Sony still believes standalone Blu-ray players will be one of the most popular consumer electronics sold this holiday shopping season, but said sales will not reach earlier expectations.
Sony previously expected to sell 5 million units, with most of the number expected to be sold in the United States. The format is about 10 percent off what Sony executives and others thought they would be able to manage this year, with the cost of Blu-ray movies also causing the format to struggle.
Another problem facing the Blu-ray camp is the expensive movie discs, which often cost $30 each. Current Blu-ray player owners have been hesitant to expand their movie collection because Blu-ray movies cost $10+ more than regular DVDs they may already own.
Oddly enough, some executives in Hollywood said Blu-ray movie sales have been struggling due to high Blu-ray player prices — which have been steadily dropping — instead of focusing on the movies.
Even though the global economy crunch is one of the leading factors behind lowered expectations, Sony and other Blu-ray manufacturers could receive a late boost as consumers find cheaper deals for the high-definition players prior to Christmas.
Leading up to Christmas, it’s now possible to find entry level Blu-ray players for under $200, with higher-end models breaking the $300 barrier for the first time in the format’s short history. Consumers patiently waiting to hop on the Blu-ray bandwagon should be able to find good standalone player deals on Black Friday — one week away — and during the entire month heading towards Christmas.
As more consumers begin to adopt digital streaming, the time window for Blu-ray to keep attracting new buyers may be shorter than originally expected, analysts have warned.
15 Comments
That, couple with the fact that they haven't enamored themselves to the public by being strict with their pricing structure, has seen them lose ground when in fact they should have been charging ahead.
I recall when the HD-DVD format folded and Sony execs were smugly anticipating a huge growth in Blu-ray use because of it. Funny how things work out, isn't it?

Danny Brown.
I predict we will see bargain prices similar to what I mention above by Feb 09. They have to kill DVD or they lose everything and they have to do it soon. They are in a format war with DVD now- in case they haven't figured that out yet.
Even though more and more people are buying HDTVs, I'm not entirely convinced a lot of those same people are buying 1080p TVs and are ready to get rid of their DVD players at the moment -- the price cut simply isn't enough.
Maybe if this whole $25M marketing thing was launched earlier and consumers actually saw some advertising or something about it, then it could help make a difference.
Oh, I know. I was surprised when I found out too.
i bet its because you own an xbox360!
i think you're quite sad that you keep trying to flame sony! were one of their walkmans or vcr's dropped on your head at a young age?
No, I don't play console games. If you don't like what I say about Sony then I think you'd better turn to another channel now. Oh, and Steve, tell your mom I said hi.

oh....don't take my mom into this.....idiot!
Most popular headlines
Repeat UK file sharers to be banned (2)
- Wednesday 28 October 22:56 by Randomus
- Piracy
Internet users in the United Kingdom accused of illegally sharing copyrighted music and movie files will face stiff penalties, starting with warning letters that will lead to bandwidth restrictions, according to media reports from the UK.
Nintendo to launch larger screen DSi
- Wednesday 28 October 01:35 by Randomus
- Game Consoles
Nintendo is expected to launch a new DSi hand-held gaming device in Japan that has a larger screen, as the company tries to increase sales in the hand-held gaming market it once dominated.
T-Mobile offers no contract phone plan
- Tuesday 27 October 22:46 by Randomus
- Mobile Phones
In an effort to better compete with Verizon Wireless and AT&T, T-Mobile has introduced new no-contract wireless plans that include unlimited voice services.
2 new Roku boxes launched for Netflix & more
- Tuesday 27 October 21:50 by JaredNewman
- Online Video
Roku's streaming set-top set-top boxes now come in three flavors, adding new features as well.
