a few people that are willing to dish out the money then someday when they are cheaper everyone will jump on the bandwagon.

  10.2.2006 10:25 #29

• weazel200

  @ neo1000
  I was thinking that too. It completely sucks if someone has a massive collection of DVD's then they find a new format is coming out.
  

  
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  10.2.2006 10:31 #30

• OzMick

  Meh, just get an unlimited rental account at your local video store. Sure, you don't have all your DVDs on hand per se, but if you ever feel like watching something all you have to do is burn around and pick it up. Kills two birds with one stone, no more whinging that all your medis going to become outdated in 24 months, and pretty much eliminates the need to back up too, you do the math and AU$30 a month is pretty good, especially considering my girlfriend is going back there every day for another 4 discs, while we're on holidays at least.

  10.2.2006 13:13 #31

• neo1000

  I work in a telephone company and right now the`re pushing hard for adsl2+ wich brings speeds of up to 25 Mbps, enough for transmitting HDTV in real time and that`s why bill gates says hd dvd and blu ray may be the last physical media we might see.

  10.2.2006 17:24 #32

• boonflop

  Alot of good points written on this topic.
  
  But there is no reason to fret. As long as they sell Blu-ray burners, and THEY WILL, we will be able to back our movies up. they can try all they can to keep burning programs under wraps, but there always is that "shady" employee that will get the program out for us all.
  
  When it comes to my current movies which is up to 200 now, i will be in no hurry to get the latest and greatest version "blu-ray" to back up old movies. I guess i will just live in the stone age for awhile until blu- ray out numbers my "old movies". but by the time Blu-ray is the dominating force and have wiped out all dvd's i will prolly be up to 500 dvd's

  10.2.2006 17:29 #33

• neodave

  I will only buy the one that supports the old DVD format as well and I believe that is HDDVD. I've read BluRay will NOT support the older format. Who wants to throw away their collection or have 2 DVD players in their Home Theater.

  11.2.2006 07:25 #34

• AngryAnt

  Me.... I still use my VCR more than my DVD player. It tapes the stuff I want to watch, and plays it back for me just like it did ten years ago. Sure, it's not DVD quality, but then I'm not a collector. I don't really care. I watch it, then trash it. And 30 seconds into watching something, the slight quality loss is something I just don't even notice.
  
  The movies I want to keep I naturally buy on DVD now. And I plan to keep watching them on DVD, and hiring the new stuff I want to watch on DVD for as long as I can. The new formats don't interest me in the slightest. They can release them and battle it out to their hearts content for all I care. And I suspect there's enough people like me to force the movie companies to continue to release movies on DVD for a long, long time.

  11.2.2006 09:26 #35

• JaguarGod

  @AngryAnt,
  
  There are actually a lot of VHS that look better than a DVD, so you are not in any disadvantage. I still watch a lot of VHS and I am getting more and more Beta.
  
  The only quality loss you will get is when watching newer movies that are recorded with digital cameras. Movies on VHS from the 1950s and 1960s tend to look better than movies made before and after so those sometimes look better than HD broadcasts (480i/p and some 720p).
  
  The only reason I like DVDs more than VHS is that you can chapter skip, there is no rewinding, they are easier to back up, and there are menus (I hate super large motion menus though, since they are only a waste of space).
  
  The digital formats are bad because they are compressed like crazy. I think Blue Ray will be compressed 120:1 (at least 60:1 though) and HD-DVD will be compressed 60:1 (both assuming movie only with 1 audio track). This will lead to problems with backgrounds and high motion movies. They are still using MPEG-2 so high compression will give you a lower quality. I think DVD is compressed 50:1 with very few movies compressed about 25:1. This is why some DVDs look better than others and why some can be compressed like hell in DVD Shrink and some cannot (because of quality loss).

  11.2.2006 22:29 #36

• zrdb

  I think that most people, including myself, really don't care about either hi def format, I'll be darned if I'm going to run out and buy either type of player and replace all my current standard dvds, my chief problem is that either format has heavy duty DRM, I know someone will crack it pretty fast.

  12.2.2006 07:50 #37

• ZippyDSM

  I know its a stupid question but as these discs hold more and more data wont scratchs/smudges damage the data flow that much more? why have they not gone back to the protectvie cart case thing? I eman with that they could at least say their doing soemthing so you wont have to back them up.
  It seems like thier not even interested in fixing any of these problems they just want to sell there cheap(for them to make) crap and force the gov to make draconian laws so they can throw pll in jail for backing up thier wedding video.

  12.2.2006 11:37 #38

• JaguarGod

  @ZIppyDSM,
  
  You are completely correct about the sensitiviy of the discs. Blue Ray used to come in those protective cases you are talking about, but I think they are ditching it for movies.
  
  I think both formats are going to put some type of protective layer or something like that on the disc to reduce scratching and such.

  12.2.2006 15:04 #39

• ZippyDSM

  JaguarGod
  least I am right aobut soemthing 0-o *L*
  How bad are thos dinky CD cover/protectors that came out 2 or so years ago?
  
  Realy if the industry wants to fight back ups then do soemthing to protect the info on the discs..oh no cant do that then pll wouldnt buy repelacements ><
  

  I have a brain...I think......
  
  I aint the brightest bulb around but I can feel my way in the dark...LOL
  
  I fuzzy braind mew =0_o=

  13.2.2006 00:32 #40