Has blu-ray failed?

[ST-One]

Amazon.Co.Uk, Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End:
DVD : £3.98
2 Disc Special Edition Limited Edition With Character Art Cards : £7.69
Blu Ray: £16.98

Amazon.Co.Uk, Spider-Man 3:
2-Disc Edition DVD: £4.98
Blu-ray: £13.98

Amazon.Co.Uk, The Shawshank Redemption:
DVD: £6.98
Blu Ray: £13.98

Well, it's a newer format, but, to me, the price-difference isn't that big.

Oh, the Amazon.de price for the Spider-Man 3 2-Disc DVD is actually 6 € more expensive than the BluRay edition.

You don't think that over a 200% increase is 'that big'????

Not if you are talking about such small amounts of money.

 

[Siwilliams]

It's funny - I was in a department store this afternoon and there were lots of DVD players as well as big HD televisions for sale but I had to look around a bit to find a Blu Ray player.

Does that mean there were not many or they were just not easily seen?

There didn't seem to be many for sale.

I suppose a bad retail season could really hobble the acceptance of something like this.

I see

 

[TheInsideMan]

Well, it's a newer format, but, to me, the price-difference isn't that big.

Oh, the Amazon.de price for the Spider-Man 3 2-Disc DVD is actually 6 € more expensive than the BluRay edition.

You don't think that over a 200% increase is 'that big'????

Not if you are talking about such small amounts of money.

So why does this thread exist then?

If it was 'small amounts of money' then there wouldn't be any debate regarding the long-term success of this format.

 

[ST-One]

You don't think that over a 200% increase is 'that big'????

Not if you are talking about such small amounts of money.

So why does this thread exist then?

If it was 'small amounts of money' then there wouldn't be any debate regarding the long-term success of this format.

I guess people are just hesitant to switch to another format already. DVDs are still really very good and not that long around in most people's minds.
Hell, I bought my BluRay-player only this Friday (in the form of a PS3), and I hope it gets delivered on Monday.

 

[Siwilliams]

Another thing, VHS Video's were still selling more than standard dvds not too long ago. VHS videos were selling over 1 million more

 

[Aragorn]

It seems like some people who don't want to switch formats are hellbent on making sure other people don't switch either.

 

[Harvey]

The only Blu-Ray player worth having is the PS3. I'm not even a gamer and I realize that. And, as it stands, the PS3 is just too expensive right now, along with the discs, which are also (on the whole) too expensive.

Yes, there will be deals on a Blu-Ray here or there (especially for the holidays), but overall they still cost far more than DVD.

And since the only place I have access to an HDTV is at my parents home (hell, I don't even own a regular TV), buying a Blu-Ray player seems like a waste right now.

Maybe in the future, perhaps a year down the road, but prices will have to drop first.

 

[TheInsideMan]

It seems like some people who don't want to switch formats are hellbent on making sure other people don't switch either.

When movie studios stop trying to rip me off for their HD content, I'll consider switching, not before.

And as I've already said, if people are willing to pay the extra now, that's their choice, their money and I wish them many good hours of HD viewing, a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year.

 

[MyCylon]

If I get a BluRay player in the near future, it will probably be the PS3. And that's because I'm interested in the device as a gaming machine, not so much as a multimedia device.

I think the whole debate of pricing and whether you want to upgrade or not really hinges on, well, obviously how much money you have at your disposal plus what your watching habits are.

Sure, a 6 € difference between a DVD and a BluRay disc isn't THAT much on its own. But you only need to get about 20 discs and the difference amounts to 120 €. It's still not a fortune, but it's certainly noticeable.

However, again, this comes down to viewing habits, really. If those extra 120 € are spent SOLELY on your favorite movies of all time, well, that's fine. But if they're spent at least in part on movies that you simply pick up because you've never seen them and you're interested, well, the extra price point may not be worthwhile at all.

I watch quite a lot of movies at the moment. As a consequence, I end up getting quite a few. I don't use Netflix or the likes because, frankly, I tried to avoid subscriptions wherever I can. I find them to be a bother, and they're a constant drain that often doesn't really pay off in the end.
I have no hesitation to pick up a movie for, say, £ 3 - 5, which isn't uncommon. If it's a movie I really like, well, all the better. If I don't, it's not that bad. I'll probably end up bundling it with some others and selling it via ebay. No hard feelings.

I suspect what I'd do if I have a BluRay player is to cherry-pick my favorite movies (even if I already have them on DVD) and get them on BluRay for the higher quality. 2001 would be pretty high on that list as well as Blade Runner, for example.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

I don't really care that much about Blu-Ray.

