Lee Scoggins

BluRay's Biggest Issue (imho): High Movie Prices

I have a couple of thoughts on BluRay adoption in terms of hardware and software...

1. I think $25-$40 per movie is waaaay too high for BluRay to go wide. I assume that increasing volumes will drive down costs but outside of some terrific Amazon and Fry's sales prices remain ridiculously high. I don't mind giving some profits to them as an early adopter but now with the format war over.

2. The real enemy eventually is downloadable movies. Lowering prices and really encouraging people to get on the bandwagon early is the only winning strategy. iTunes movies may prove a very difficult competitor. Remember what people said to disparage Apple when it was just music? I think they might be able to do it again. OTOH, many of us like to own a physical asset (a disc!) with no rights issues...

I think this video format adoption will be better than the hirez formats since everyone can own and many do an hidef TV set. Also, the quality improvement is very dramatic.

no fears alone at night she's sailing through the crowd
in her ears the phones are tight and the music's playing loud
~skateaway

John Garcia

Re: BluRay's Biggest Issue (imho): High Movie Prices

Yes, but the deals have been rather frequent and have allowed me to average a much lower per disc price than HD DVDs. The reality is, I don't see too much of a difference in price between the two in store for new release movies, with some of the HD DVD releases actually being higher. For all the comments they've made about HD DVD being easier and less costly to produce, that hasn't seemed to translate into significantly lower prices for the consumer...

Reliable, fast downloads are at least 5 or more years away IMHO, though I do think that is the eventual way of the future. There are still significant roadblocks to this, not the least of which is the consumer who will generally want something in their hand for that hard earned cash. Unless downloads are also significantly less expensive, they won't catch on either.

"The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that ain't so." - Mark Twain

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Kevin C Brown

Re: BluRay's Biggest Issue (imho): High Movie Prices

I have plenty of BD's where I've paid less than $15, which has always been my limit for new DVD releases.

I see 2 competitors to BD (and neither one is HD DVD ):

a) "HD" downloads. HD Lite, IOW. Called HD, but it's downres'ed. Not 5 years away. In some cases, it's already here.

b) DVD. For right or wrong, I just don't think the average person is going to be willing to pay what it really takes to take advantage of BD's better audio and video. Some of that goes back to cost, but a lot of it is the receiver (pre/pro), the player, dealing with firmware upgrade hassles, HDMI handshake issues, DTS-HD MA, etc.

If it's not worth waiting until the last minute to do, then it's not worth doing.

KevinVision 7.1 ...

Jim Mcc

Re: BluRay's Biggest Issue (imho): High Movie Prices

I disagree. The biggest problem with Blu-ray is the price of the players.

Lee Scoggins

Re: BluRay's Biggest Issue (imho): High Movie Prices

It's probably a bit of both. Best to lower both.

no fears alone at night she's sailing through the crowd
in her ears the phones are tight and the music's playing loud
~skateaway

Rod J

Re: BluRay's Biggest Issue (imho): High Movie Prices

Or the total lack of software.. (my next disc purchase is scheduled for March)

Lee Scoggins

Re: BluRay's Biggest Issue (imho): High Movie Prices

That will work out over time I think now that the format war is over.

no fears alone at night she's sailing through the crowd
in her ears the phones are tight and the music's playing loud
~skateaway

Derek_J

Re: BluRay's Biggest Issue (imho): High Movie Prices

How many people can take advantage of that at present? I've got broadband, but downloads of that size bring back memories of large downloads via 14400 modem.

Lee Scoggins

Re: BluRay's Biggest Issue (imho): High Movie Prices

I was in Fry's tonight...cheapest BluRay I saw was $22 and most were $29.

no fears alone at night she's sailing through the crowd
in her ears the phones are tight and the music's playing loud
~skateaway

Kevin C Brown

Re: BluRay's Biggest Issue (imho): High Movie Prices

I have never bought a BD disc for more than $15 (well, only the 5 disc Blade Runner ). There are plenty of BOGO (buy one get one) free sales. It seems like Frys, BB, or Amazon have these every other week. In fact:

New Amazon Sale on Warner Blu-ray, HD DVD Titles | High-Def Digest

Players: I got my Sharp for $300 ... almost 2 months ago. The sales are out there if you look for them.

I say, cost in general is an excuse, not a reason. BD is *still* a new format. The costs *will* be higher early on simply because the studios and hardware manufacturers have to recoup development costs. But if you'vre been watching, the costs have been dropping as well.

I saw some new this week release where Frys had the DVD for $16, and the BD disc for $20. That's rare, but it's another positive sign. The difference between DVD and BD is decreasing over time as well.

If it's not worth waiting until the last minute to do, then it's not worth doing.

KevinVision 7.1 ...

Clinton McClure