HD DVDs demise seem to push Blu-ray prices up

[robre]

The HD-DVD player went down to $150 when Warner Bros. dropped HD for Blu. Before that, the lowest priced HD-DVD player was $299 compared to the Sony for $301.

I purchased my A30 early November of last year for about $220, and that was the middle model. The A3's were going for $199 with a bunch of free HD DVD's at one point before the holidays. So they had already dropped well before the Warner move.

 

[akodoreign]

$301? When the heck was any Sony Blu-Ray player even $301 street much less list. The BDP-S300 is still $499 list. (down $100 from introduction) The lowest price HD DVD player (the A3) was initially $299 list.

Sorry master it was $401. I under bid the OP. I apologize

 

[Chucky Cheese]

$301? When the heck was any Sony Blu-Ray player even $301 street much less list. The BDP-S300 is still $499 list. (down $100 from introduction) The lowest price HD DVD player (the A3) was initially $299 list.

I paid $277 for my BDP-301 in early December in Sams Club.

 

[akodoreign]

I paid $277 for my BDP-301 in early December in Sams Club.

Yeah sometimes Sams Club Deals are pretty sweet. I Picked up my HD-DVD add on drive from them a year ago for $89.

I picked up my 37" Sharp Aquos from them for $800 a year ago as well.

 

[teamerickson]

There were good deals around the holidays. I got my Samsung 1400 for $280. Can't find it anywhere now for under $360.

 

[navychop]

Yeah sometimes Sams Club Deals are pretty sweet. I Picked up my HD-DVD add on drive from them a year ago for $89.

I picked up my 37" Sharp Aquos from them for $800 a year ago as well.

WOW. If I go into a store later this year and see a 42" Sharp Aquos for $800 I'll probably buy it on the spot.

Nice how electronics gets better and cheaper each year. So maybe over a year or so I can get an extra 5" for the money.

 

[haertig]

The HD-DVD player went down to $150 when Warner Bros. dropped HD for Blu. Before that, the lowest priced HD-DVD player was $299 compared to the Sony for $301.

I paid $98 for my HDDVD player in November. Not $299.

 

[Chucky Cheese]

Now if I could only pay $99 for an 42" lcd tv.

 

[darrencp22]

Standalone BD player prices will be <$300 by Christmas this year and <$200 by Christmas '09.

So by 2010 the price of a BD player will be what the 360 player was in 2007?

 

[db2]

So by 2010 the price of a BD player will be what the 360 player was in 2007?

You mean the Xbox 360 add on? Microsoft and BDA are currently in negotiations to create a BD drive for microsoft gaming consoles, I don't know what the price will be.

If you're asking whether it will take a while for BD hardware prices to catch up to HD hardware prices the answer is yes. If the price is too high for you then don't buy one.

I don't expect any BD player manufacturers to be as aggressive as Toshiba with their pricing, at least not initially. After all, look where it got Toshiba.

 

[allargon]

Now even pro-Blu Engadget is jumping on the Blu-Ray player prices going up...

Lack of competition sends Blu-ray player prices upward - Engadget HD

BTW, MS says it is *NOT* in talks to create a Blu-Ray add-on.

Blu-ray on Xbox 360? Microsoft hasn't heard about it - Engadget HD

 

[allargon]

Philips--this is the company that dared to release its first Blu-Ray player as a $600 machine that couldn't even decode Dolby Digital and DTS (something most midrange DVD players can do) then complain about slow sales is now raising its target price for its profile 1.1 (not 2.0) player.

Philips: $349 Blu-ray Player Going to $399

Philips: $349 Blu-ray Player Going to $399
The company says HD DVD's exit is not behind the price increase.
By Swanni

Washington, D.C. (March 13, 2008) -- In January, Philips issued a press release saying its BDP7200 Blu-ray player would be released in April with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $349.

Scores of print and online publications reported on the Philips announcement, noting that it would be the lowest-priced Blu-ray player on the market -- $50 less than Sony's BDP-S300.

However, late last month, Toshiba announced that it was exiting the HD DVD business, ceding victory to its high-def disc rival, Blu-ray. Since then, no longer concerned about low-cost HD DVD players, Blu-ray makers have increased the price of their players, albeit slightly.

And Philips joined the crowd today, telling TVPredictions.com that its BDP7200 will be $399 next month -- not $349 as stated last January.

However, Philips spokeswoman Katie Bromley said the new price "was not related" to HD DVD's exit.

"(Philips) thought ($349) would be the cost at the time (in January)," she said.

