Blu-ray player sales are falling

Despite Blu-ray's victory over rival format HD DVD, it seems Blu-ray player sales are falling or seeing little to no growth in various markets.

The latest figures, according to the NPD Group, show that Blu-ray standalone players sales (excluding the PlayStation 3 and Blu-ray PC drives) have mostly decreased since the beginning of 2008, or seen no growth. Sales dropped 40 percent in the US from January to February and saw only a 2 percent increase from February to March.

The numbers don't seem to make sense though. HD DVD died out in February, yet sales have sputtered. One likely reason is price. Blu-ray players were selling for an average of $400 USD during March while just 3 months earlier in the holiday season they were selling for closer to $320 USD. An even better reason, according to NPD, is that standard definition DVD is "good enough" for the average consumer and that the upgraded video, audio and features just aren't worth the premium in price, at least not yet.

To back up their analysis, NPD cites that upconverting DVD player sales have increased 5 percent year over year so far compared to standard DVD player sales which have dropped 40 percent in the same period.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 30 Apr 2008 18:29

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69 comments

domie

ermm I think it's called a recession - sales of everything are falling - houses aren't exactly flying off the shelves either - particularly in the USA ( unless you count flying back into the banks' asset books as repossessions and foreclosures ) LOL

just as well that those of us who bought HD-DVD playrs and PS3/Blu Ray players can use them as standard dvd upscalers as well then for the time being.

very few now re going to join the bandwagon with hardware still so highly priced and blu-ray discs selling for over $ 20 in the USA and over $ 30 in the UK and Europe.

i expect in three years time we will be posting comments like " do you remember all the bitching and fighting about HD-DVD and Blu Ray and how we thought one of them was going to win through and be popular" ?

30.4.2008 18:57 #1

Hunt720

This could be proving that Blue-Ray is truly a "nitch" market and will never reach the masses.

This could mean that the "recession" is truly shrinking everyone's pocket size and thus, money is tight.

... Or this could just be another pile of pointless statistics that show sales numbers that appear to show one thing, yet may have nothing to do with anything the future holds for the format or for any of us in general.

(just wanted to sum up what the next 20+ posts would bicker over until the next HD news article appears)

LOL

30.4.2008 19:00 #2

domie

let's start the bickering now - I think you mean "niche" market - not "nitch" ;)

30.4.2008 19:08 #3

DVDBack23

Originally posted by domie: ermm I think it's called a recession - sales of everything are falling - houses aren't exactly flying off the shelves either - particularly in the USA To continue the bickering, how could you possibly compare houses that cost $200,000 USD+ to a $400 USD media player? lol :-D

30.4.2008 19:18 #4

A_Klingon

The US recession may be a small-ish factor, but overall, I chalk Blu-Ray's pathetic market progress on still WAY too-high-prices for the standalone players; the discs themselves, and FAR too little selection of either.

I have yet to see a blu-ray disc title in the stores for anything less than FULL (inflated) retail price, and I have yet to see even ONE blu-ray player at, (say) Walmart. (I have no intention of ordering one by mail).

If Sony & all the other blu-related companies want to inch past niche status, then they need to get up off their as*** and start *acting* mainstream. Otherwise, I see blu-ray as just another (failed) Laser-Disc-Like (12") format.

30.4.2008 19:23 #5

def&blind

30.4.2008 20:47 #6

error5

Originally posted by A_Klingon: If Sony & all the other blu-related companies want to inch past niche status, then they need to get up off their as*** and start *acting* mainstream. Sorry A_Klingon but BluRay cannot be a mainstream product at this point in time. It cannot become a mainstream product until HDTV market penetration reaches at least 50% to 75% of households. You won't see this until the prices of 40 inch or larger HDTV's reach $500 or less.

This is the point that people seem to forget: You need a fairly good sized HDTV to appreciate the advantage of BluRay.

This is why BluRay player prices are fine where they are now and manufacturers prefer to be profitable. They don't have to "act mainstream" until HDTV's become mainstream.

Pioneer Kuro 50" PDP-5010FD 1080p Plasma With 24fps input and 3:3 72Hz Playback - ISF Calibrated
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player// Sony PS3 60GB - soon to be replaced by the Panasonic DMP-BD50
Marantz SR6001 Surround Sound Receiver With HDMI// B&W604/602/LCR600 // Hsu Research VTF3 Subwoofer
HD DVD Titles - 85 // BluRay Titles - 63 (and counting)

30.4.2008 21:03 #7

erjl

Why spend any money on something when you don't have an HDTV to watch it on and besides you can buy an upscaling DVD player for $50 as compared to a Blu-ray player for $380. Everything is over priced the HD flat screens, the BD players, the movies and the blank media. (blu-ray media $15-$25. DVD blank media $0.30-$0.50) duh!

30.4.2008 21:50 #8

tripplite

i think this is expected, with the great quality people get with a up converting dvd player they dont see the reason to spend $320$ on nothing they need, most titles are still avail be in dvd and so no need to change format.....when the player falls to $200$ and titles are only released in in blu ray then you'll see people buying them like crazy!

30.4.2008 22:18 #9

Hunt720

Originally posted by domie: let's start the bickering now - I think you mean "niche" market - not "nitch" ;)

... were supposed to be arguing about the article, not spelling and grammar. Even if the article was about spelling and grammar, you failed to notice that I spelled it ?Blue-Ray? which is also wrong. I mean, if you are going to grade all my posts before the end of the semester (professor domie) you will be disappointed to find out how poor your proof-reading skills are for someone who knows the english language well enough to make it a point to correct forum posts.

JUST KIDDING! ..... I forgot how French the word NICHE was. MY BAD

30.4.2008 22:35 #10

varnull

Like we are supposed to be f-in surprised.

As above.. all the pricks who have money to burn have already got, and the rest of us are boycotting the sony drm bollocks.. (my spellchecker must talk yankee.. it doesn't like the word bollocks)

Get a life already.. HD is a fiasco.. we don't want it.. quite happy with our 720i (actually 640i) from broadcasts on our 20 year old 22" crt tv's thanks. Try capturing an analog tv stream hd fanboys... 100 gigs an hour in raw .dv format?? GTF blu-ray.. shoddy crap. Even the forced digital switchover is shite.. the quality is poor and interference causes much more objectionable disturbance... I fail to see the improvement except in the bank balances of the content providers.....

edit.. 10 cans of fosters later ans the fingers are going in the wrong directions... zippy would be proud... lmfao.. I spend my money on fun not showing off to tyhe neighbours. I suspect my friend hughjars would agree.. oh hugh, where art thou.

Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work....

30.4.2008 22:44 #11

tripplite

Quote:.. HD is a fiasco.. we don't want it..
DE-GASP!!!!!!!!

speak for yourself i dont mind huge ass backups i have to make anything for 1080p :P

its going to take a while for people to settle with blu ray, personally i dont like the forced change but alas i always go with he flow!

-tripplite

30.4.2008 23:08 #12

sgriesch

30.4.2008 23:28 #13

hulud86

Why buy a Blu Ray player when you can get a PS3 for the same price? Sony needs to use their brains just a little bit.

30.4.2008 23:55 #14

hulud86

Why buy a Blu Ray player when you can get a PS3 for the same price? Sony needs to use their brains just a little bit.

30.4.2008 23:55 #15

hulud86

Sorry, didn't mean to post this twice

30.4.2008 23:55 #16

Blackjax

Quote:Originally posted by domie: ermm I think it's called a recession - sales of everything are falling - houses aren't exactly flying off the shelves either - particularly in the USA To continue the bickering, how could you possibly compare houses that cost $200,000 USD+ to a $400 USD media player? lol :-D
Yeah the houses cost about the same now, don't they?! ;)

1.5.2008 00:27 #17

edge2000

There is no real need for blu-ray. You could just buy a ps3 if you wanted hd capabilities. You could also use your ps3 as an upscaler too.
Blu ray discs are cheap enough though. I don;t think players will be flying off the shelves till a few more years.

1.5.2008 00:42 #18

nobrainer

As i keep stating Blu-Ray offers very little over up-scaling dvd's to the average consumer other than more anti-consumer DRM and lockins, global price fixing DRM region coding that if it is disabled or bypassed on the Blu-Ray player the player automatically shuts down,and the chance for media studios to sell you the same content you already own on dvd all over again at 2x the price.

what is DRM used for exactly, combating piracy or price fixing and the ability to continually sell you the same media by actively blocking format shifting of content we own by DRM and constantly lobbying tougher IP laws.

Blu-Ray = pointless, anti-consumer format.

The BPI Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
The IFPI Are: The same anti consumer lot as listed above!
The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.

1.5.2008 02:21 #19

M1ckran

I think SD is "good enough" for most people in the UK.

A DVD player is almost a must-have in most homes and, with players available for around �25 in supermarkets, the market must be near saturation point. I've not noticed any drive to replace these cheap players with HD players costing ten times more and offering no perceived advantage.

I know several people (myself included) who have recently bought SD TV's instead of HD sets. The reasons being that SD is cheaper and HD sets look inferior when watching SD content. It's almost as if the manufacturers are deliberately sabotaging SD performance to enhance the HD impression. Since most people watch in SD (either broadcast or DVD) their is little to tempt them to go HD.

People I speak to are less impressed with the technical aspects of HD than with the ergonomics of the system. They are irritated that a DVD player can take two minutes before a disc plays, and will not consider paying higher prices for HD players that make them wait even longer and might not even play the disc they've bought.

It's obvious that HD will increase its market share in time, but how long did it take DVD to oust VHS, and become the accepted domestic standard? There is arguably less difference between SD and HD than there is between SD and VHS.

1.5.2008 05:47 #20

nobrainer

Originally posted by M1ckran: I think SD is "good enough" for most people in the UK.

A DVD player is almost a must-have in most homes and, with players available for around �25 in supermarkets, the market must be near saturation point. I've not noticed any drive to replace these cheap players with HD players costing ten times more and offering no perceived advantage.

I know several people (myself included) who have recently bought SD TV's instead of HD sets. The reasons being that SD is cheaper and HD sets look inferior when watching SD content. It's almost as if the manufacturers are deliberately sabotaging SD performance to enhance the HD impression. Since most people watch in SD (either broadcast or DVD) their is little to tempt them to go HD.

People I speak to are less impressed with the technical aspects of HD than with the ergonomics of the system. They are irritated that a DVD player can take two minutes before a disc plays, and will not consider paying higher prices for HD players that make them wait even longer and might not even play the disc they've bought.

It's obvious that HD will increase its market share in time, but how long did it take DVD to oust VHS, and become the accepted domestic standard? There is arguably less difference between SD and HD than there is between SD and VHS.tesco does not stock blu-ray hardware films or even the ps3 hardware or games due to lackluster sales, they do however stock, PS2, Wii, 360, ds, psp and DVD,s, so if the uk's leading retailer doesn't bother stocking these items in store, it kinda tells the story.

the reason for the delay in the HD hardware is all the DRM checking you have a regional disc as you are not allowed to play films from another country as this is piracy (price fixing), and a none pirated copy.

HD is better than SD as pc owners for the last 15+ years (Hi-Res is nothing NEW.) can tell you, but does it justify changing ALL your equipment?

if you want to go HD you need a new HDCP DRM HDMI compliant, screen and home cinema amp because the MPAA are blocking all current equipment in a hope to combat piracy, personally i think its just putting ppl off purchasing new equipment but hey i'm anti DRM.

And seems that ofcom has just stated that there will be NO HD freeview channels until 2012 and then only 4 will be mpeg4 with other channels arguing over the rest of the bandwidth using lesser codecs does not bode well for the consumer or encouraging ppl to switch to a HD screen to watch SD material.

1.5.2008 07:02 #21

PantherM

Between the economy and the cost....I can't see people running out and buying $400 stand-alone players.

The price is going to have to come down.

Besides, the PS3 is a better value for your entertainment dollar as a Blu-Ray player

1.5.2008 08:04 #22

ZippyDSM

Cost+economy theres yer reason,lets wait till prices drop and the economy gets alil better and see if sales pick up or not.

1.5.2008 08:05 #23

juankerr

Originally posted by PantherM: Besides, the PS3 is a better value for your entertainment dollar as a Blu-Ray playerTherein lies the flaw of this report.

Although we may never know how many of those who bought the PS3 did so instead of a standalone, the software numbers don't lie:

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/13771.cfm

Also consider the fact that at the 2008 CES in January several new standalone models were unveiled including the first 2.0 players from the major companies that are coming out later this year. Judging from the buzz at avs and other forums these upcoming 2.0 models are some of the most anticipated CE products for this year - especially the Panasonic BD50. I would wait for the NPD numbers after these are released.

