20°

Low-priced Blu-ray players should spur adoption

VB:-Despite a sinking economy, studios predict healthy holiday Blu-ray Disc spending due to fast declining hardware pricing, according to participants at Tuesday's High-Def Conference here.

Blu-ray players have fallen to sub-$200 pricing and should hit the $150 mark by Black Friday, effectively widening the customer base from early adopter to mainstream, noted studios during the event, sponsored by Home Media Magazine.

Currently, the U.S. Blu-ray install base totals 1.5 million set-tops and 5.5 million PlayStation 3 consoles. Between now and the end of 2008, that combined set-top/PS3 install base should grow more than 40% to 10 million units, according to Paramount Home Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is even more bullish, projecting a year-end base of 11 million to 12 million Blu-ray players.

This expanding Blu-ray penetration is moving at a quicker pace than the uptake for standard-definition players between 1998 and 1999, noted Danny Kaye, Fox's executive VP of global research and technology strategy.

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videobusiness.com
uckitsayitchbay5660d ago

But but upscaled dvd's... but but... compressed DD.... but but nothing. can anyone still honestly believe blu-ray is a dying format without being the most media brainwashed Fanboy in the galaxy

darthv725660d ago (Edited 5660d ago )

For it to truly take off there needs to be some major marketing.
There needs to be more consumer awareness and for that to happen, people need to go to the stores and see it in action. Some people dont go to stores anymore thanks to sites like amazon and others. You dont get the same effect from reading about it.

Consumers also MUST HAVE an hdtv. Sure prices have come down on the screens but the overall penetration of hdtv's in the world is far below the levels of regular tv's (obviously). Just because in feb the us are changing to digital signals doesnt mean they are hd signals. Anyone with a regular tv and cable/sat are covered. Chances are that the same person has a dvd player. So unless they decide to get an hdtv it will be hard for them to get a blu player as well.

From a target marketing promo video: "Without bluray, your hdtv is simply ... tv" If you think about that you could change it like this: Without hdtv your bluray player is simply ... dvd.

Prices on EVERYTHING related to hd needs to drop considerably. Not just the players but the screens (yes they are dropping), movies and all the assorted cables to make it all work. DVD has been at the "sweet spot" for many years and has contributed to the amount of screens and players in a regular house.

When prices are at an acceptable level for the average consumer to really buy into the quality blu can offer (screen, player, movies)then it will get adopted at a substantial rate. Until then most will stick to getting dvd movies and play them on their sdtv screens. I know I would have to change 4 screens and 4 players to really benefit from it. I dont have that kind of cash.....do you?

Not being a fanboy, just being realistic.

30°

MSI releases new RTX 4060 Ti bundle that fans of Monster Hunter will love

MSI celebrates the 20th anniversary of Monster Hunter with this unique bundle that features a matching RTX 4060 Ti and game controller.

170°

Why Xbox believes it must cut costs and close studios

Companies, particularly public companies like Microsoft, need to grow.

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eurogamer.net
gold_drake5h ago

i mean its pretty simple, they spent close to 30 billion in acquiring activision, they thought they'd make it bk no problem, and that didnt happen.

its just shit that because of MS's miscalculation alot of people lost their jobs.

Jingsing1h ago

This is exactly what many people said would happen including the CMA and FTC. Lies lies and more lies and they allowed a $69 billion buy out to happen.

gold_drake1h ago

oh yeh it was 70 billion. that was my bad haha even worse.

thesoftware7301h ago(Edited 1h ago)

gold,

You can't be serious, right?

Do you think that MS thought they would make 80bill in a year & Half? They haven't even released titles under MS yet, lol.

But in fact, that A/B revenue is already paying off, look at the last earnings call. That $80 billion is long-term money, my guy, no sane person/company would think they would make that back in any short-term situation, it's a long-term investment.

Let's play silly then. If MS's reason for laying off staff and closing studios was due(which it really was not) to the A/B deal, tell me what Sony's reason was for past studio closures, the recent 900-person layoffs, closing Sony London, shutting down Dreams, and closing Japan Studio? Zipper? Psygnosis? cuts at all their internal studios.

