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Rumor: Blu-Ray Player Pricing May Drop to $150 in Time for Holiday Season

Posted 11/10/08 at 01:05:45 PM  by Paul Lilly

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To the victor go the spoils, so why then is Sony having such a tough time pushing its Blu-ray format on consumers now that HD-DVD has long been laid to rest following the high-definition format war? There's no single answer, and instead the explosion of digital downloads (thanks in large part to Netflix, who is intent on getting its streaming service on every device out there), upconverting DVD players, and high prices are all factors leading to a slower adoption rate than many might have thought.

Looking for a holiday surge and reacting to market conditions, high prices may soon become less of a factor. According to ABI Research, holiday season prices for Blu-ray players could hover in the $150-$200 range, despite previous market forecasts to the contrary. The price drops can already be seen, particularly in what ABI calls tier 2 players, models which have been available for 6-9 months. On Amazon, it's possible to pick up an earlier model player along with four Blu-ray movies for under $200, and more deals like it will probably surface within the next month.

Would you be willing to jump on the Blu-ray bandwagon if player pricing drops to the $150 range? Hit the jump and let us know.

Image Credit: Amazon and Samsung

COMMENTS:10
TAGS: Blu-ray, consumer electronics, price drop
COMMENTS
avatarDisc's cost way too much

Submitted by speder on Tue, 11/11/2008 - 3:40pm

Pick up a newspaper on Sunday and you'll find DVD's on sale anywhere between $5 to $15.  The cheapest blu ray movie's I've seen hover around $25 and up.  Once the disc price comes down, I'll run out and get a PS3 (why get a device that ONLY plays DVD's when I can get a PS3?) and then we'll talk.  Oh yeah, I'm 33 y.o. to the commenter who says only people 25 and under would get a PS3. I'm not a Sony fanboy either.

 Come to think of it, by the time Blu ray discs get cheaper, it will be a moot point anyway.

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avatarA few of these posts sum it

Submitted by lunchbox73 on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 3:06pm

A few of these posts sum it up perfectly why blurays aren't flying off the shelves. It's not just the player and the movies but the TV as well and that's where the huge expense is. If you don't already have a 1080 TV, and most people don't, than you aren't buying a BR.

The VHS to DVD move didn't have that limitation.

Once the players get down to $25 - $50 like the cheapo DVD players it's a different story but that will be a while yet.

Optical media will be obsolete eventually anyway so who cares. 10 years from now we'll be saying "Remember when you actually had to drive to the store or wait in the mail to get a DISC? How lame was that?!?!"

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avatarMultiple investments

Submitted by TheDorkSide on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 1:34pm

Yeah, great. Now I gotta get a new TV, maybe a decent sound system, and then re-buy all my movies at a premium...sure no problem.

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avatarI still am in the dark ages

Submitted by Xyphus on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 12:52pm

I still am in the dark ages when it comes to hardware.  My DVD player, head unit, and 27" TV only have component support, so I'd have to replace the entire chain to take full advantage of Hi-Def.  And it's just not in the cards financially...  So, no Hi-Def lovin' for me for a while yet it seems...  On the other hand, my PC's video card and widescreen 22" monitor (1680x1050 and HDMI compliant) seem to be fine for displaying Hi-Def (well, 720p at any rate) so if the Blu-Ray drives come down enough in price, I may be tempted to add one to my PC...  But we'll see how that goes once the economy starts to stabalize a bit more...

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avatarI don't know, I may just

Submitted by gforaker on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 12:48pm

I don't know, I may just just jump for a PS3 this year.   I have a very good 60" Sony 1080i TV with a wonderfull picture.   I currently get 1080i HD over cable and it doesn't look all that much better than a good upconverted DVD played on my OPPO player.   Either some of you people have not seen a good upconverting player such as the OPPO or else Blu-Ray looks a lot better than 1080i broadcast over cable.   I'm not saying they are equal, but I don't feel like throwing rocks at the screen when I watch an upconverted DVD.

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avatarI have seen the Oppo up

Submitted by Pyrophorics on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 2:18pm

I have seen the Oppo up converting but also prefer Blu-Ray. For some older
movies there isn't a lot you can do so they won't look much better over Blu-Ray
but for those who are picky enough (like me), you can see a small difference.

Also, not that it is the ruling feature of any HD component but you should
notice an improvement with 1080p vs 1080i. Matter of fact, some people find
720p better than 1080i. 

Your Sony, nice as it may be, isn't as good as it can be. I actually bought
another tv today (LN52A750) for only $2000 (no tax/free shipping) from
Amazon...almost a grand less than Best Buy. IMO it's becoming very affordable
right now!

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avatarThe only people I know who

Submitted by FusilliJerry82 on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 11:38am

The only people I know who watch Blu-Rays are those I know with PS3's, which are generally no older than 25ish.  No one seems to know what they're missing until they see one playing.  Which is basically how every new technology spreads.  Most won't take the leap to try one until there isn't too much of a premium in price in comparison to DVD players.

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avatarI am completely aware of

Submitted by Tekzel on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 1:38pm

I am completely aware of what I am missing.  I have seen a good setup on display at BestBuy.  I would LOVE to get set up with kit like that, but there is just no way I can afford it.  I am sporting a luxurious 27in CRT television in my living room and a 25in in the bedroom.  I think the 27 set me back $170ish about 3-4 years ago.  I would have to sink a load into getting the television, blueray player, replacing both my Tivos with high def PVRs of some flavor (would prefer sticking with Tivos though) and probably digital cable.   Plus whatever other odds and ends I would need.  I am just not made of dough, so I am stickin to my old DVD and TV.  Maybe someday, but not in the forseeable future.

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avatarNOPE!!

Submitted by lunchbox73 on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 11:24am

I'm perfectly happy with my up upconverting DVD player. My TV is a 720p 42" plasma so I doubt I would even notice a difference with bluray. My DVDs already look damn good. Now if they would only start making good movies again....

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avatarTrueHD 1080p + a good

Submitted by Pyrophorics on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 11:38am

TrueHD 1080p + a good quality Blu-Ray Player + a newer/high budget film ... you will notice a huge difference.

We had a Panasonic 720p with an upconverting DVD player. When we got our first Samsung 1080p LCD and a PS3 it was awe inspiring. The difference was instantly realized.

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