1.5.2008 08:17 #24

Vr0cK

Well this article excludes PS3, so maybe everybody is realizing that the PS3 is simply the better deal and decides to purchase it so why by a stand alone for the same or more money. Until there's an article saying that PS3 console sales are going down then there's a problem lol =P

1.5.2008 08:25 #25

Hunt720

Another consideration too keep in mind for switching from SD to HD is the Jan 1st 2009 switchover (at least in the U.S.) to HD broadcasting. Granted, people will get thier government discounted HD tuners and whatnot, but the sales of HD tv's will increase as their prices decrease and the demand to have a set that can actualy show an HD broadcast in its fullest capacity will compel many consumers this year alone. I can remember in the late 90's when I saw the Matrix on VHS, and then found out my friend had a DVD player and the matrix on DVD!!! WOW!!! I thought it was the coolest thing EVER! But never even expected to own a DVD player right away because at the time they were expensive as hell in comparison to the ol' VHS tapes. Things have certainly changed and now DVD is the new VHS... I'm not saying Blu-Ray will do the same to DVD right away... or ever, but once people can start to appreciate the resolution of Blu-Ray with a compatible TV set things will shift in its favor. Until the market is completely "saturated" with the DRM of Blu-Ray I give props to the people out there who are helping crack it faster and easier every day.

.. you know, the SAME way it went down with DVD's.

1.5.2008 10:08 #26

c1c

That's it, I am buying a VMD player.

1.5.2008 11:04 #27

erjl

The January 17, 2009 change over in broadcast is for Digital TV not HD TV. I'm sure a lot of stations will broadcast HD but the requirement is for digital not analog. Currently in the rural area I live in I receive three Digital channels. Two SD and one HD.

1.5.2008 11:18 #28

goodswipe

Originally posted by A_Klingon: The US recession may be a small-ish factor, but overall, I chalk Blu-Ray's pathetic market progress on still WAY too-high-prices for the standalone players; the discs themselves, and FAR too little selection of either.

I have yet to see a blu-ray disc title in the stores for anything less than FULL (inflated) retail price, and I have yet to see even ONE blu-ray player at, (say) Walmart. (I have no intention of ordering one by mail).

If Sony & all the other blu-related companies want to inch past niche status, then they need to get up off their as*** and start *acting* mainstream. Otherwise, I see blu-ray as just another (failed) Laser-Disc-Like (12") format.Man, you sure do a lot of shopping at Wal-Mart. Do you live in a small town?

I still haven't bought into Blu-ray because of price and because I am happy with my HD DVD player for now. Yea, 400 dollars isn't that much, but it certainly is for something I'm not in dire need of. I can still buy HD DVD movies for 9-15 dollars and be happy. I'm sure there are lots of people out there that share these same feelings.

"look honey, it said goodswipe! oh wow, that's amazing."

1.5.2008 11:41 #29

BludRayne

blu-ray(DRM) bad, HD good. If you can't see that, get some glasses!

1.5.2008 12:40 #30

SProdigy

Originally posted by Vr0cK: Well this article excludes PS3, so maybe everybody is realizing that the PS3 is simply the better deal and decides to purchase it so why by a stand alone for the same or more money. Until there's an article saying that PS3 console sales are going down then there's a problem lol =PHerein lies the problem. Sony WANTS you to believe the PS3 is a better value, so I sense their reluctance to drop the price of stand alone players until the PS3 drops in price. However, it's not like PS3 is dominating it's market either, and we'll never be able to effectively gauge who's buying the console to play games, movies or both.

I also agree with the upconverted DVD factor. Honestly, some of us are happy paying HALF the price for a movie that has negligible differences to it's Blu counterpart. (LOL, how many people wear eyeglasses or contacts?)

I think we can all agree that without the PS3, Blu-Ray would already be on it's death bed.

1.5.2008 13:49 #31

A_Klingon

Originally posted by error5: Sorry A_Klingon but BluRay cannot be a mainstream product at this point in time. It cannot become a mainstream product until HDTV market penetration reaches at least 50% to 75% of households. You won't see this until the prices of 40 inch or larger HDTV's reach $500 or less.Yep, in a nutshell I think you've hit the nail right on the head, error5.

But - needless to say - Sony et al, wants desperately to go mainstream - god knows they've paid out enough payola to establish themselves right from the start - Sony, for example, is no stranger to proprietary, failed formats (miniDisc; beta, AccuTrack (or whatever it was they called their lossy audio codec), and they wanted to lay the foundation immediately for worldwide format dominance here with blu-ray.

Quote:This is the point that people seem to forget: You need a fairly good sized HDTV to appreciate the advantage of BluRay.Yes, absolutely. One would be nuts to shell out all the extra $$$ now being charged for discs and players just to play back content on a 17" bedroom monitor unless they've got wads of money burning a hole in their pocket (in which case they could afford a large-screen HDTV anyway).

For everything and everyone else, basic DVD has ALL the bases covered for the foreseeable future. Cheap discs, cheap players, plenty of both, cheap burners, cheap blanks, workable on ANY TV both large & small - HD and non-HD alike, and general ease-of-use easily as good as blu-ray.

The blu-ray proponents would seem to have their work cut out for them.

1.5.2008 18:08 #32

A_Klingon

Originally posted by sgriesch: Originally posted by A_Klingon: The US recession may be a small-ish factor, but overall, I chalk Blu-Ray's pathetic market progress on still WAY too-high-prices for the standalone players; the discs themselves, and FAR too little selection of either.Yep, that'll do it. I have seen "buy 2 get one free" offers at Best Buy and CC, but $60 still seems like a lot for 3 movies. And as for selection, the article about Paramount's relases just backs that up. (Face/Off, Bee Movie, and Next) Not real dazzlers IMHO to start their BR campaign.'Buy 2 get one free'? Actually, sgriesch, even that's a better deal than what I can get from a local Walmart.

"Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse Of The Black Pearl" (2-disc set) cost me $33.71, and I don't even have a blu-ray player yet. <gg>

No other blu-rays are on sale there either. Not even one. Haven't even seen a blu-ray player there yet.

1.5.2008 18:16 #33

A_Klingon

Originally posted by hulud86: Why buy a Blu Ray player when you can get a PS3 for the same price?Because most (I say most) die-hard videophiles who have invested a fortune in their home theater systems would prefer to have a "proper", built-for-the-purpose blu ray standalone, to play back their movies rather than a high-tech gaming console.

And also.... I suppose for the same reasons most people use an ipod or other mp3 player to play back their music files rather than a cell-phone.

Each has a preferred MAIN purpose.