Keep in mind, you are claiming MS's reason is because of the A/B deal; please explain Sony's reason.

Hofstaderman1h ago

You actually still defending them? Sheesh.....

gold_drake1h ago

this is not a sony vs MS debate. dont make it something it isnt.

and of course not, but im pretty sure they thought they'd make more money after the deal. they didnt, and closed off some studios.

its pretty insane to think there is any other reason for the closure of studios in this case.

romulus231h ago(Edited 1h ago)

(It really was) due to the Activision Blizzard deal and the loss of physical sales due to gamepass. You keep bringing up Sony in all your posts about this, stop deflecting and trying to change the topic, this is about MS and what they are doing.

BehindTheRows54m ago

Has nothing to do with Sony. Stay on topic.

notachance40m ago

once in a while you see someone too invested in their make-believe console war that everything happened has to be connected to said war…

a bit of banter between fans is normal, this crusade you’re doing now isn’t.

Chevalier21m ago

Wow idiotic. You bring up very old closures not that there haven't been recent ones from Playstations, but, seriously stop deflecting. This has NOTHING to do with Playstation.

Does Playstation got $3 trillion behind them and daddies wallet? No they don't so stop making a fool of yourself.

Xbox has never been profitable really and they just keep losing money so between their worst hardware sales, terrible 3rd party sales and now terrible 1st party sales.

Gamepass numbers that are no longer being announced shows their numbers after 3 years of missed targets has flatlined. Plus their recent gains up to 34 million were ONLY because they folded Gold members in too. Absolutely take your idiotic rhetoric out of here. Keep on topic without deflecting.

S2Killinit17m ago

Ayayayay with these xbox/MS excuses.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 17m ago
anast1h ago

They are going to use AI for a large portion of the game development process. Upper management need bonuses and the shareholders need more money. So, people will lose their jobs.

Skuletor1h ago

Maybe they were already using AI to make business decisions, which would explain why they closed Hi-Fi Rush's studio, then said they need more games like Hi-Fi Rush not long after that announcement.

Crows901h ago(Edited 1h ago)

They shouldn't have bought any studios. Some is okay...but they went on a shopping spree...stupid

Einhander197232m ago

The better question is why did Microsoft buy publishers for a service they were subsidizing they knew couldn't support.

And why are so many websites trying to make people feel sorry for Microsoft instead of truly criticizing the fact they are closing studios and killing jobs that would have been fine if Microsoft themselves hadn't gotten involved.

Quit feeling sorry for Microsoft and start feeling sorry for the industry and the all the gamers who are actually losing out.

THIS IS MICROSOFTS FAULT.

RNTody31m ago

The first thing that happens after any major acquisition or merger is a consolidation of the whole new portfolio, which includes cutting any excess, bloat or portfolios that don't fit the larger MO of the big boy. So far, it's been par for the course with Microsoft and that's why gamers have been so against this acquisition. Tango Gameworks is the beginning. You think Microsoft wants to pay to keep small timers like Ninja Theory in business?

There is absolutely zero evidence to suggest that Microsoft will improve any of these studios, but plenty to suggest that they will get rid of what they don't need and hold onto the IP. The real agenda of the acquisition was always to acquire The Elder Scrolls, Diablo, Fallout, Call of Duty, Candy Crush etc. that will create millions in passive revenue stream for Microsoft regardless of where the games release. Microsoft simply wants their cut.

Because of Games Pass Microsoft has no interest in investing in new IP which is risky and requires creative talent they can neither nurture nor manage. Game Pass has also not grown in the way Microsoft expected it to, even post acquisitions. Therefore the logical thing to do, without serious money makers to release, is to cut as much cost as possible.

70°

RTX 50 series cooling tested up to 600W, but users want Nvidia to fix the adapter first

Nvidia is allegedly testing GPU coolers to handle up to 600W for the 50 series, reigniting discussion of melting 16-pin connectors.