News
Report: Blu-Ray too reliant on PS3
Tim Ingham Apr 24 2008, 3:11pm
Comments (11)
Research body says hi-def format may still lose war against downloads and traditional DVD
Blu-Ray may have consigned HD-DVD to history’s rubbish bin, but it may still struggle to replace the traditional DVD format – not least because the format’s market is too ‘heavily titled’ towards PS3.
That’s according to research firm ABI, which notes that consumer take-up of non-PS3 Blu-Ray players has not been encouraging.
According to GameDaily, ABI believes: “Sony's Blu-ray format finally triumphed over HD DVD earlier this year, but a victory dance may be a bit premature.”
ABI principal analyst Steve Wilson writes:
"The studios better hope that people are playing movies on their PlayStations. Otherwise there's very little installed base.
"In 2008 about 85 per cent of Blu-Ray players in the market will be found in PS3s; the dedicated consumer electronics and PC-based types of Blu-Ray players won't catch up in terms of market share until about 2013."
According to ABI, standard DVD consumers are finding new ways to better the presentation of the old format, rather than shelling out for standalone Blu-Ray players.
"We are starting to see an increase in the number of DVD players with built-in 'upconverters', and the video processing is getting better with each new generation," added Wilson.
"Today about 35 per cent of all DVD players sold include upconversion. ABI Research expects that figure to climb to about 60 per cent by 2013."
In an effort to push Blu-Ray’s appeal beyond the PS3 market, PC manufacturers are starting to offer lower-cost configurations. But it may not ultimately matter, said Wilson:
"If you're only going to spend $500-600 on a PC, are you really going to spend 40 per cent more for a built-in Blu-Ray player?"
Comments
“pfreak”
Posted: Apr 24, 3:25pm
the ps3 is also the cheapest and only future-proof player on the market. Why would anyone in the market for blu ray buy anything else? Once prices for stand alone player are less than that of the ps3 i'm sure people will buy them but for now it's an idiotic move.
“Blu-ray here to stay”
Posted by: dr_rock - Apr 24, 3:32pm
there is a good reason most blu-ray players are in ps3. It's because a stand alone bluray player is as much as a ps3, so people with anysense will buy a ps3. Plus the ps3 bluray drive is one of the best on the market and firmware upgradable. If I was microsoft I'd bring out an external bluray drive for the xbox or better start making all xboxes with a bluray drive instead of dvd. Game developers are already not happy that they have only 5gb to play with on xbox while they have 50gb on PS3
http://freeextras.blogspot.com/
“Re: Blu-ray here to stay”
Posted by: Tim - Apr 24, 3:40pm
Actually it's 7GB...
Personally I have an Xbox 360 for games and a PS3 for Blu-ray, can't imagine why anyone would buy a standalone BR player.
“Re: Blu-ray here to stay”
Posted by: Jason - Apr 24, 4:37pm
Actually it's 9. As in DVD-9
“Re: Blu-ray here to stay”
Posted by: Poor guy - Apr 24, 5:28pm
Blu-rays are just way too expensive. I'd buy a lot more if they were cheaper.
“Re: Blu-ray here to stay”
Posted: Apr 24, 5:29pm
POOR BLU RAY POOR PS3
“Re: Blu-ray here to stay”
Posted by: Tim - Apr 24, 5:31pm
If you’re going to be pedantic, the capacity of a DVD-9 disc is 8.54GB, in the case of an Xbox 360 disc, approximately 7GB is usable for game content.
“Re: Blu-ray here to stay”
Posted by: Ray - Apr 24, 5:40pm
Sony loves to play the numbers game. First they were saying how BluRay is outselling HD-DVD players because of the numbers of PS3 being sold. They are now purposely keeping the price low on the PS3 to sell it as a bluray player. That way they can tout the numbers of PS3 sold as bluray player as a installed game base to try to bring on more game developers. Any ever wonder how a blu ray player with a cell processor only(AKA PS3) cost $500 when the top of the line Blu player cost a $1000? Figure that one
“Re: Blu-ray here to stay”
Posted by: doober - Apr 24, 6:38pm
er.. nice article.. First it says downloads will win over-all.. Not til the pipes get bigger.. Then that the majority of blu-ray players are PS3's... and this is a point? That does actualy mean that many people have blu-ray players.. some happen to be PS3s'.. I mean, who wrote this derge? In 2013 most people will have upgraded dvd players? In 2013, Blurays will cost $100 each for crying out loud! Who are these morons? " 2 years ago I bought a dvd recorder for £400, now its worth $100.. Don't you people keep up with the rest of us?
I wasted minutes reading this! idiots.
“Re: Blu-ray here to stay”
Posted by: TORC - Apr 24, 11:54pm
Take a look at your DVD collection chaps,100?200?1000+?Now think how much you paid for each-My first?£30 for Blade runner on NTSC in my case.What are they worth now?£3 each in mint condition?Bought An American Werewolf in London for £20-now worth £3 in Tescos a year later,now we all go Blu-Ray?To Joe public UMD,BR,HDVD are just STDs,DVD will stay mainstream for a long time.
“How many people really use it?”
Posted by: flakmagnet - Apr 25, 10:02am
I think the question is, how many people actually use their PS3 for blu ray movies regularly? I have a PS3 and a 40" set, and yes, I CAN tell the difference between a movie on Blu-Ray and a standard definition DVD, but for most of them, I quite simply don't care. I don't want to pay the extra cash for full HD "the simpsons movie", or any other comedy, maybe the odd blockbuster that I know I'm going to really enjoy is worth the extra cash, but for the most part, I still save the money and buy the DVD instead. HDTV takeup is still only in the midway stage at best, plus the customer confusion between HD and full HD etc, many customers are still afraid or unwilling, to take the plunge, especially since DVD has not been the leading format for nearly as long as VHS.
I genuinely think that it will take a great price drop in terms of player and the disks in order for it to become any kind of leading format.