1.5.2008 18:23 #34

A_Klingon

Originally posted by goodswipe: Man, you sure do a lot of shopping at Wal-Mart. Do you live in a small town?No. (Halifax, the capital city of Nova Scotia, Canada). We have 3 or 4 Walmats kicking around the general area).

Sure, I shop Walmart, why not? Generally, they have better prices than (say) Best Buy, and what-the-hell? -- There's a local Walmart just up the street from me.

(In fact, - if I can get my a** off this computer before the store closes, I'm running out in a minute to pick up a cheap $40 bread-maker from them! - <It won't play blu-rays though.> ) :-D

1.5.2008 18:32 #35

JRude

I feel sorry for all you market driven sheep! A new, better format or operating system requiring ya mortgage your house & pets for slight incremental improvement at a loss of control of what YOU OWN! Ha haaa! mp3?! Ya talk of HD and listen to mp3?? Get a grip....don't fall for every pretty face that lifts your billfold! I have an excellent stereo and MANY vinyl and CD discs...BluRay? Not worth the DRM and hardware purchases. iPod? Get the REAL music! FISTA!? Keep your XP and enjoy what you PAID for! Wetting your shoes for every ''upgrade'' makes the industry happy and proud. And! Reduces your choices and operability. Baaaaa....baaaaa...

1.5.2008 21:15 #36

sgriesch

Quote:Originally posted by sgriesch: Originally posted by A_Klingon: The US recession may be a small-ish factor, but overall, I chalk Blu-Ray's pathetic market progress on still WAY too-high-prices for the standalone players; the discs themselves, and FAR too little selection of either.Yep, that'll do it. I have seen "buy 2 get one free" offers at Best Buy and CC, but $60 still seems like a lot for 3 movies. And as for selection, the article about Paramount's relases just backs that up. (Face/Off, Bee Movie, and Next) Not real dazzlers IMHO to start their BR campaign.'Buy 2 get one free'? Actually, sgriesch, even that's a better deal than what I can get from a local Walmart.

"Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse Of The Black Pearl" (2-disc set) cost me $33.71, and I don't even have a blu-ray player yet. <gg>

No other blu-rays are on sale there either. Not even one. Haven't even seen a blu-ray player there yet.Most of the "good deals" that I have come across were from Best Buy, Circuit City, and Amazon.com. Mainly, when they do bogo offers in the stores. I was able to get the Spiderman Trilogy from Amazon for $46, but haven't seen a deal that sweet in a while. As for Blu-Ray players, I am using a PS3. (Bought the 60GB before it went away). It works well, and also connects to my HP Media Server very seamlessly. I'm not a fan of the stand-alones. If Blu-Ray died, I could still at least play some games or stream media to the PS3.

1.5.2008 22:46 #37

iluvendo

I believe most people feel good enough (GE) is adequate as in SD (I also feel that most means about 90% of all the people on this planet). In tough times as we are in now , no need to splurge and pay for higher priced BD. BD may indeed wind up as a niche market for videophiles only and upconverted SD may be here for the next 10 years till a new revolutionary data storage system of very very high quality comes in at an affordable price to superceed and challenge upconverted SDs.

If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck!
"The flimsier the product,the higher the price"
Ferengi 82nd rule of aquisition

1.5.2008 23:02 #38

varnull

Was in Asda earlier (Golborne)... they have decided to not stock BD films at all in that store on the grounds of not one single ps3 game having been sold despite having the top 10 on the shelves every week since release. They were taking them off the shelves to make way for some product they think they can sell.. blank dvd and cd.. philips and tdk.. arrrrrrrrgh.. I walked on for the reduced bread.

Around here BD is a total washout... nobody has bought. Not even the millionaire who owns the local small shopping mall. he likes his �30 Dual upscaling dvd player.

Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work....

1.5.2008 23:11 #39

viny1313

I smell a price cut :)

1.5.2008 23:41 #40

iluvendo

Originally posted by viny1313: I smell a price cut :)
I don't. We'll see which one of us is right.

If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck!
"The flimsier the product,the higher the price"
Ferengi 82nd rule of aquisition

2.5.2008 00:53 #41

nobrainer

Originally posted by A_Klingon: Originally posted by error5: Sorry A_Klingon but BluRay cannot be a mainstream product at this point in time. It cannot become a mainstream product until HDTV market penetration reaches at least 50% to 75% of households. You won't see this until the prices of 40 inch or larger HDTV's reach $500 or less.Yep, in a nutshell I think you've hit the nail right on the head, error5.

But - needless to say - Sony et al, wants desperately to go mainstream - god knows they've paid out enough payola to establish themselves right from the start - Sony, for example, is no stranger to proprietary, failed formats (miniDisc; beta, AccuTrack (or whatever it was they called their lossy audio codec), and they wanted to lay the foundation immediately for worldwide format dominance here with blu-ray.

Quote:This is the point that people seem to forget: You need a fairly good sized HDTV to appreciate the advantage of BluRay.Yes, absolutely. One would be nuts to shell out all the extra $$$ now being charged for discs and players just to play back content on a 17" bedroom monitor unless they've got wads of money burning a hole in their pocket (in which case they could afford a large-screen HDTV anyway).

For everything and everyone else, basic DVD has ALL the bases covered for the foreseeable future. Cheap discs, cheap players, plenty of both, cheap burners, cheap blanks, workable on ANY TV both large & small - HD and non-HD alike, and general ease-of-use easily as good as blu-ray.

The blu-ray proponents would seem to have their work cut out for them.i wouldn't let nextgen see you talking like that or the other pro sony anti m$ mod on afterdawn, or one of the numerous sony bloggers, they will take your privileges away A_Klingon.

@ varnull

its the same in the UK, tesco the largest retailer in the UK, do not stock the ps3 console, ps3 games or blu-ray films, but they DO stock dvd, ps2, wii, 360, psp, ds and books.

2.5.2008 05:32 #42

juankerr

Originally posted by viny1313: I smell a price cut :)The price cuts COULD come when the new 2.0 models arrive.

For example: when the Sony BDP-S350 gets released you could see a price cut for the S300. When the BDP-S550 comes out then they should cut prices on the BDP-S500.

2.5.2008 07:18 #43

nopcbs

All the Sony fan boys who wanted the affordable player HD-DVD format to lose should be very pleased. The ONLY reason that there are Blu Ray players at anywhere near $300 is the former HD-DVD competition carryover. That's gone. The market is simply not willing to over-pay for a Blu Ray player when they saw HD-DVD players at well under $200 (even under 4100 at the end) and upconverting DVD players can be had for well under $100 and they are plenty good enough. The only Blu Ray player worth buying is a PS3 and that only with the $100 Sony Card incentive. And even that is a marginal "buy".

