Consumers not keen on Blu-ray

[Timmie]

I just posted the article Consumers not keen on Blu-ray.

Many use the news to show what we can expect in the next decade. Climate changes, hunger, polution and Blu-ray adoption. The latter is expected by some not to happen and others already expect...

Read the full article here:  [http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/14648-Consumers-not-keen-on-Blu-ray.html](http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/14648-Consumers-not-keen-on-Blu-ray.html)

Feel free to add your comments below. 

Please note that the reactions from the complete site will be synched below.

[johnzap]

Why shocking? Because it is too high? For me, 9% appears to be a pretty good figure for Blu-Ray. And all this with players having pretty high prices. If, by year’s end, some cheap players show up, those 9% might even increase. It all depends on the push that Blu-Ray companies decide to apply to the format. If they decide to make a concerted effort, i.e. price reduction, what will happen? This is basically year 1 of Blu-Ray, i.e. the first one without HDDVD on the scene. If they start with a 9% figure right now, adoption might end up being a lot faster than I thought.

[HerculesBeast]

This is great news. I hope Sony finds this out. Blu-ray players and discs are way too expensive. I will continue to choose standard DVD over Blu-ray. Blu-ray camp is still holding out for prices. Let us continue to not support them. 9% is like 1 in 10 which is very high.
This message was edited at: 16-05-2008 19:41

[DukeNukem]

Wow, johnzap was first on the scene for this story. Why am I not shocked? Hey johnny, you can’t fool us. We all know you have the Blu-ray logo tattooed on your chest. Year 1 of Blu-ray? Are you smoking some of that Sony shit? Blu-crap has been a cancer upon us since June of 2006. I’d say this is year 2, almost year 3. Who cares about HD DVD being on the scene or not? If it’s for sale then it counts towards its lifespan. People were still buying VHS long after DVD came out and we don’t say DVD came out in 2002. Anyway, I gotta go kiss my DVD collection now. I love it so.
This message was edited at: 16-05-2008 20:30

[Hypnosis4U2NV]

“We all know you have the Blu-ray logo tattooed on your chest.” LOL… Yea, even if the prices of the players were to drop significantly, the prices for the media themselves will surely be a turn -off for most… $30 - $40 for a title is ridiculous IMHO…

[Chuckwagon]

I know lots of you folks don’t like Blu-Ray, but come on. A 9% adoption rate is huge. Even if it’s only 9% of the total sales of DVD players this year, that’s big. And if it’s 9% of existing DVD owners, that’s better than I’d have thought. DVD has been around how long? And they think 9% will buy a Blu-Ray in one year? At that rate it’ll have the same level of penetration DVD has in less time. I can’t say I’d cry about that if I were Sony. Of course, I won’t be part of that 9%, not unless they reduce prices drastically. I can hold off for $100 - $150 players, I don’t need a high def player that badly.

[johnzap]

Hi Duke, it looks I keep messing with your head, man. :B No Blu-Ray fan here, as I said, I just enjoy watching the anti-Sony mob spin. Blu-Ray FTW. LOL

[guest]

Sony lost more than USD 1 billion last year to subsidized PS3, so 9% out of 2500 responder is good news. :B Honestly, I think 9% for the first 2 years is okay. Once the rate is higher, more people watch blu-ray in their neighbor’s, family, friends house, the rate will increase significantly. Just a guess. Bring the price lower! Player, media and movies! Gas too!

[guest]

One third owns HDTV? How big? 19 - 30"? DVD upconverter is good enough for that size. No need blu-ray. :d

[Crabbyappleton]

“Posted by XxX (guest) on Saturday 17 May 2008 03:04 One third owns HDTV? How big? 19 - 30”? DVD upconverter is good enough for that size. No need blu-ray." Smart man! This is the achillies heel of Bluray. Only a certain percentage of households can accomadate a screen large enough to TRULY appreciate HD players. I still remember a fire sale of a 65 inch Mitsubishi at Best Buy. Some guy bought it, then he got home and realised his crackerbox house could not hold such a ginormous TV! LOL the poor bastard had to bring it back. If you have a TV big enough for Bluray- then you need to sit back a good 12 feet AT LEAST to get a proper view without getting a neck ache. This is what is going to kill Bluray. At least until they sell these players at a competitive price to a DVD player Good luck with that! By the time this happens, the Bluray lines will be bankrupt. :d

