Here Comes Blu-Ray (Ron Epstein's report) (2 Viewers)

[Brian_Pete]

I agree with you on this Brett. At the latest it will be April/May timeframe before you can walk into Best Buy and pick one up. That's actually when I plan to pick one up.

 

[BrettGallman]

I'm still going to try to pick up a PS3 at launch for the game-playing capabilities. I'll probaby stick a BD in there just to compare it with the Sammy, but I want it for the games first and foremost. It won't kill me to get one at launch, but I won't be really happy either. I'm starting to really get hyped now that we're just a month away from launch.

 

[Vincent_P]

"All the 50gb movies you can"? What is that, exactly zero titles right now, and maybe three or four by year's end? Good luck with that...

Vincent

 

[ppltd]

This is true. The Xbox360 supply ramped up late January, and the supply has been steady since, much to MS's benefit. Sony will have a little more issue of supply because of the shortage of the BD diode, but I expect this to settle out by second quarter of '07. I would almost be willing to bet on the fact that Sony will probably deliver in the range of 1.2 - 1.5 mil this year (Japan and US) and hopefully 3 - 4 mill by the end of their fiscal.

One problem Sony will have that MS didn't, they will have competition. If the consumer can't get a Sony PS3, will they opt for a nintendo or 360? It will be fun to watch.

Thomas Eisenmann

 

[EricW]

i think the thing about PS3's is the demand will be greater then the 360 and the production will be slower. so it probably will take a little longer for the PS3 supply to be greater then demand.

 

[BrettGallman]

But the thing is, Sony is actually shipping more PS3s than Microsoft shipped 360s last year. There were only 400,000 of those available at launch. It will be interesting to see how quickly Sony will be able to ramp up production right after the holiday season. Something tells me it won't be any different from any console launch, though.

 

[MarekM]

maybe you are little late with news....... but there are at least 10 50GB BD titles before the end of the year....

Marek

 

[PeterTHX]

"Click" will be in people's hands in a little less than 36 hours.

Hardly vaporware.

How many current HD DVD titles go above 30GB? How many are scheduled?

 

[Jeff(R)]

2006:

Sony: 3
Fox: 1
Lions Gate: 1
Warner: Superman Returns + whichever ones are referred to in the above article for October.

So there are at least 6 BD50s, and likely one or more others from Warner. Given that Sony's BD50 announcement re: Click was a surprise, perhaps they'll do that again. Have you heard of any more Marek?

Jeff

 

[ppltd]

So Sony say's, just as MS did prior to their launch. Until the end of the year, we will not know how many units Sony is able to produce. My guess, based on all of the Sony hype to date, is probably well under half of their projected numbers. Maybe 1.2 - 1.5 mil on the high end in the US and Japan combined.

Thomas Eisenmann

 

[Austan]

Titles have been anounced, Studios are on board and the Technology is there!!!

I just deleted a whole paragraph... Just wrote it down... got it off my chest and deleted it... That's all I have to say about that...

 

[Roger Mathus]

I have 30 Blu-Ray discs from all studios releasing Blu-ray and I have yet to encounter any play back problems with the Samsung player. Also, two professional reviewers have stated that there is no problem with the dual layer discs...first one out tomorrow. I also own the Toshiba HD DVD player and have encountered some sort of drop out glitch on most discss. This has improved since the latest firmware update but still is encountered on some discs. I can't figure out where you get this info ""difficulty in getting the Sammy to play different types of Blu-ray discs." I have seen no such posts and my experience is real as I own both Samsung and Toshiba players.

 

[JeffdDurborow]

The cost of blu-ray in general keeps me at a distance....

 

[SherardP]

I agree with you on that. Unless I can get something bundled in the deal I will just hold off. I'm not so sure about dropping that 1k gem yet. Until then I'll enjoy the other format. Great read Ron, definitely will keep my eye out for a good price drop though.

 

[ppltd]

Here's hoping that Sony can rectify their manufacturing problems no later than the end of 1st qt, 07. If not, the 360 and WI will have an install base that Sony will have a difficult time overcomming. If this doesn't happen until 08, MS will have already released spec data on the next XBox, and the PS3 will have little hope catching up in sales.

I expect, like with MS, sometime in late Feb, or early March of 07, you will be able to walk into any BB and buy a PS3.

 

[Austan]

Sony can't meet current demands in the US and Japan and they will need to start hoarding units for the Europe launch in March 2007. IMHO: the PS3 will be a hard find for quite some time. If you happen to be in the store when a shipment comes, you'll be able to pick one up. But if you don't grab one, they will be gone until the next shipment comes in.

"pick up on a whim" = walk into any store and it will be in stock. You can go to any almost walmart, costco, bestbuy or compusa and the XBOX 360 will be there. It will be Summer of 2008 before that scenario will happen for the PS3. It's not a matter of tremendous demand, it's more like not enough supply that will make it hard to get. Sony has already lowered their initial projections by 75% and now they are stating that 500,000 lunch units is a target and not a fact. Lower #'s = harder to get.

 

[BrettGallman]

And I still say no way that happens. No console has ever been hard to find for a year and a half, and the PS3 won't start that trend. Mark my words: you will be able to walk into a store by March and buy a PS3. It happens for almost every console: impossible to find around launch and the holiday season, but becomes relatively easier in the following months. If Sony has problems just supplying and producing the PS3s as you say they will, they are indeed in big trouble, but I just don't see it happening.

 

[ppltd]

As did MS. And lower #'s only means harder to get for a short window. There is a point where lower #'s means buy the competion. Either way, demand will decrease by end of 1st quarter 2007 and supply will increase.

 

[MikeGale]

Thanks, Ron. Sorry if I can't get more excited about this, but buying a Betamax in 1976 and eventually having to throw away all my tapes cured me of being an early adopter. I'll wait until there's one format with reasonably priced hardware and software. Just remember that "Click," "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Superman Returns" in ANY format are still lousy movies. If they were releasing "Jaws," "The Godfather" and "Lawrence of Arabia" there might be a better argument to spend the money. In the meantime, my $200 Oppo DVD player with upconversion provides a helluva nice image on the DVDs I already own.

 

[Chris Dugger]

I guess I am still awaiting "Here Comes Blu-Ray"....

Really haven't seen anything yet....

And in the long run..... Why in the world would I pay double for Blu-Ray?

Hd-Dvd has proven itself and is at least priced in the proper ballpark.

Dugger