However, when TVPredictions.com first asked about the new price tag, Bromley said the $349 price in the January press release was a "typo."

Bromley was then reminded that scores of publications had written about the $349 price last January -- and that Philips had never issued a correction saying the price should be $399.

After that conversation, she called TVPredictions.com back and said the $349 price was not a typo after all. Actually, she said, the price had changed sometime after it was originally set at $349.

Bromley said she did not know why Philips decided the price had to be raised to $399, but she said it definitely had nothing to do with HD DVD departing.

 

[markh]

We don't know why the price went up, but we definitely know it's not because HD DVD is done. Beautiful, I love PR people.

 

[Fitzie]

ChicagoFilms says "$150 BD players by Christmas, guaranteed."

Which Christmas? What is the monetary value of the guarantee?

A Sony spokesman recently stated something to the effect "we won the war. Now we are going to enjoy the spoils." He was referring to the fact Sony will not be licensing any Chinese BD manufacturers. He continued: "Why give the technology away? Why give it to the Chinese?"

$150 BD players by Christmas? Maybe by Christmas 2014. (Maybe later.)

Have a great blue day.

Fitzie

 

[navychop]

With Blu-ray sales expected to triple this year, that $150 player might well be here by Xmas 2009 or 2010. By 2014 Blu-ray might be outselling DVD.

They won't "recoup losses" forever. Sales will grow and smaller margins on larger unit sales will recoup their losses. Plus, with many manufacturers competing to sell Blu-ray players, and more entering the field, there will be ever growing downward pressure on prices. They'll take what they can now, during a sort of breathing space before more players enter the market.

It's not like HD DVD, where you essentially had only one player manufacturer, Toshiba. There are and have always been several Blu-ray player manufacturers, competing against each other for sales. None, except maybe Sony, has an incentive to sell at a loss. And Sony doesn't dare undercut the others by much, if at all, due to their need for broad industry support and maintaining their image as a "extra value, higher priced brand."

 

[akodoreign]

With Blu-ray sales expected to triple this year, that $150 player might well be here by Xmas 2009 or 2010. By 2014 Blu-ray might be outselling DVD.

They won't "recoup losses" forever. Sales will grow and smaller margins on larger unit sales will recoup their losses. Plus, with many manufacturers competing to sell Blu-ray players, and more entering the field, there will be ever growing downward pressure on prices. They'll take what they can now, during a sort of breathing space before more players enter the market.

It's not like HD DVD, where you essentially had only one player manufacturer, Toshiba. There are and have always been several Blu-ray player manufacturers, competing against each other for sales. None, except maybe Sony, has an incentive to sell at a loss. And Sony doesn't dare undercut the others by much, if at all, due to their need for broad industry support and maintaining their image as a "extra value, higher priced brand."

Um, I think the difference is there is a board here trying to make $$. They will price fix as long as they can get away with it.

 

[nonrev]

"By 2014 Blu-ray might be outselling DVD." And you don't think downloading will be at high enough a level before then?

Also this price increase across the board is going to get ugly.

 

[navychop]

One more try at the downloading fantasy.

Downloading = rental. Yes, I know it's "possible" to "own" a downloaded HD title. But that doesn't mean studios will support it. Or that it will work or be popular with HDD failures, etc.

There is a bad track record for downloading. How many companies have recently left the downloading field?

How many consumers are set up to download over the internet, and have the knowledge, equipment and inclination to do so?

The internet cannot support a large increase in video downloading. Look at the complaints from ISPs about YouTube- a crude, sub-SD short video download service! A large increase in video downloads, especially HD video downloads, is not supported by the ISPs, the "last mile" or the backbone itself. And won't anytime soon. Nor will BOPL suddenly "save the day." Downloads will continue by satellite and cable, but won't threaten HD optical media sales for many, many years - if ever. Again, the "magic fairy" isn't going to put high speed internet connections in the majority of U.S. households in the next few years.

And people like having a disc in their hands to play instantly when they want. It's not like music downloads at all.

 

[charper1]

DITTO, D/L will ALWAYS be a niche market at best if supported by the industry or ISPs; which has so far been hesitant to say the least. Way before D/L there will likely be at least 2 or 3 new types of media after discs.

 

[vurbano]

With Blu-ray sales expected to triple this year, that $150 player might well be here by Xmas 2009 or 2010. By 2014 Blu-ray might be outselling DVD.

Well triple eh? SO it will be .3% of the market x 3 = .9%. Yup, you are well on your way to kickin some DVD butt alright.