[DukeNukem]

@ Chuckwagon “A 9% adoption rate is huge.” Yeah, if it happens. They say an online poll. I wonder if everyone who responded to the poll lives near Hollywood. Maybe we should take a different poll, say in Macon, Georgia. I bet we get a different number. @ guest “Sony lost more than USD 1 billion last year” Thanks for the news. Now I know I’m gonna have a wet dream tonight. @ XxX “DVD upconverter is good enough for that size. No need blu-ray.” Exactly. Unless you have 42" or up then it’s a waste of money, especially if you’ve already invested heavily in DVD movies.

[Chuckwagon]

Posted by DukeNukem on Saturday 17 May 2008 06:42 @ Chuckwagon “A 9% adoption rate is huge.” Yeah, if it happens. They say an online poll. I wonder if everyone who responded to the poll lives near Hollywood. Maybe we should take a different poll, say in Macon, Georgia. I bet we get a different number. --------------------------------------------- Good point. They also said 7 of 10 knew BR had won over HD-DVD. Sounds like a more high tech group of people than what I’d expect for “average” America. I’d be surprised if the numbers hold out to be true, unless Sony wakes up and gets pricing down on players and media, and there’s a big holiday push. But, for the writer to take the poll at face value and STILL conclude that “Consumers not keen on Blu-ray” makes me wonder if there is a lack of understanding about what the numbers would mean if true.

[guest]

DukeNukem wrote"Blu-crap has been a cancer upon us since June of 2006." Just Sour Grapes from the HDDVD camp…makes me laugh out loud.The Brains of you Blu-Ray haters are really/truly ADDLED.

[DukeNukem]

@ micro$oft Yes, HD DVD lost. I’ve moved on. I hated Blu-ray from the beginning and I’ll hate Blu-ray the day I die. My distaste for it has absolutely nothing to do with my desire to see HD DVD win the format war. HD DVD was simply one alternative. HTPCs, media streaming boxes, and up-sampling DVD players are also viable alternatives.

[Hypnosis4U2NV]

@micro$oft; Why is it that when someone dislikes a company, they are labeled as part of the “XYZ Camp”… Opinions expressed here are based on Sony’s own actions towards the consumer… It has nothing to do with HD DVD, since it isnt even a competing technology any longer… To say we are part of the HD DVD camp, even though it was supported by many of us and has since died, is quite frankly befuddling… I can also see the irony in the "$’ you put in your handle… Can we imply something of sorts with the company whose name you use as a handle? Similarly, Id use $ony as a handle…
This message was edited at: 18-05-2008 06:44

[DukeNukem]

@ Hypnosis4U2NV “Opinions expressed here are based on Sony’s own actions towards the consumer” EXACTLY. I used to love Sony, but their utter lack of respect for the people who buy their products is disgusting. The quality of their products has also deteriorated in recent years. I don’t want a root kit on my PC, excessive DRM on my movie player, or exploding batteries in my notebook.
This message was edited at: 18-05-2008 19:19

[bdg2]

What’s all this enthusiasm for devices which upscale standard definition to HD resolution? The result will be no different from if you had displayed it on a standard definition screen or if you had sent the standard definition video to the HD screen and let it upscale it.

[Circlestrafe]

I ‘can’t’ afford blu-ray or HDTV right now. Money for that is all going into upgrading my family’s computer systems for gaming. When HDTVs and Blu-Ray players drop significantly in price I’ll spring for them. Until then, why bother?

[Hypnosis4U2NV]

“What’s all this enthusiasm for devices which upscale standard definition to HD resolution?” On larger sets the difference is quite noticable. It allows for a sharper image at higher resolutions.

[bdg2]

Re: “On larger sets the difference is quite noticeable. It allows for a sharper image at higher resolutions” The difference between what exactly?