A common complaint among consumers is that Blu-ray player prices have not dropped low enough to cater to mainstream consumers. Rumors indicate Sony will hope to alleviate this problem later this fall by cutting costs by $100 or more, with multiple products receiving price cuts.
For example, Amazon now has the Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray player for $229, which is a 43 percent savings from the original $399 price tag.
Blu-ray players from Philips, Insignia, Magnavox, and Sylvania also are expected to drop to the $249 price range, which is a strong move ahead of the holiday shopping season. Furthermore, the Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray player is expected to drop from $400 down to $300, while the BDP-S550 will launch with a $400 price tag instead of the original $500 price tag that consumers expected.
Brick and mortar retailers have also cut prices on select Blu-ray models, in an effort to generate sales. Best Buy dropped $50 on a Sharp Blu-ray player so it now is available for $349.99 instead of $399.99. Circuit City and other B&M retailers also have cut prices on both players and movie titles, although it is unknown if it has helped them move Blu-ray products off their shelves.
Blu-ray viewers have relied heavily on the Sony PlayStation 3, but sales of standalone Blu-ray players have been rather lackluster as of late. Even though Blu-ray playing technology has drastically increased since the first generation of players, the price of said units has remained too high for most consumers to hop on board — but this latest price cut should help boost sales.
But until both Blu-ray players and Blu-ray movies drop in price, it’ll be interesting to see if consumers are going to adopt Blu-ray. Standard DVD quality remains good enough for many consumers, and upconverting DVD players are available anywhere from $50 up to $150+, which can increase picture quality of DVDs.
33 Comments
God D*mn! This HAS to be true!!!!!!!!!!!! So what? It is still Bluray with all of it's pain in the butt restrictions and requirements.
But I do - but my Blu-Ray player is waiting until Christmas.
Why would anyone want to buy a Bluray player to play their DVD's when they have a perfectly good DVD player already? And why would anyone buy a Bluray player just to specifically play DVDs in the first place? That is why I said what I said.
I don't think you're getting the picture. For some of us it isn't about money. It's about being told what we can or cannot do with something we've purchased. Imagine you buy a gallon of milk and decide to give some of it to a friend. "Wait", yells the DRM cop who jumps out from behind the bushes. "You can't share that milk. Only you can drink that milk. If you share your milk, that's stealing."
Get my point?
I'm just tired of Sony (and other companies) who think they can piss all over our fair use rights. So, I'll play it their way. I won't copy or share Blu-ray discs. I'll accomplish that by not buying Blu-ray discs.
Blu-ray will never become as popular as DVD has. Never ever.
"Out of curiosity, what would it take for some of you to purchase a Blu-ray player? Prices to drop below $200? The price of movies to drop below $20 per title?"
The problem is that you need more than just the Blu-ray player. You need a house that is big enough to accomodate a decent size HDMI and HDCP (preferrably HDMI 1.3) compliant display ( preferrably 50 inch or greater) and then you need to have surround sound speakers and also a DRM compliant receiver. Not to mention you are better off with a Intenet connection that is available for the player for "upgrades" and chatting with the stars.
If your house is not wired for surround, then you need to do that as well or have wires on the floor. You might as well say that you need about $4,000 minimum to "enjoy Blu-ray".
And your analogy is true for CD and DVD. So what's your point? You're not going to buy CD and DVD too? Oh I forgot, you usually download from torrent for free.
I wonder what those restrictions and requirements are, since I've never had any trouble playing any BluRay discs. I suppose you mean it is difficult to illegally copy rented BluRay discs. Or maybe you're so wealthy you can afford to import BluRay discs from other regions and are sad that some are region locked. But for 99.9% of users, that is users who don't steal and who aren't flying discs in from around the world, BluRay involves putting in a disc and pressing play.
I have 650 store-bought DVDs. DVDs kicked VHS's ass in quality. Also, you didn't have to go out and buy a new TV. Comparing DVD to Blu-ray is like comparing George Bush and the mentally handicapped. No, wait...
@ ghost
I have CDs and DVDs. Sometimes I can't wait to watch a movie and I download it before it comes out on DVD. If I really like it then I buy the movie when it comes out. I'll be first in line for Dark Knight.
@ deckard68
"BluRay involves putting in a disc and pressing play."
Really? Word is that you have to wait forever for the disc to load up. Sometimes it will play. You might have to connect to the Internet for a patch or to access extra features. DVD was a finished specification. I wish I could say the same for Blu-ray.
"BluRay involves putting in a disc and pressing play."
There is more to it than that unless you have the right DRM compliant setup.
Google search = blu-ray won't play
Results 1 - 10 of about 2,290,000 for blu ray won't play. (0.29 seconds)
"Imagine you buy a gallon of milk and decide to give some of it to a friend. "Wait", yells the DRM cop who jumps out from behind the bushes"
Uh Dvd's and Vhs both have a form of DRM on them that protects the content on these discs from being copied. Video games and music cd's also contain some form of DRM. So your saying your nothing buying blu ray cause it has drm but yet you buy drm infected media elsewhere. This is considered a hypocrital stance and sounds like your main reason for not buying blu ray isn't DRM but the cost which is a completly acceptable reason right now. We all know that this stuff cost a lot but they arn't expecting you to spend $4,000 just for Blu Ray. They are expecting to get sales from people who already have spent the $1000+ to get a 1080p tv in order to enjoy the extended quality of this format. Mind you they also expect that you are able to afford such a player and for those who can't well they are trying there best to get this player at the cost level at which it will finally break the big market. This is not a product for everyone and if you can't afford a drm compliant setup then just stick with your DVD's but to call a format dead just cause your to broke is undeserving and misleading to the public.
