Who thinks Blu-Ray profits for Sony and it's partners will outweigh the costs of startup and early loss-leading?

Do you believe it was worth sacrificing Sony's power in the console industry?

What percentage of the optical disk market will Blu-Ray steal from DVD before downloads take over? 

{sigh}

bitter tears of HD-DVD supporters

Don't own HD DVD, never did, clearly never will. However I do own a computer:)

Blu Ray will make millions for Sony and the other companies.

1) Yes, it was worth it. 360 is in even greater danger now. It will not only loose the rest of the world, but the US will follow as well. Next up is 360!

2) Sacrificing the power? If Sony would not have included the blu-ray in the PS3, Wii would still be were it is. Wii rocks at the moment, blu-ray or not. The competition was always between 360 and ps3, because they compete in the same segment. And there 360 is already looking like a big-time looser. So sacrifice?

3) Downloading 50GB HD films anytime soon? Think again. Maybe in 2-3 years time, some of us, are doing it, but mass market? No! 2-3 years from now DVD will be VHS of today, and blu-ray DVD of last few years.

Starcraft, sometimes it's just good to know when you should cut your losses. Toshiba and MS are already seing it and doing it. It's time for you to move on as well.

I think it will be worth it fro sony, all though not by much. I think DVD's will be completely dominant throughout this decade and then digital distribution will take over.

@boycop

Given HD tv penetration is less than 30% in the USA, and minuscule in Europe, I can't see Blu-Ray giving the PS3 much of a boost anytime soon. By the time the mass market is in a position to view Blu-Ray as value-added, the PS3 will be far more expensive than the cheaper Blu-Ray players out there.

Sony had upward of 70% of the market last gen. Right now the PS3 is tracking closer to the gamecube than the PS2. And it is highly unlikely it will catch the Xbox 360 WW before the end of 2009, if at all. So yes, Sony made a HUGE sacrifice for Blu-Ray.

As for your 50gb downloads comment, thats ridiculous. HD movie downloads come compressed to Xbox live marketplace at around 6-8gb.

And what exactly do you mean 'cut my losses?' I haven't bought into either of the two losing HD formats;)

Well, you should get your facts straight! HD tv penetration is NOT minuscule in europe. It's actually quite close to the US. And 30% of the TV market compared to the WHOLE game console market... hmm let me think, which is bigger... Get your facts straight. And HD TV's are just starting to make it big.

You missed my point. No matter what Sony would have done with blu-ray and PS3, they would have lost to Wii. So blu-ray was not the reason they lost. Missing the casual games market (and Wii remote) was their mistake!

About cutting your losses I think everybody else knows what I'm talking about. But hey, bang your head on the wall if you like to

Forgot this one...

Do you really think 6GB compressed 720p "HD material" is the same as real 1080p 30-50GB HD material (with trueDTS=discrete sound channels etc...)? Think again!

Wait.. What if the people don't like to buy HD entertainment just because there's another format that might win and the one they bought losses. What if it's one HD format now?