Sony: "Blu-Ray discs cost too much", lowers expectations on player sales

[LordTheNightKnight]

wfz said:

misterd said:

Khuutra said:
This is really just to be expected given that this new format is so damn expensive compared to the old one. Digital downloads may win out over blu-ray simply because of price, though the economy has provided a perfect storm for that kind of thing.

Simply untrue. As a relatively early DVD adopter (1998), I remember when many new releases were $30 for a bare bones disc.

 

 

I think you may have misunderstood his post. I think he was saying that Blu-Ray is significantly cheaper than it's alternative, DVD, as of the present time.

DVD also has the advantage of a way bigger install base, and people also need to get an HDTV to appreciate what Blu-Ray has to offer. Combine that with the fact that DVDs are way cheaper, and I think Blu-Ray has quite a battle it's been waging.

 

See, this is why I didn't think HD DVD or blu-ray had much of a chance from the beginning (I did get caught up in attacking the flamers at the end, but I was not in a good point in my life at that time, and was prone to lash out).

The thing is that HD discs are a synergy dependent product. Just as merchandising for a movie needs the movie to be a hit, HD discs need HDTVs to succeed. If companies had waited until after the marketsare of HDTVs was significant enough, then this wouldn't be a problem. I mean something like at least 25% of all TV owning households. Then there would be a ready market. That's why neither VHS, DVD, nor any home console depended on TV to sell. TV was already common enough.