Too bad the wrong guys won.

2.5.2008 09:36 #44

nopcbs

2.5.2008 09:36 #45

Oner

Originally posted by nobrainer: i wouldn't let nextgen see you talking like that or the other pro sony anti m$ mod on afterdawn, or one of the numerous sony bloggers, they will take your privileges away A_Klingon.
Just as we should take yours away for talking bs/instigating moderators with your "assumptions" and your continual violation of forum rules? Do you think comments like these would go unnoticed? You would hope so. You really have been crossing the line as of late and are lucky I am not the mod I used to be when it comes to the way I handle people with bad attitudes here.....REALLY Lucky. But keep it up, you are only digging your own grave by calling people (especially moderators) out.

Search > http://forums.afterdawn.com/search
Rules > http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2487
Important Rule > http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/380660

2.5.2008 09:53 #46

susieqbbb

I like my dvd upconverter.

Why spend 400.00 for a blu-ray player to play movies in 1080I when i can get a upconverter for only 79.99 and convert my 20.00 dvd's into 1080I at half the price of blu-ray all i look at blu-ray as is another umd movie format and we all could see what was going to happen to this media with the psp.

Sony needs to learn and make some changes if they want to compete in this new economy of money savers and penny pinchers

Here is what would save sony.

1. blu-ray player 200.00 to 100.00 max if they cannot produce this they are already dead.

2. Dvd's are 22.99 to 20.00 u.s so then why do i want to spend 30.00 to 70.00 for blu-ray
I don't think so.

2.5.2008 10:32 #47

eatsushi

Originally posted by susieqbbb: 1. blu-ray player 200.00 to 100.00 max if they cannot produce this they are already dead.They're coming. Like error5 said, price drops in HDTV's will parallel a price drop in BluRay players.

Quote:2. Dvd's are 22.99 to 20.00 u.s so then why do i want to spend 30.00 to 70.00 for blu-ray.

You're looking at the wrong places to buy. No one pays MSRP anymore. I've averaged $19.00 to $25.00 for new BluRay releases when I buy from amazon. I've never seen a $70 BluRay title unless it was a multi-disc series.

Added: There's a $14.99 sale on selected Fox BluRay titles at fry's.com:

http://www.highdefforum.com/showthread.php?t=71351

Quote:$14.99 Fox Blu-ray sale at Frys.com

1. I, Robot
2. Independence Day
3. Sunshine
4. Simpsons Movie
5. Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer
6. Pathfinder
7. Kingdom of heaven
8. The day after tomorrow
9. X-Men: The Last Stand
10. AVP
11. 28 Weeks Later
12. Night at the Museum
13. Mr. Brooks
14. Robocop
15. Me, Myself and Irene
16. Eragon
17. Rescue Dawn
18. The Hills Have Eys 2
19. Mr. & Mrs. Smith
20. Ice Age: The Meltdown
21. Die Hard
22. Die Hard 2
23. Die Hard With A Vengeance
24. Live Free or Die Hard
25. Man on Fire

" target="_blank">http://shop3.outpost.com/template/dvd

2.5.2008 10:42 #48

ematrix

Wrong, MSRP equals price fixing and indeed affects how much you end up paying for movies. Consider that if the distributors tag a US$30-40 MSRP on DVD and Blu-ray movies, it means that they sell their products to the stores for about half that price.

Indeed some stores offer movies below MSRP, but not all of them do, certanly not everyone around the world, because unless they're a mayor retail store with high sales, it's not profitable to lower their prices permanently.

This has been the mayor problem for the past decade, distributors have refused to lower the MSRP on DVD movies, even so production costs have lowered since 1997, and this tendency will continue on Blu-ray movies.

But if the distributors asked much less to the stores for their products, and established a lesser MSRP, it would be more profitable and much easier to the stores to sell them, since it would be more accesible and atractive for us to buy them even if the store asked full MSRP, and even more people would consider getting movies at stores.

Blu-ray will not gain mainstream market, regardless if Blu-ray players get cheaper in the following years, if Blu-ray movies keep being overpriced. Imagine you get a printer for US$50 just to find out you'll end up paying that same amount every time you need to buy new ink cartridges... someone might say you could spend less if you refill them yourself, which leads me to the following...

DVD became mainstream not thanks to overpriced movie releases, rather because everything related to DVD such as players, recorders and blank media, got cheaper, much cheaper, but mainly when DRM protections were cracked on DVD movies, it allow the vast mayority of DVD users to take advantage of inexpensive hardware and get movies for a small fraction of what they would have paid for at stores.

Consider that movie sales figures acount for only that small percentage of DVD users that actually purchase movies, and currently only a tiny fraction of those are buying Blu-ray movies, it's tough to ignore that Blu-ray is selling a few millions of movies, against billions of DVD movies sold on same periods.

The bottom line is that most consumers preffer DVD, including that vast mayority that actually doesn't get their movies at stores, and rather spend money on inexpensive upconverting DVD players, specially in times where you have to keep an eye on your wallet.

2.5.2008 16:06 #49

eatsushi

Originally posted by ematrix: Wrong, MSRP equals price fixing and indeed affects how much you end up paying for movies. Consider that if the distributors tag a US$30-40 MSRP on DVD and Blu-ray movies, it means that they sell their products to the stores for about half that price.This still doesn't change the fact that I have never paid more than $25 for a new release BluRay title even though avarge MSRP's are $39.99. The fact remains that no one needs to pay MSRP if they know where to look. Case in point - the $14.99 sale on fairly new titles at fry's.com.

2.5.2008 16:54 #50

juankerr

Originally posted by eatsushi: This still doesn't change the fact that I have never paid more than $25 for a new release BluRay title even though avarge MSRP's are $39.99. The fact remains that no one needs to pay MSRP if they know where to look. Case in point - the $14.99 sale on fairly new titles at fry's.com.Same here. I don't know anyone who has ever paid MSRP on any BluRay or HD DVD title. There are so many sources out there that price these competitively including new releases. You just have to know where to look.

Here's the thread on avsforums where members inform each other of sales, special deals, BOGO's etc:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=976789&page=91

They're actually talking about the $14.99 fry's.com sale today.

2.5.2008 16:58 #51

iluvendo

Klingon law states that the dishonorable (ie greedy bastards) will be dealt with swiftly and justly in accordance with the merciful and honorable code of Klingon justice.

