Will Blu-ray player prices stagnate or go higher? - Page 2

Todd H · 01-07-2008, 09:21 AM

I never understood people saying that prices were going back up. Prices will continue to fall due to the price of components dropping as well as competition from all of the Blu-ray manufacturers.

I remember paying $500 for my first DVD player back when VHS was king. VCR's were under $100 at the time and it didn't hurt DVD.

Mikah Cerucco · 01-07-2008, 11:31 AM

Quote:

I never understood people saying that prices were going back up. Prices will continue to fall due to the price of components dropping as well as competition from all of the Blu-ray manufacturers.

It's Sony. They have a history of keeping prices relatively high, betting that consumers will partake anyway either because they fill a niche nobody else does, or because they offer something above and beyond with the others do. In the case of Blu-Ray, it isn't just that the technology is more expensive to produce, it's also that Sony charges licensing fees. If Sony wanted Blu-Ray to be as cheap as HD DVD, it would be. I don't see any proof anywhere, but I completely understand folks who are concerned what Sony will do with Blu-Ray once the competition dies.

Todd H · 01-07-2008, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikah Cerucco

It's Sony. They have a history of keeping prices relatively high, betting that consumers will partake anyway either because they fill a niche nobody else does, or because they offer something above and beyond with the others do. In the case of Blu-Ray, it isn't just that the technology is more expensive to produce, it's also that Sony charges licensing fees. If Sony wanted Blu-Ray to be as cheap as HD DVD, it would be. I don't see any proof anywhere, but I completely understand folks who are concerned what Sony will do with Blu-Ray once the competition dies.

I still don't see this happening as:

1) There are more members of the BDA than just Sony, all whom have an interest in the long-term viability of Blu-ray.

2) Blu-ray still needs to win the battle against standard DVD. The only way to do that is to continue to lower prices.

Carlo Medina · 01-07-2008, 12:59 PM

Exactly. Sony is not a monopoly on Blu-Ray. If anything, Toshiba was nearly a monopoly on HD-DVD. Just about no one else was making HDD players.

Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Pioneer and now other players like Denon and Marantz and, the death knell for high-priced gear Funai are getting into the BD player market.

Sony can't control them all. Especially with Funai going in there, expect prices to drop. An announcement at CES also indicated plans for Sony to introduce BD drives for PCs at around $200 (I assume playback only, not a BD writer).

I can't remember in the history of electronic devices, when more than one company is involved, prices going up rather than down over time.

bigluigi · 01-07-2008, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carlo Medina

I did too....until I ran out of room. Even with my 160GB HD, I can have maybe 3-4 HD movies and 1-2 HD sports programs at any one time. And if the SO wants to record any of her shows, like Desperate Housewives or Grey's Anatomy, say goodbye to that HD space.

HDM may eventually go by the wayside, but it won't be because of DVRs until they are in the terabyte range or higher.

Ouch!!! Only 160GBs...I feel your pain.

The older ViP 622 HD-DVR has 250GB (30 hrs of HD) and the newer 722 has 500GBs internal storage!!! To this storage via USB you can add up to an additional 750GBs using an external hard drive. The HD-DVR devices are "free" with a 18 month subscription.

Until Blu-ray offers movies that I would buy, basically the older catalog titles like Titanic, Forrest Gump, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Lord of the Rings, etc., I can enjoy them in HD using this service.

I just cringe at the low volume of Blu-ray discs sold for Close Encounters of a Third Kind and if the powers that be use this as a yardstick, they will be releasing more special effects crap like Transformers and less catalog titles like Amadeus.

JoeyR · 03-15-2008, 10:50 AM

Just wanted to bump this thread up because of how much the prices of Blu-Ray players have dropped in 2 months

+1

Steve Schaffer · 03-15-2008, 05:40 PM

Uh, they haven't--entry level players are the same $399ish they were prior to the death of HD DVD. Shortly after 1/4/08 there were a few deals where free BD players were included with certain HDTVs, but other than that prices are pretty stagnant.

JoeyR · 03-15-2008, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Schaffer

Uh, they haven't--entry level players are the same $399ish they were prior to the death of HD DVD. Shortly after 1/4/08 there were a few deals where free BD players were included with certain HDTVs, but other than that prices are pretty stagnant.

yeah that was sarcasm in my post

Rich Allen · 03-16-2008, 06:55 AM

Phillips apparently raised their MSRP.

Tina_H_V · 03-16-2008, 12:20 PM

I concur.

For Blu-ray to truly thrive, IMHO, then two things must come to
pass as aforementioned:

1) Lowered hardware and software prices.

2) A greater variety of titles from ALL the studios invovled in BD.

As it stands, there are currently more movies on my HD DVD to get list (many of which can now be had for cheaper, post haste!) than my BD to get list--and that is counting future BD releases as well!!!!!!!

nolesrule · 03-16-2008, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Allen

Phillips apparently raised their MSRP.

Compared to the announced MSRP at CES on a player that is on the verge of release. They did not raise the MSRP on a player that was already being retailed.