The incremental cost/benefit for me just isn't there, the way it was with the move to DVD from VHS.

DVD had ALOT of benefits over VHS - better picture quality, easy of use benefits (chapter selection, no rewinding), reliability/longevity benefits (no worries about tape getting messed up in a player or tape deterioriation issues), and storage benefits (much less bullky and lighter than tapes) - that in addition to the inclusion of alot more extras and bonus materials.

Blu-Ray has pretty much ONE benefit - better picture quality. And that is only really a benefit when you have an HDTV with a screen large enough to matter and a film with lots of CGI that really looks great in HD.

And for that, you pay almost twice as much?

Meh.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Well, it's a newer format, but, to me, the price-difference isn't that big.

Oh, the Amazon.de price for the Spider-Man 3 2-Disc DVD is actually 6 € more expensive than the BluRay edition.

You don't think that over a 200% increase is 'that big'????

Not if you are talking about such small amounts of money.

Also, the thing to remember the DVD versions of those movies will be anything from 1 to 10 years old, whereas the Bluray versions will be brand new, give them 8 months to a year and they'll be cheaper too. There are already 3 for 2 deals, and 40% off deals, give it a couple of years and you'll have the same 5 for £30 deals you get with DVD.

 

[benny]

Blu-Ray has pretty much ONE benefit - better picture quality.

And better audio quality. And more special features (one of your DVD benefits). And takes up less space.

And that is only really a benefit when you have an HDTV with a screen large enough to matter and a film with lots of CGI that really looks great in HD.

Wrong. It's not just the Transformers-type movies which benefit from 1080p. We watched The Shining last night. Looks awful good for a nearly 30-year-old movie. Watched Band of Brothers two weeks ago. Extraordinary.

And for that, you pay almost twice as much?

Let's look at a sample price.

Wanted (new this week)
Amazon price 2 disc DVD: $22.99
Amazon price 2 disc BD: $26.99

I picked up the first three Die Hard movie and Speed Racer yesterday on BD at a closing Circuit City. Total, with tax? $89. Picked up Shining, Bee Movie and Kung Fu Panda on BD Friday. Didn't pay more than $17.00 for any of them...and got The Shining for $8.

 

[ST-One]

You don't think that over a 200% increase is 'that big'????

Not if you are talking about such small amounts of money.

Also, the thing to remember the DVD versions of those movies will be anything from 1 to 10 years old, whereas the Bluray versions will be brand new, give them 8 months to a year and they'll be cheaper too. There are already 3 for 2 deals, and 40% off deals, give it a couple of years and you'll have the same 5 for £30 deals you get with DVD.

Exactly.

 

[Aragorn]

When Blu-Ray becomes more popular and more titles get released, store shelf space will be an issue and they'll start dumping older titles like they do every week with the $3-$5 DVD blowout sales.

Also, there are six James Bond Blu-ray titles that I bought for like $12.50 each at Amazon. The regular price for their DVD counterparts is $15 at your local Best Buy. Not sure how that's paying twice as much.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The only Blu-Ray player worth having is the PS3.

Why?

 

[SG-17]

The only Blu-Ray player worth having is the PS3.

Why?

Think about it, the average Blu-Ray player is about $300. And all you get with that is a machine that can play DVDs and Blu-Rays thats it.
While the PS3 is $400 you get a machine that can play DVDs, Blu-Rays, Video Games, free online play, browse the internet, put your music and digital video onto it, etc. etc.
Overall the PS3 is the only economical Blu-Ray player to buy.

Oh and you don't have to buy an external drive to play Blu-Ray.

 

[Arrqh]

The firmware on the PS3 is also much easier to update (meaning you'll probably never have a problem if/when a new profile is released) and the load times tend to be a lot faster then what I've heard is typical from a Blu-Ray player.

 

[Harvey]

The firmware on the PS3 is also much easier to update (meaning you'll probably never have a problem if/when a new profile is released) and the load times tend to be a lot faster then what I've heard is typical from a Blu-Ray player.

That's what I was referring to, since I'm mostly a non-gamer.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Think about it, the average Blu-Ray player is about $300. And all you get with that is a machine that can play DVDs and Blu-Rays thats it.

That's all I need.

While the PS3 is $400 you get a machine that can play DVDs, Blu-Rays, Video Games, free online play, browse the internet, put your music and digital video onto it, etc. etc.

I have no need for PS3 games. Browsing the Net? I can do that with my computer. Music and video? That's why I bought an AppleTV.

And besides, my favorite universal remote - a Logitech Harmony - won't even work with a PS3. So that settles it, really.

 

[MyCylon]

I've read on numerous occasions that the PS3 is considered the best BluRay player out there.