Today is a GOOD day for them to die!

This according to the right honorable members of the Klingon high council. And as witnessed by their honorable brothers the Ferengi.

If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck!
"The flimsier the product,the higher the price"
Ferengi 82nd rule of aquisition

2.5.2008 23:11 #52

error5

Originally posted by iluvendo: Klingon law states that the dishonorable (ie greedy bastards) will be dealt with swiftly and justly in accordance with the merciful and honorable code of Klingon justice.

Today is a GOOD day for them to die!

This according to the right honorable members of the Klingon high council. And as witnessed by their honorable brothers the Ferengi.OK. If you say so.

2.5.2008 23:18 #53

A_Klingon

Originally posted by nobrainer: i wouldn't let nextgen see you talking like that or the other pro sony anti m$ mod on afterdawn, or one of the numerous sony bloggers, they will take your privileges away A_Klingon. No they won't. (How did you manage to come up with such an absurd assumption?) I have far more respect for our mods than that, and IF I were indeed to have my priviledges removed, I doubt very much it would be for expressing my honest feelings about something (which I don't trash-to-living-death like some of you), even if I DO tend to stray-off-the-beaten-path more than I should.

(Now, be a good lil' AfterDawner, and go google-up some tasty inexpensive Profile 2.0 blu-ray player deals for me, will ya?)

-- Uncle Klingy (The Chaste) --

2.5.2008 23:22 #54

iluvendo

Actually I was eaves dropping , and I over heard A Klingon say that !

If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck!
"The flimsier the product,the higher the price"
Ferengi 82nd rule of aquisition

2.5.2008 23:23 #55

A_Klingon

Originally posted by Oner: Originally posted by nobrainer: i wouldn't let nextgen see you talking like that or the other pro sony anti m$ mod on afterdawn, or one of the numerous sony bloggers, they will take your privileges away A_Klingon.
Just as we should take yours away for talking bs/instigating moderators with your "assumptions" and your continual violation of forum rules? Do you think comments like these would go unnoticed? You would hope so. You really have been crossing the line as of late and are lucky I am not the mod I used to be when it comes to the way I handle people with bad attitudes here.....REALLY Lucky. But keep it up, you are only digging your own grave by calling people (especially moderators) out.I recognize a shortcoming-of-sorts in me that I tend to be far more leniant than perhaps I should, and treat the banishing of members as a last resort even though I may believe some of them richly deserve it. I always try to afford folks a second chance.

I may not always be so forgiving. I have (as you know) the ability to eliminate supreme trouble-makers from the face of these forums.

But I appreciate you comments, Oner. We ask SO Little of members. And did you know?

If people would just use everyday, common courtesy when posting, that alone would probably cover 80% of the forum rules, and 80% of the problems that accrue by blatantly ignoring them.

-- Mike --

2.5.2008 23:38 #56

A_Klingon

Originally posted by iluvendo: Actually I was eaves dropping , and I over heard A Klingon say that !WHEW!

I just got home from work, (after midnight here) and I am trying to catch up with the 'stuff' transpiring a page-or-so back. More stuff to still read .....

See ya in a bit. (I hope!) :-P

2.5.2008 23:41 #57

A_Klingon

Quote:Klingon law states that the dishonorable (ie greedy bastards) will be dealt with swiftly and justly in accordance with the merciful and honorable code of Klingon justice. (Yeah), we simply cut their heads off with a single blow. (Very merciful; they never feel a thing, or even flinch).

Quote:This according to the right honorable members of the Klingon high council.Oh, for sure! (And what a positively handsome group of pillagers we make at that!)

Quote:And as witnessed by their honorable brothers the Ferengi.Absolutely. (I can see you've done your homework, my honourable brother).

I never met a Ferengi who, for a mere slip of latinum-or-two, wouldn't trash his PS3 for a cheap profile 2.0 Sony standalone.

(Or something like that - I have no idea what I'm talking about here - it's very late, and I think I forget what the original gist of this thread was supposed to be anyway. :-P

2.5.2008 23:58 #58

ematrix

eatsushi and juankerr, you're missing the point... the reason why you may pay US$15-20 for a movie, is because the MSRP has been fixed at US$30-40, mainly because distributors keep providing overpriced releases to stores, even so production costs have lowered in the past decade. In comparison, today is much cheaper to produce a DVD release, than it was to produce a VHS release 10 years ago, but you have been paying twice or more for a DVD release, than you did for a VHS release.

Granted that you may pay below MSRP for a Blu-ray movie, but you have to see the big picture, not everybody around the world has the opportunity to do so, and for a format to gain mainstream market requires worldwide acceptance and consumption, which is tough when most consumers in the globe are forced to pay full MSRP if they wish to purchase Blu-ray movies, and the vast mayority of DVD users take advantage of inexpensive hardware to get movies for a small fraction of what they would have paid for at stores.

3.5.2008 02:38 #59

juankerr

Originally posted by ematrix: eatsushi and juankerr, you're missing the point... the reason why you may pay US$15-20 for a movie, is because the MSRP has been fixed at US$30-40, mainly because distributors keep providing overpriced releases to stores, even so production costs have lowered in the past decade. In comparison, today is much cheaper to produce a DVD release, than it was to produce a VHS release 10 years ago, but you have been paying twice or more for a DVD release, than you did for a VHS release.Sorry, but I don't get your logic here. I've read you 1st paragraph several times but I still can't seem to get your point. You went from overpriced releases, lower production costs, DVD and VHS - it's hard to follow.

I would say this though: At this point in time it costs more to produce a BluRay disc than it does a DVD disc. This is why I expect to pay more when I buy a BluRay disc.

However:

1. I am able to buy Bluray discs at prices way below MSRP and about $5 to $10 above street prices for DVD's.

2. As production capacity for BluRay increases and as the technology improves over the next few years we should see a decrease in overall costs, MSRP and street prices.

Quote:Granted that you may pay below MSRP for a Blu-ray movie, but you have to see the big picture, not everybody around the world has the opportunity to do so, and for a format to gain mainstream market requires worldwide acceptance and consumption, which is tough when most consumers in the globe are forced to pay full MSRP if they wish to purchase Blu-ray movies,I disagree. I think everyone has the ability to buy below MSRP if they know where to look.

I appreciate that you care about Bluray going mainstream but remember that it's only barely 2 years old. It's not just movie prices that will determine the extent of market penetration. Like some people have pointed out, lower prices and market penetration of HDTV's will also play a role in Bluray's future.

