Blu-ray accounts for a third of Japan's DVD recorder/player shipments

[AdamT]

I just posted the article Blu-ray accounts for a third of Japan's DVD recorder/player shipments.

Blu-ray is bigger than Godzilla in Japan, with the format making up 31% of all DVD recorder/player shipments in the 12 months to September 2008. Blu-ray Disc recorder/player shipments reached 138,000...

Read the full article here:  [http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/15155-Blu-ray-accounts-for-a-third-of-Japans-DVD-recorder_player-shipments.html](http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/15155-Blu-ray-accounts-for-a-third-of-Japans-DVD-recorder_player-shipments.html)

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[DukeNukem]

No link?

[guest]

This is interesting. I can’t wait to hear the opinion of blu-ray naysayers…or does Japan not count?

If it’s true that blu-ray is making money hand-over-fist in Japan, then it makes sense that big companines invested in blu-ray can take a wait-and-see approach here in North America.

[DukeNukem]

“… or does Japan not count?”

No, Japan does not count. It’s a bunch of tiny islands populated by smallish people who are addicted to the latest technology. There, I said it.

Recorders and media are much cheaper in Japan than they are here. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

Discuss.

[Crabbyappleton]

Japan counts of course. But, I think that these sales figures are boosted a bit as compared to the US for a couple reasons. The Bejing Olympics created a good demand for the blu-ray recorders in Japan as we read this spring and summer. We have even read comments where folks from Japan like to use Blu-ray for recording their HD programming over there. If you prefer this method to capture your programs, then it is easier to justify the decision and to consider building a BR movie library, as it serves a dual purpose.

In the US- I think set top DVRs are more the norm and this hurts Blu-ray recorder sales. I would not want one for instance as I got a HDDVR subsidized by my satellite subscription. It is dovetailed with the satellite services guide and makes schedualing recordings a snap. Until satellite or cable starts offering a BR recorder- it will not fly here. And with them (cable/satellite) offering streaming goods- it ain’t gonna happen IMHO. This hurts Blu-ray.

So in short- since the unlinked article above lumps players and recorders together for the sales figure, I can see it. Especially if it includes PS3. If your kid over there plays games and you got him one- then you can always say- what the heck…I can also play Blu-ray movies on it when he/she is not using it. It all adds up.

I think the wait for preferences to change in the US- to mirror those of Japan- could take a very long time if ever…

[saltpeter]

BR seems to have a lot of storage capacity. But it seems that the movie making folks can’t seem to figure out what to do with all that space! I see adds on TV for BR, and they tout all of the bonus features, games, several or up to three versions of the same movie on one disc. Cool, but who needs it? How many of us actually use all of the bonus features on the DVD 9’s that we use currently? I know that I rarely do. I do sometimes look at the out takes, perhaps an optional ending. It is extreemly rare for meto actully listen to the movie with the directors comments BORING! I do not care about kids games on BR, and I am a 52 year old avid PC gamer. Too many to list here. At the price for a blank BR disc US $25.00, I just do not see this as an option for me at this time, or for some time to come. The price for DVD STB’s is falling like a rock, you can find a pretty good one for US $35.00. Top of the line for under $60.00. Even if I can get three or four DVD9’s on to one BR, the price is still too high IMHO. Save for the very technical folks out there that are willing to spend top dollar for the latest equipment, I’m just not seeing how BR can offer me any benifits. Maybe I’m missing something here…SO please let me know what BR is really going to do for the average Joe the Plumber? My question is sencere, I don’t mean to P off anyone, but I just can not see the advantages at this time.

[guest]

@saltpeter wrote: “At the price for a blank BR disc US $25.00…”

US$25 ??
If you look around more, you can get Ridata BD-R $5.00 - $6.49 or Verbatim BD-R $7.00 - $7.99 (<-- click the links).

[saltpeter]

Thanks for the info! Best buy has them for 25.00, and Staples is the same. When I saw those prices I thought that it would never fly until BR was in just about every household!!

[zaina]

In Japan you can find BD-R blanks for $3.8 per. See this thread: Blu-ray blank media, player and recorder prices in Japan

[Grrrrl]

Don’t be so rude Duke The fact that they adopt it there and that it’s cheapers probably means they can obviously make it cheaper so we should get it cheaper too someday, don’t you think?

[DukeNukem]

“I am a 52 year old avid PC gamer.”

Good for you, brother. Consoles are evil. I’ll be playing PC games until the Grim Reaper comes to claim my soul.

[Bobverens]

I’m old enough to remember that LaserDisc players were HUGE in Japan also – as was Betamax…[](javascript:EmotionsDialog.insert(’’,‘bigsmile’)

[saltpeter]

Good point Bob! Laser disc did not do much for me, but I did kinda like Betamax. Then we got stuck with that thing called VHS! There are still people out there that wonder why we nut cases like CD, DVD so much!

[guest]

As someone who worls with Japanese ESL students, I always ask them about tech in Japan, and here is the interesting thing they all said regarding Blu-ray. “What is that”? or “It’s too expensive” or “We don’t need it” and “We (I) don’t know anyone with a b-r player” so I think reports like this are total fake crap made up to sway brainless people into buying crap they don’t need. Don’t believe they hype!