Nope. PS3 loads and plays within a couple seconds. Which is why I picked the PS3. Try it you might like it.
Regarding upgrading firmware, yeah I heard that the original players were released before the standards were finished.
Google results for "bluray won't play in my dvd player" - lots.
Someone buy DukeNukem a BluRay player and get him up to speed.
"Someone buy DukeNukem a BluRay player and get him up to speed."
I thought you said you need a PS3 to get up to speed with Blu-ray.
"Nope. PS3 loads and plays within a couple seconds. Which is why I picked the PS3. Try it you might like it."
I don't think Duke will want to wait on a 250 dollar profile 1.1 player to load either- you ought to get him a PS3.
Basically a lot of sour grapes because their team lost the game.
People can always do illigal things, I am sure everyone had friends, neighbours, famliy with a copied vhs movie or cassette tape.
However we are facing the fact if you OWN a CD and have a copy on your Iphone, Ipod, MP3 player, mobile phone you could be charged as a criminal.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10004646-38.html
"DHS claims the border search of electronic information is useful to detect terrorists, drug smugglers, and people violating "copyright or trademark laws." (Readers: Are you sure your iPod and laptop have absolutely no illicitly downloaded songs? You might be guilty of a felony.)"
In effect you don't have to mortgage your home to upgrade
Did it ever occur to you that they added this "feature" later, because their DRM infested products are not selling? Dude- what they giveth, they can taketh away. WTF! We bought the darn thing, why do I need the to provide an extra compressed low quality version? I can make my own!!
Because you are impatient and cannot let the market help settle this DRM fiasco. Look at the music "industry". they suddenly don't give a crap about piracy and sell their songs DRM free due to no one was buying. Who is the hippocrite now?
Mark my words, if Blu-ray can get enough market share to oust DVD- they will pull the rug out from under all these HD fanboi's and start charging you for every move you make...just watch. These corporate fat cats are only out for one thing with DRM- enhanced revenues AFTER the sale, for actions that are supposed to be free and legal according to the Fair Use laws.
DVDs had all kinds of imcompatibilities and problems with some player's DVD software back in early days too.
DVD has copy protection and you are not supposed to circumvent it and copy DVDs either, so why such a love for DVD ? Because you CAN copy, even though its illegal.
So BR and HD DVD tried harder to prevent copying, but it didn't work and you can copy them.
Its hypocritical to love DVD and hate Blu Ray because of DRM. DRM exists in DVDs and you are not supposed to circumvent it !
You do not need a huge 50" TV to see the benefits of blu ray or HD. Yes it makes a bigger difference then on a smaller set.
I have a 42" plasma (I don't consider that big for widescreen standards) and HD DVDs look fantastic and much better than DVDs. And its a only a native 768p plasma (although it is a high end Marantz...).
42" TV prices have fallen below what I paid for a 32" CRT in 2001.
You also don't need a DRM reciever, I have a 7.1 audio system and am very happy with the "standard" Dolby Digital / DTS ES and don't care if I can't get Dolby True HD or DTS master whatever. It sounds fantasic and I am certainly not going to buy a whole new audio system and you don't need to for a BR player. They have optical and coax outputs for Dolby Dig. & DTS and when connected to my 7 year old Marantz receiver it sounds better than most cinemas sourround systems.
Yes, DVD has CSS and yes, you can copy it. But, you now have to criminalise yourself and also purchase a program from folks that have to live on an Island out in the midddle of nowhere. But even so, DVD's are limited in what they can do with this DRM due to the massive install base without causing problems. The danger now is with Blu-ray, is that it is much more sophisticated DRM and also, can use an Internet connection, that can be used for DRM purposes such as blacklisting etc. and "updates".
The whole DRM mess started in retaliation to the "Betamax decision" where the law said recorded content was like anything else, you can make copies legally, just like using a xerox machine in a library. This is when the "industry" came crawling around later with the DMCA and then added the wonderful "Macrovision" protection.
"just stick with your DVD's but to call a format dead just cause your to broke"
I have 650 DVDs, which cost me about $10,000. No, it isn't just about price. Although when I go to the store and see Blu-ray discs for $35, I want to throw up. It's about price, profiles, DRM, Sony's attitute towards its own customers, and the fact that you need to buy a new tv.
@ deckard68
"Nope. PS3 loads and plays within a couple seconds. Which is why I picked the PS3. Try it you might like it."
Sorry, but my seething hatred for $ony prevents me from doing that.
@ Crabby
"I don't think Duke will want to wait on a 250 dollar profile 1.1 player"
Nope, I'm waiting for at least a profile 4.5c player.
If it can only read m2ts, PS3 can do that.
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