Quote: and the vast mayority of DVD users take advantage of inexpensive hardware to get movies for a small fraction of what they would have paid for at stores.Sorry but I don't understand this part too. Inexpensive hardware equals cheaper movies "at a fraction of what they would have paid for at stores?"

I'm not trying to belittle your post since you may have a point there. However, I'm thinking that maybe English is not your primary language so something may be getting lost in the translation.

3.5.2008 06:50 #60

ematrix

Thanks to allowing me to explain myself, back in 1997 when DVD was introduced, at this point in time it costed more to produce a DVD movie than it was to produce a VHS movie. Anyone who bought movies at that time expected to pay more for a DVD movie.

Even so in the following years since DVD's introduction back in 1997, it became cheaper to produce a DVD release, even than it was to produce a VHS release, but we didn't saw a decrease on MSRP and street prices for a DVD release.

Depending of course if it was a single disc or a 2+ discs special edition release, the MSRP for a DVD release 5-10 years ago was roughly US$15-25, when DVD production costs where higher than there are today, and most of the time street prices were at best slightly lower than MSRP.

Then the question that has been the general discontent amoung consumers, is if today it costs much less to produce DVD releases, why the MSRP is US$20-35, much higher than it was before? why aren't we paying less for movies?

The fact is that we should be paying much less for a DVD movie even at current street prices, even if you take into account external factors such as inflation, today they should handle a US$10-20 MSRP on DVD releases, so that consumers could be paying lesser street prices, since they're still releasing single disc DVD editions at high prices.

The point is that film distributors saw the opportunity of investing even less money as the years when by, in order to sell overpriced DVD movies, instead of decreasing MSRP for DVD releases, by doing so allowing lesser street prices, which everybody was expecting and it didn't happen.

Granted that at this point in time it costs more to produce a Blu-ray disc than it does a DVD disc, and anyone should expect to pay more when buying a Blu-ray movie. You may wonder what all of this has to do with Blu-ray... well, somehow it feels like history it's repeating itself, like it's a dejavu of something that happened since 1997.

I glad you're able to buy Blu-ray discs at prices way below MSRP and about US$5-10 above street prices for DVD's, but overall movies on disc are overpriced, and understand that not everybody lives in USA nor can't buy on stores such as Amazon without paying additional costs from importing movies.

Any movie format to gain mainstream requires worldwide acceptance and consumption, which is tough when most consumers in the globe, are forced to pay high prices at local stores very close to MSRP, or with the added cost of importing movies from USA, such as import taxes and S&H, you end up spending even more as you would at your local stores.

The reality is that people that live in Europe and Latinamerica, have been paying more for movies than those who live in USA. Where i live any Blu-ray movie has street prices above US$30-40, even DVD movies are priced at US$20-25, when in either case those who live in USA have been paying less than that.

The fact is that globally, Blu-ray movies are more expensive in comparison to USA, as DVD movies have been for the past years, and there's no garranty that as overall production costs for Blu-ray movies decreases, MSRP and street prices should decrease as well, after all it didn't happened with DVD movies in the past decade.

This has lead the vast mayority of those who own a DVD player (don't confuse with those who actually buy DVD movies) to take advantage of inexpensive hardware, in getting movies for a small fraction of what they would have paid for at stores, meaning that since DVD recorders and blank media became much cheaper, a lot of people began to clone rental DVDs or buy them at streets, since cloned DVDs have became cheaper to buy as the years when by.

Consider also that hardware is more expensive outside USA, as people in Europe and Latinamerica have to pay much more, even close to MSRP for Blu-ray players, LCD/Plasma TV sets and Home Theater speaker systems, which is a huge impediment in gaining worldwide acceptance, as it's mandatory to adquire all these equipment in order to view Blu-ray movies.

For instance where I live, the cheapest Blu-ray players with Profile 1.0 are priced at US$600, when in USA they're sold roughly for US$400. Also LCD/Plasma TV sets costs almost twice than what are priced in USA, in comparison a 40" set is priced for US$2000-2500, when in USA are sold for US$1300 or below.

If you consider that LCD/Plasma TV sets don't provide a decent sound, at least compared to CRT TV sets, then the purchase of a HT speaker system or a Blu-ray HT player is necesary, in order to enjoy HD audio in Blu-ray movies. Where I live this would require at least an additional US$1000 investment, of what a Blu-ray stand-alone player costs here, when those who live in USA could invest less than an additional US$500 for such equipment.

If many people within USA are reluctant to accept Blu-ray and spend so much money in upgrading their equipment, the scenario is even worse in the rest of the world, where everything is much more expensive than it's in USA, and even if prices get lower for Blu-ray players and HDTV sets in USA, it doesn't change the fact that the rest of the world, will be always paying more than those within USA.

It's no coincidence that DVD went mainstream and gained exponencial popularity worldwide, at the point when cheaper players, recorders and blank media from Asia became availible, which forced manufactures such as Sony, LG, Samsung, etc. to lower the prices for their products globally, to the point it was cheaper than buying a VCR and VHS tapes.

But even when it has been of the public knowlegde, that cloned DVDs where sold for a fraction of what the original DVDs costed at stores, film distributors have refused to lower their prices, in order to win more consumers.

Even if Blu-ray players were sold under US$200, and good size HDTV sets were sold under US$1000 in a couple of years, which is doubtful since in both cases manufacturing costs are still high, and it will take them more time to lower them, unless inexpensive recorders and blank media is offered to consumers, Blu-ray will remain a niche in the market.

Because if the vast mayority of DVD users have refused to buy DVD movies at current prices, the scenario is even worse for Blu-ray with even higher prices. Granted that maybe Blu-ray player sales are falling because consumers are waiting for the new profile 2.0 models, but if that the case, then why upconverting DVD player sales are rising?

Why would anyone need an upconverting DVD player? You don't need one to watch DVD movies on CRT TV sets, therefore it means if people are buying them, is to use them on their new LCD/Plasma TV sets, meaning that people are preferring to use them to view DVD movies.

Indeed Blu-ray has sold a few millions of movies and players, including PS3, but as long as DVD continues to sell millions of players and billions of movies anually worldwide, not one film distributor will stop producing DVD movies and renounce to that pig chunk of the pay.

4.5.2008 06:07 #61

dblbogey7

Originally posted by error5: This is the point that people seem to forget: You need a fairly good sized HDTV to appreciate the advantage of BluRay.

