More Research Asserts that Blu Ray Adoption Isn't Apt to Surge - Page 3

Douglas Monce · 05-17-2008, 08:48 PM

I don't hope that blu-ray fails, but I think it will if the prices remain where they are. At this point I don't think Mom and Dad with their 2.3 children are going to buy into blu-ray unless the prices are around or below $100 for a player. Most people I talk to can see the difference, they just don't think of it as a big enough deal to spend that much money on. If the players were priced closer to the prices of DVD players I think they would consider upgrading, but not before.

I was saying this about HD DVD as well, somewhere between $100 and $150 is the magic number. Until and unless it gets there, blu-ray is the next SA-CD.

It never really mattered to me which format won the war, but many of us were saying, even before HD DVD was killed, that the real war was with DVD and unless the powers that be behind blu-ray do something fast, their chance will pass them by.

Also I don't hope that blu-ray remains a niche. Being a niche format means that most of my favorite films will never make it to blu-ray. A format that can't support a film like Casablanca is a failure indeed.

Doug

Mark Talmadge · 05-17-2008, 09:26 PM

Douglas has actually hit the point. While the high def enthusiasts will continue buying into the format the hard sell will be to the average family who is already on a budget. The report I posted a link to specifies this point.

When you have a family, who is on a budget, looking to squeeze the most out of their budget, even for entertainment fans, especially when faced with budget constraints. I think that until the prices on blu ray players come down to under $200 then Sony and the companies selling them are going to have a difficult time trying to get the format into more homes.

This needs to happen sooner rather than later if Sony really expects more adoption of their format.

Robert Crawford · 05-17-2008, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Talmadge

Douglas has actually hit the point. While the high def enthusiasts will continue buying into the format the hard sell will be to the average family who is already on a budget. The report I posted a link to specifies this point.

When you have a family, who is on a budget, looking to squeeze the most out of their budget, even for entertainment fans, especially when faced with budget constraints. I think that until the prices on blu ray players come down to under $200 then Sony and the companies selling them are going to have a difficult time trying to get the format into more homes.

This needs to happen sooner rather than later if Sony really expects more adoption of their format.

Nobody is disagreeing with pricing nor family budget issues which has been stated by most in this thread. However, the adoption of this format is beyond just the control of Sony.

Crawdaddy

Douglas Monce · 05-17-2008, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Crawford

Nobody is disagreeing with pricing nor family budget issues which has been stated by most in this thread. However, the adoption of this format is beyond just the control of Sony.

Crawdaddy

While it's very true that Sony isn't all powerful when it comes to the format, we are talking about the future of blu-ray here. If Sony and some of the other companies involved in the format don't do something pretty quickly, then they might as well not bother, because blu-ray will have lost the format war also.

Doug

TravisR · 05-17-2008, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwin-S

I think a bit of that mindset derives from people who fully invested into HD DVD, both financially and psychologically. Their "baby" didn't win, so nobody should win.

It also seems that there's a contingent of people who are scared that they will 'have' to buy all their titles again so they keep repeating that high definition will fail in the hopes that it becomes true. I don't understand why they thought that DVDs would be the last word or that their DVDs will somehow go bad just because an HD version of the same movie is available but they certainly seem to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwin-S

I think another subset has the perception that mass adoption of DVD resulted in a "ruined" format: pointless fluff extras, bad transfers, etc. They think BD would be better off as an enthusiast niche, because the studios would have to pay attention to the demands of enthusiasts rather than satisfy the needs of the "lowest common denominator".

I still buy more DVDs than Blu Rays so I wouldn't consider DVD ruined but I do think that SOME parts of the laserdisc days were good (like a format that catered to enthusiasts). Of course, they cost a heckuva lot more money and no one wants to go back to that. While I've said that I don't care if Blu Ray catches on or not, I will be just as happy if Blu Ray achieves or exceeds the level of success that DVD has because I think that if Blu Ray is eventually a massive success or if it is a niche (that is larger than LD but still a niche) both outcomes have positive aspects.

Douglas Monce · 05-17-2008, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TravisR

It also seems that there's a contingent of people who are scared that they will 'have' to buy all their titles again so they keep repeating that high definition will fail in the hopes that it becomes true. I don't understand why they thought that DVDs would be the last word or that their DVDs will somehow go bad just because an HD version of the same movie is available but they certainly seem to.

Well I'm the guy who buys everything twice, once on DVD and once in HD, which ever format that happens to be, so I'm not one who is worried about buying movies more than once.

Doug

TravisR · 05-17-2008, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce

Well I'm the guy who buys everything twice, once on DVD and once in HD, which ever format that happens to be, so I'm not one who is worried about buying movies more than once.

I'm not saying that everyone who thinks that Blu Ray isn't going to make it or that anyone who doesn't have a rosy view of Blu Ray's future falls into that category but it's obvious that there's some who do. I have friends in the 'real' world who definitely have the "High defitinion is doomed" mantra and it's because they don't want to rebuy everything.

Douglas Monce · 05-17-2008, 10:26 PM

I think I would have a much more positive out look of blu-ray if I saw that there were some really exciting films coming. While there are a few interesting titles announced in the next few months, there is nothing that is really getting me excited. The last film that got me excited was Blade Runner, and there is just nothing of that caliber on the way.

I take that back, The Third Man from The Criterion Collection has me a little excited.

Doug

Robert Crawford · 05-18-2008, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce

While it's very true that Sony isn't all powerful when it comes to the format, we are talking about the future of blu-ray here. If Sony and some of the other companies involved in the format don't do something pretty quickly, then they might as well not bother, because blu-ray will have lost the format war also.

Doug

What do you mean something pretty quickly? Also, Sony like many other companies are being hurt by the current economic conditions so their hands are tied to a point for any immediate solution.