Is the future Blu?
Blu-ray player unit sales are to top 40 million units worldwide by 2012, according to a new report from Parks Associates.
Blu-ray player unit sales are to top 40 million units worldwide by 2012, according to a new report from Parks Associates.
Earlier this year, Blu-ray Disc edged out HD DVD as the high-definition successor to the DVD, but how fast will this format be adopted by consumers?
A new report from Park Associates predicts unit sales of Blu-ray players — excluding Sony’s PlayStation 3 video game console, which can also play Blu-ray Discs – will top 40 million by 2012, worldwide.
The Dallas-based research firm predicts sales of standalone Blu-ray players will reach five million units in 2008, compared to 800,000 units last year.
So now that Blu-ray Disc players have dipped below the $300 mark, are you ready to buy one? Or did you shell out $600 for yours? Waiting for high-definition downloads to catch on? Sticking with your DVD player? Do tell!
Filed Under: Home Entertainment
Got my PS3 already!
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The only reason Blu-ray will sell so many units is due to the Gen 1 and Gen 2 buyers that have to buy a whole new unit to benefit from the ability of High Def discs. Sony truly knew what they were doing releasing an incomplete format with little upgradability. PS3 owners are the only blu-ray owners that didn't get shafted. Dirty tactics and bribery was the only way blu-ray could have possibly survived as long as it has, but I think it will fall victim to newer technologies such as downloadables.
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I am not ready to buy a Blu Ray player just yet. The reason? Quality. For some reason, every BluRay movie that I have seen display in stores, has a somewhat "grainy" appearance. Can anyone explain why that is? HD DVD actually looked much better to me because it didn't look "grainy". It is almost as if there is a slight "snowy" appearance to the picture and I have been waiting to see if it would clear up with new generations.
I was also considering the PS3 route, but the PS3 has not been pumping out quality gaming titles (yet) and their online experience is not very good so far.
I am waiting to see how the download market goes. Did anyone buy those Super Cds? iTunes took over and I think that downloading is likely the future. So until Blu Ray players also burn, there is no point of buying one. Besides, there are BluRay burners in computers already, so recording Blu Ray players cannot be far behind.
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The PS3 is an ok route to go, it just sucks that their game library isn't nearly as good as the xbox 360(so far)… I'd either wait until the next-gen 360 comes with a blu-ray drive, or wait until a stand-alone player drops to $200 or less.
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I own a PS3 and love it. It's not just that the picture is hi def but the audio rocks as well. DVD does not compare.
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Personally, I'm sticking with my upconverting DVD player. The quality is good enough for me!! I've invested thousands of dollars in DVDs and I'm not about to jump through hoops replacing my collection so that in 10-15 years they will invent an even better format so that I can start all over (yet again). I'll go Blu when I get a Playstation using my Sony Points from my credit card. Even then… I'll wait for cheap Blu Ray titles. 15 bucks for a movie seems fair.
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I'm pleased with my upconverting DVD player, too. I don't see any reason or need to change to Blu-ray. Why would I want to pour out more money when I've got something that works great as it is? I already have tons of regular DVDs. I have no interest in restocking my collection with the Blu-ray format.
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I guess it really depends on what satisfies you. If you are satisfied with an Up-converting DVD player, then good for you! For me, Blu-ray is much more… I own a PS3 a HD camcorder an a Laptop with a BD burner. I'm really happy playing all my HD home videos on the PS3. I do burn them on DL-DVD's but on AVC-HD format so I still need a Blu-ray to play it outside the PC.I also have a large collection of DVD's but I can still enjoy it on the PS3 and buy my favorites on BD like Transformers (Thank god!!), the Matrix Trilogy, etc.. (BTW.. both used to be HD-DVD titles). Cant wait till Star Wars and LOTR to come out in BD as well (George, i hope you're reading this) I still wont buy $30 BD titles unless they are worth it but i can always rent them at my local video store at practically the same price. Ditto on the games for PS3 (though i cant stop playing MGS4 online).. I hope next year will be better. I'm considering buying a stand alone BD player this holiday for the 40 lcd in the Living room, Sony BDP-S350 for $299.99. Not bad!
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I agree with sticking with the upconverting players now anyways. I have transformers on dvd and on blu-ray and when I play them on my 46" tv I can barely tell the difference in picture, the audio is better with the blu-ray (seems more punchy). I doubt I'll be buying many blu-ray movies when, for a casual movie fan, there isn't much difference to justifiy the added costs, and worrying about blu-ray 1.0, 2.0, 2.1, etc etc
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NINTENDO KNEW BEST
I PRESENTLY HAVE WHAT THEY CALL 1/4 HD, WHICH MEANS THAT I GET HALF THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL OF FULL HD, ON AN 88" DIAGONAL SCREEN. I HAVE MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE CONTENT RATHER THAN THE QUALITY OF THE PICTURE–I CAN'T RATI0NALIZE AN UPGRADE TO FULL HD WHICH, AT THAT PICTURE SIZE, IS STILL WAY OVERPRICED. A FULL SOUND SYSTEM IS A MUCH LARGER IMPROVEMENT THAN HD UNLESS, OF COURSE, YOU'RE A VIDEO GEEK.