This is why BluRay player prices are fine where they are now and manufacturers prefer to be profitable. They don't have to "act mainstream" until HDTV's become mainstream.You forgot the audio side of things. Although you can still use your TV speakers, BluRay (or HD DVD for that matter) simply cannot be fully appreciated without a decent surround sound system - even if you're not using the advanced codecs.

At the bare minimum you're looking at about $400 to $500 for a receiver and $750 to $1500 for speakers. Add to that the average price of $1000 to $1500 for a good-sized HDTV. This puts into perspective the $500 price of a BluRay standalone.

Originally posted by A_Klingon: Now, be a good lil' AfterDawner, and go google-up some tasty inexpensive Profile 2.0 blu-ray player deals for me, will ya?)Sorry A_Klingon, but if you really have to have a 2.0 player at a "reasonable" price then now is not the time to buy a standalone. First, the upcoming 2.0 players from Panasonic and Sony will be about $500 street. Secondly, all the internet buzz out there points to a mad rush for these machines among enthusiasts, so it could be difficult to find these right away.

You may have to wait for mid to late 2009 or even 2010 for a 2.0 player that's $250 to $300 or less. Be patient.

5.5.2008 09:56 #62

ZippyDSM

Originally posted by dblbogey7: Originally posted by error5: This is the point that people seem to forget: You need a fairly good sized HDTV to appreciate the advantage of BluRay.

This is why BluRay player prices are fine where they are now and manufacturers prefer to be profitable. They don't have to "act mainstream" until HDTV's become mainstream.You forgot the audio side of things. Although you can still use your TV speakers, BluRay (or HD DVD for that matter) simply cannot be fully appreciated without a decent surround sound system - even if you're not using the advanced codecs.

At the bare minimum you're looking at about $400 to $500 for a receiver and $750 to $1500 for speakers. Add to that the average price of $1000 to $1500 for a good-sized HDTV. This puts into perspective the $500 price of a BluRay standalone.

Originally posted by A_Klingon: Now, be a good lil' AfterDawner, and go google-up some tasty inexpensive Profile 2.0 blu-ray player deals for me, will ya?)Sorry A_Klingon, but if you really have to have a 2.0 player at a "reasonable" price then now is not the time to buy a standalone. First, the upcoming 2.0 players from Panasonic and Sony will be about $500 street. Secondly, all the internet buzz out there points to a mad rush for these machines among enthusiasts, so it could be difficult to find these right away.

You may have to wait for mid to late 2009 or even 2010 for a 2.0 player that's $250 to $300 or less. Be patient.the new players will lower the cost on the older ones some what, putt in more used players into the playing filed, people would buy in at a higher rte for 150-200 a pop, still there wont be a rush of sales untill the 2.0 players hit 130...

For all the console/game fanboys out their.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles...Console-Rundown
Oh god I can't stop laughing!!!
---
And for the format nazi's I bring you HHD DVVD BVD's!!

5.5.2008 10:00 #63

A_Klingon

Quote:Sorry A_Klingon, but if you really have to have a 2.0 player at a "reasonable" price then now is not the time to buy a standalone. First, the upcoming 2.0 players from Panasonic and Sony will be about $500 street. Secondly, all the internet buzz out there points to a mad rush for these machines among enthusiasts, so it could be difficult to find these right away. Yep - I believe that too, dblbogey7.

(Doesn't matter). I'm in no rush. I've finally gotten the "early-adopter" must-have-@-any-cost fever out of my system now. :-)

5.5.2008 10:26 #64

nobrainer

arstechnica has a great topic relating to this news article about the poor and falling uptake of blu-ray.

Blu-ray hits bumps in the road to HD market dominance Originally posted by link: Mid-February was a good time to be a Blu-ray backer. Media moguls who had championed the technology were busy floating on yachts in the Pacific, chomping cigars, and stroking white longhaired cats; the billion-dollar payday was at hand. But numbers out last week indicate that standalone Blu-ray player sales plummeted in the early part of this year, and enthusiasm for the hi-def format appears as lukewarm as the applause at an REO Speedwagon concert. Where did all the buyers go?

Last week, both ABI Research and The NPD Group delivered the news: the standalone Blu-ray player market did not suddenly rise up and walk after HD DVD quit the market. Instead, it remained in its bed and took a turn for the worse. NPD reports that player sales dropped by 40 percent from January to February 2008 and increased by only 2 percent the following month.

ABI argues that the Blu-ray player market won't improve to full health for more than a year, perhaps as long as 18 months. "BD player prices remain high, and supplies are limited," says ABI Research principal analyst Steve Wilson. "This is good for the market because most current players do not support all the functions that studios place on the discs. Lacking support for�or upgradability to�BD Live! or Bonus View (picture in picture), consumers cannot utilize all the available options. Manufacturers would rather sell more fully-featured models."

continues via hyperlink.............

5.5.2008 16:50 #65

bdoggie08

yea i am mad that HDDVD didn't make it, but i am also happy that Microsoft has nothing but downloads now, with no harddrive space to use. Sony is on top with Blu Ray-but it sucks right now, it's too overpriced, and not many people want to spend that kind of money for video when their is the standard DVD which is good enough anyway.

6.5.2008 11:13 #66

FredBun

bdoggie08, well said.

13.5.2008 07:17 #67

FredBun

I also checked on frys.com deals on bluray, out of about 500 movies they only had about 5 $14 deals, the rest were close to $30 which is a no deal.

13.5.2008 07:23 #68

eatsushi

A little off topic but those of you looking to buy a dual-format combo player should do so soon. LG (and Samsung) are getting out of the combo game and concentrating only on BluRay. LG's BH200 will be their last combo model and they will be unveiling their first BluRay only player at the upcoming IFA show.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nat.../123_24018.html

Quote:Samsung, LG End Combo HD-DVD Lines

In a move to cut costs for the expansion of the next-generation storage market, Samsung and LG Electronics have ended their production of disc players that can play both Blu-ray and HD-DVD movies.

``Since February this year, we have no longer been producing combo players that support the playback of HD-DVD and Blu-ray high-definition discs,�� a spokesperson from Samsung Electronics told The Korea Times, Monday.

Late-comer LG Electronics also plans to follow in the steps as its bigger local rival with a strong belief that the Blu-ray business will be more lucrative for the company.

``At the upcoming IFA show, the biggest consumer electronics show in Europe, we will unveil a new Blu-ray player to catch up with the industry trend,�� the spokesman said.
No word on the plans for dual-format PC drives though.

13.5.2008 10:20 #69

AfterDawn: News