[opendtv] Re: Blu-ray player prices on the rise

Hi Bert - 

I am not necessarily disagreeing with you but we must also consider the Blu-ray 
broadband-connected services model designed into the
Spec.  There are some (at both ends of the pipe) who have designs on obviating 
the needs for STBs and PVRs as we know them today.
There will be BD players with ginormous hard drives, DLNA and even wireless.

Best,

- Tom

Tom McMahon
DelRey
+1-310-717-7208 Mobile
+1-310-822-4975 FAX
TLM@xxxxxxxxxx
TLM@xxxxxxx
 

-----Original Message-----
From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Manfredi, Albert E
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 9:55 AM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Blu-ray player prices on the rise

Some folks aren't very smart. BlueRay is competing against DVD now, and nothing 
else.

I think the only way for BD to become universally adopted is exactly the same 
as what I always thought would be the case for HDTV or
even CDs.
Which is to say, the prices of BD will have to become as low as the prices of 
DVDs, or BD will not make it. That includes both the
players and the software.

The normal progression would be for DVD players and discs to gradually drop to 
ridiculously low levels, and BD to quickly get down
to current DVD prices.

Speaking of which, according to the current issue of The Absolute Sound, DVD-A 
and SACD are "officially dead." It's by no means a
stretch to make the same prediction here.

Bert

-------------------------------------------------
http://www.digitaltvdesignline.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=GT1
IJDDRQHXD0QSNDLPCKHSCJUNN2JVN?articleID=206904345

March 13, 2008

Blu-ray player prices on the rise

By Antone Gonsalves

HD DVD has been dead less than four weeks, yet it appears prices already have 
started to rise on DVD players supporting the
surviving high-definition format Blu-ray.

The average price in January of the top 10 Blu-ray players on PriceGrabber.com, 
a comparison-shopping site, was $467. In February,
the month Toshiba said it would no longer lead the charge for HD DVD, the 
average price jumped to $604.

Some of the increase was due to the introduction of expensive players with 
features that went above the norm, Darren Davis, VP of
product marketing for PriceGrabber, said Thursday. Taking away that factor, 
however, still left an increase between $20 and $50 on
most players in February.

Even though Blu-ray players no longer have to compete with cheaper HD DVD 
devices, manufacturers would be smart to keep prices low.
"Consumers are not going to jump into the market yet," Davis said. "The demise 
of HD DVD, if anything, is going to delay Blu-ray
adoption, given the increase in prices."

While raising prices could offer short-term gain for manufacturers by squeezing 
more money from early adopters, it would delay
adoption among more price-sensitive mainstream consumers, Davis said.

A January survey by PriceGrabber found that consumers were turning up their 
noses over high-definition DVD players less because of
confusion over the format war and more because of price. Fifty-six percent of 
the respondents said they would buy a Blu-ray disc
player if there were a significant price drop. Only 19% said they were 
concerned about obsolescence in buying either an HD DVD or
Blu-ray player.

Yet ending confusion over the format war was the main reason Time Warner's 
Warner Bros. studio threw its weight behind Blu-ray in
January, marking the end for HD DVD. Warner Bros. accounts for 20% of the DVD 
market, and its defection prompted retailers, such as
Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and online video rental company Netflix, to follow.

Toshiba officially ended the format battle Feb. 19, declaring it would no 
longer make or market HD DVD players and recorders. The
company had sold 1 million players and recorders worldwide, including sales for 
drives for Microsoft's Xbox 360.

All material on this site Copyright 2006 CMP Media LLC. All rights reserved
 
 
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