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I own a PS3 but I still continue to buy regular DVDs. I only own a 20" tube TV so I have no need for high definition. Another reason why I continue to buy "the old" is because I can watch the film on any TV in the house and lend them out to friends and family. Why buy Blu-ray DVDs and watch on only one TV when I can go anywhere to watch my movies?
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@PS3owner
I just want to make sure that you are actually getting the transformers on HD. the default on PS3 is only 480P even if you are using HDMI. You need to go to display settings and set it on 1080i/p depending on your 46" capabilities. I'm sure you'll see a big difference.
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Hi there.
Blu ray is "nice." I have tried out a blu ray player at my house and i found it is at the moment not worth what it is. The player prices are coming down but until movies start hitting the 10-12$ CDN range, then will I try investing in a blu ray. Until it justifies for me to get one, I will use my 720p or 1080i (same thing) dvd player. Tv broadcasts, HD cameras are 1080i so, if Blu ray is to catch on they have to make everything players, movies more accessible to people $$$ otherwise there will come a higher standard and wipe out blu ray.
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I am sticking wiht my dvd player, although my laptop has blu-ray built in I dont think there are enough titles available to make the switch. To be honest, I really do not see a big difference either.
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Screw Sony!!
Their pattern has been to create products which are incompatible with everybody else's, and then strong-arm consumers into buying theirs and paying a premium.
The human eye can BARELY see the difference between a DVD movie and a BluRay movie…especially if you're not using an LCD or plasma screen with 1080 and a high contrast ratio…and it's certainly no justification for buying a $300 to $600 BluRay player when you can get a good DVD player for $60.
Sony couldn't get away with this blackmail crap if they didn't own all those movie studios; but they do. It makes me wonder why the US government jumped all over Microsoft for forcing people to use Internet Explorer but has done nothing about Sony's tactics. Makes me wonder who's on Sony's unofficial payroll.
I wonder who at Microsoft forgot to pay the required bribes.
Paul
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Have only seen two movies on BluRay but didn't like them. Much prefered the images from my upconverting DVD.
Something just didn't look right – kind of like a video Vs film type image issue. Game quality was great however. Maybe it was just these two movies but remain to be convinced.
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Hey Paul,
Of course you are not going to see a difference if you are NOT using LCD or a Plasma HDTV. It's like comparing a colored movie being watched on a black and white TV. And What blacakmail crap are you talking about? Since when did Sony ever had a monopoly on the CE industry? Beta wasn't forced down your through unlike Windows. You can always buy an RCA if you want.. And of course they are going to make products incompatible with other stuff.. Hello?? remember Apple?? It's called Business!! Why would i spend millions of dollers on R & D (Research and Development) for some other companies to profit from?
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okay, for everyone out there that can not tell the difference, your all the right out to lunch. I just switched from using a 57" projection tv (1080i) with an xbox 360 with a portable hard drive with hd (720p)movies on it, to a 52" lcd with very excellent contrast with a ps3 hooked up. granted i didn't have the best hdmi cables hooked up to the 57". My ps3 is hooked up to a harmon kardon amp capable of 1080i and then routed to my tv. all my cables are high speed monster hdmi cables which i thought wouldn't make a difference (they do!). the difference in picture quality is very noticeable as small details that would usually be lost on 480i can be seen on the 1080i. the blacks are blacker and the whites are whiter and all the colors are very deep and full. now for all those people that are judging bluray from what they see in video and tech stores, remember that the cables (which make all the difference) they use are most likely component cables which only throw out a 720p signal. This is a big step for me because i had always refused sony completely. this new set up has changed my whole outlook on blu ray and i think that u should take a look at what a real set up looks like before u throw in the towel. by the way my whole set up after the tv, the amp and the cables cost under 4500 dollars to build so it is affordable. although my wife thinks i'm crazy
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oh yah and for that person that thinks that the human eye can't tell the difference between a regular dvd and a bluray dvd, get yer eyes checked. go to a friends house that has a ps3, rent the same movie on standard dvd and blue ray then watch both versions and tell me which one looks better
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I own a ps3. If you cannot tell the difference between blu-ray movies and DVDs you need your eyes checked. It's not the technology that is sub-par. I actually only have a 1080i Tv… Therefore I'm not even getting the best picture that the movies can put out (And they still look much better).
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