OEMs in China, Taiwan hit by Blu-ray price cut

I bet the OEM companies had to sign tight licensing agreements on the technology and paid through the nose in order to make them. This resulting in them being unable to offer them at rock bottom prices like they did with DVD.

Most definitely, the BDA has made sure that licensing fees make any real competition impossible. But the BDA makes a load of money no matter who's players we buy.

lucky me! I avoided BOTH Sony and the OEM crowd..

I WIN!

I haven't owned a standalone Blu-ray player so far, and I won't buy one after Christmas, either.

Is it because it's to expensive? Is it because you don't watch too many movies? Is it because you don't have an HDTV? Is it because you prefer downloadable legal content over the internet?

It's fine that you wont buy one. We all have a choice but when you lack details your point is mute.

If it's to expensive then your saying that the technology is fine and when it comes down in price I will eventually get it. If you don't watch to many movies then of course investing in a home theater device is not something you would be interested in. If you don't have an HDTV then of course you wont see the full potential of the format so it's pointless to have it. If you prefer downloadable content great you made your choice and for you it's convenient. Most people are technophobes though and wouldn't want to even try to hook up there computer to there tv or buy one of the many set top boxes offered by Netflix/Vudu/Amazon/Blockbuster or whoever. Also you would have to be a pretty big movie buff to think about spending 15-30 bucks a month and pay for the box to find it worth the price.

If someone can find me a better format then Blu Ray I would love to see you tell me why it's better and how it's going to rule over Blu Ray with ease of use, compatability and features. Until then it's the successor in line. Dvd is going to die eventually like every technology format. There was whiners when everythign moved to cassette tapes there were whiners when we moved to cd's. Eventaully, just like your mom and dad Dvd's are going to die. So stop crying and be big boys and girls (I probably can make girls singular but I will try my best not to be sexist.). You don't have to buy it but don't deny what's so obvious.

It's because the resolution is not worth the higher price. I have an HDTV, but it's old (2004) and it has 768p native resolution. I have seen 1080p Blu-ray video on HDTVs at Best Buy and Circuit City. IMO, Blu-ray drives are not worth the cost. By the time DVD's die, whatever replaces it (Blu-ray or whatever) will be affordable. Until that happens, I have other things on which I would rather spend that money. P.S. @psychoace - shouldn't that be "moot" not "mute"?

Thanks for correcting me on that.

So you pretty much answered would follow under mine. It's to expensive.

I think it's childish of people thinking that because they can't afford something, or it's not right for them then it's not going to be right for the rest of the world because they seem to think they are everyone,

You are correct. Also, there are the other types who claim that Blu-ray should be for everyone, and if you don't like it, you are a member of the Flat Earth Society or something. They make statements about the quality of Blu-ray, claiming that its picture quality is so obviously superior that you would have to be blind to not just immediately open up you wallet and throw down a couple-hundred bucks or more just to have the amazing beauty that is Blu-ray in your home. They remind me of the audio experts in stereo magazines who think that a certain set of $4000 speakers is so obviously superior to another set of $3500 speakers that you should go out and spend four grand just on their word. At least with Blu-ray you can find a store where you can see the picture and make up your own mind.

Sure DVD's are going to die eventually. But according to this article:

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/15343-R...ally-dead.html

DVD's will be around alot longer than what BlueRay will be and from my own personal point of view I think they are right. As I don't think you will see all the old movies converted to BlueRay like they were converted to DVD, as there wont be any imporvement on picture quality so there wont be any point and no money it for the compaines to do so.

Uh Casablanca
"Casablanca underwent a pretty substantial digital restoration for its 2003 SD DVD release. This VC-1 1.37:1 transfer (finally the correct OAR) looks to me like it's from the same elements, though there is a noticeable, if not completely overwhelming, increase in clarity and especially contrast. You'll notice an increased depth of field in some of the shots, despite a lack of deep focus, and the smoky ambience of Rick's Cafe Americain is lovingly rendered. As with the previous SD release, there's no damage or abrasion to speak of--this was one film that Warners really took care of through the years, and it shows."
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/35634/casablanca/

Planet of the Apes
On Planet of the Apes, one can finally read the main title card that was completely washed-out by the glare of a passing comet (or something), and other details previously visible only in 35mm theatrical prints come into focus here. This does have some interesting disadvantages, however; it's clear for instance in some shots that the interiors of Taylor's spaceship are constructed out of plywood. Plants are visible in a few high-angle shots before we're supposed to see any plant life, and in Ape City some of the structures off in the distance are clearly two-dimensional standees.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/35440/planet-of-the-apes-40-year-evolution-planet-of-the-apes-beneath-escape-conquest-battle/

Battle of Britan
I was caught off-guard but the strength of its depth and dimensionality. The scope image is generally smooth, crisp, and brimming with fine detail, often looking decades more recent than Battle of Britain really is. Film grain remains tight and unintrusive throughout, showing no signs of being smeared away by overzealous video noise reduction. Some moments do exhibit somewhat of an artificially oversharpened appearance, but it's not a constant concern. There is some scattered softness that becomes particularly pronounced in any shot with optical effects, although that's to be expected. The palette tends to be somewhat cold but generally emerges as natural and nicely saturated. Wear is limited to just a couple of tiny and easily ignored flecks throughout.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/33343/battle-of-britain/

Blazing Saddles

In this case, the video transfer given to Blazing Saddles is nothing short of remarkable and belies its 30+ year age. Aside from the gritty opening credits (an artifact of the optical compositing process used to generate the titles), the movie looks like it could have been filmed this very year, not 1974. The image is quite sharp and has terrific resolution of fine object details. Colors are richly saturated and flesh tones spot-on accurate. Some mild film grain is apparent throughout, but it's well rendered and has a fine film-like texture. Black levels are inky and provide a satisfying sense of depth. The clarity in this picture is just fantastic. Any fan of Blazing Saddles will be thrilled to see it looking so good, and even casual movie-watchers looking for High Definition eye candy will find it a revelation.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/24514/blazing-saddles/

Do a search on whats coming out soon at Amazon and you will see tons of old school movies coming out soon. They seem to all coming out looking pretty sweet too. I mean Casablanca is a 1940's movie and it can show improvement. So give it a shot whenever you can

I have seen the differences in upcoverted DVD and Bluray. Yes, the Bluray has better picture, albeit minimal in retrospect. Would this dictate the cost in aquiring the equipment to play a Bluray at its optimal resolution and sound? No, in my opinion. With DVD, the differences between it and VHS were readily apparent. Bluray may indeed become our next format; however, the format has a long road to travel considering DVD's market share is still 90% despite Bluray being out for several years now. With the downfall of HD DVD, you would of thought, with no competing HD format, that Bluray would of seized more market share than what it has. Personally, the moment I am waiting for, is when the storage aspect of Bluray becomes cheaper and in the same ball park as DL burning media. I have several hundred gigabytes of data that would be easier to back up on just a few 50GB Bluray discs than on several DVD DL. That is when I think the format will take off and where they need to concentrate on, not movies. If they did that, the format would take ahold of the PC market and drive DVD out but it appears that movies are their main focus, pity.

"I am waiting for, is when the storage aspect of Bluray becomes cheaper and in the same ball park as DL burning media. I have several hundred gigabytes of data that would be easier to back up on just a few 50GB Bluray discs than on several DVD DL. That is when I think the format will take off and where they need to concentrate on, not movies"

I've been saying this since blu-ray came out.