darkside

Toshiba upgrading the 1080p thing is still up in the air. I called and talked with Toshiba's support to ask about HDMI and they claimed it could be upgraded through firmware, but I take what one of those phone operators says with a grain of salt. Even if its not upgradable its a minor thing and wouldn't even benefit me for years even if it could be upgraded with firmware.

RockStrongo

I think $500 is the magic number for most people. Once you go over that, you start eliminating some of your market. Toshiba knows this.

So, my guess about Sony is that their initial BD players that run for $1000 are just to satisfy the niche market who will buy it first (and make Sony will make some money on)....then, if what they say is true, the PS3 will be $500 (or less) and thats what they will lose money on (in hopes of building the format). Im just skeptical that A) the PS3 will be under $500 and B) it will be out by Christmas.

Sony's biggest hurdle is going to be getting people to use their PS3 has a DVD/BD player. Personally, I want a upscaling DVD/HD player (which I have in the Toshiba). I would rather keep my gaming separate.

Maxflier

They both play movies in HD, hence they do the same thing. How many average joes do you think realize there is a signifigant difference between 1080i and 1080p?
Hell, i didn't even know there was until just recently when i asked what was the big difference in another thread.

awmurray

Meryl Lynch must be lying, too. Here is their report dated Feb 17, 2006 confirming that their updated analyis puts the BOM cost of the PS3 at $800:

EDIT: Remember when the Meryl Lynch analyst first said that the PS3 could be pushed back to November and the die-hards didn't believe it? Of course, it happened, but for some reason they kept saying, "What does ML know? Sony hasn't officially announced any delay."...

joshd2012

Anyone who believes these "analysts" should be shot for stupidity. No one but Sony knows the COM or would be able to even give a close estimation.

Grubert

And ML later released a revised estimate of 74,000 yen (a little under $650).

awmurray

Where is that link? I'd like to read it.

RockStrongo

I dont know why your saying this. These financial companies take these things VERY serious due to investment forecasting.

I know because I work for one. It is not absurd to think that the estimates are at least close.

Grubert

Was published on bloomberg.com but now is archived. However you can read a copy here.

awmurray

Strange that that one is archived, but these are not (since these are older):

Sony Shares Fall on Report of PlayStation 3 Delay

Funny that Sony immediately refuted the ML analyst's claims insisting on a Spring 2006 launch:

Sony Denies Merrill Lynch Report PlayStation 3 Will Be Delayed

EDIT:
Also, here's a link from Bloomberg posted on March 16 (same day as the link you provided) which is still up. It doesn't mention any price revisions (doesn't mention price at all):

Sony Shares Fall as PS3 Debut Delayed Until November (Update1)

Very suspicious that that article cannot be found on Bloomberg anymore.... I think someone modified the text in the one posted in your link. Note that the article titles are paraphrases of each other... yet this one is still up on Bloomberg.

RockStrongo

Can you say damage control?? haha

Thats the big thing that worries me about Bluray...Sony seems to be on the defensive quite a bit.

They have been behind the MS release of the 360 AND behind Toshiba on the release of HD-DVD.

awmurray

One of these is almost certainly a modified version. The link I posted (read my edits above) is still on Bloomberg and is dated the same day and was written by the same person: Daisuke Takato in Tokyo at [email protected].

Did the same person write an article on the same day and have such similar titles?

Very fishy.

I trust the ones still on Bloomberg (obviously).

EDIT:
Actually one is dated March 15, the other March 16... strange.

Grubert

Search on google for "Sony Delays PlayStation 3 Release Until November" and "bloomberg". You'll see that article reproduced on a dozen sites. And I physically saw it on Bloomberg.com that day.

edit: and reproduced on one of the leading Taiwan newspapers: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worl.../16/2003297665

awmurray

I just did the search and I can't find it reproduced on any sites.

Plenty of hits, but no reproduction of the Bloomberg article. What's more interesting is that all of the reports I do see don't mention the revised price. Only the link you provided.

You've got to admit it is pretty strange that that article is not on Bloomberg anymore.

In fact one of the links says "Edit: Deleted incorrect pricing information":

audioholics.com

joshd2012

Oh, do you work for the one that predicted that the PSP would retail for over $400 because of cost of materials? Their estimate was only twice the final MSRP.

I don't take anything an analyst says seriously. They are too far away from the pulse to know anything of importance.

Jimmy 345

Exactly. See.

RockStrongo

No I dont, but predicting the retail price is more difficult than analyzing the cost of producing it. Only Sony knows how much they are willing to lose on it.

awmurray

You obviously didn't read the messages between that one and this one.

Those numbers and quotes are highly suspect.

Why do PS3 supporters seem to take all positive information without question, but seem to have no healthy skepticism?

Jimmy 345

Read my earlier posts. I was highly skeptical of the $400 price tag I believe that it will cost alittle more. However the $800 price tag is a load. There is no logical reason it should cost that much. The consoles hardware isn't much better then 360s. All non Blu-Ray components should cost about the same as 360 components did when it launched. And even if the Blu-Ray ability does add $300 (Which I highely doubt) that still would only come to around $700. I have skeptism but I also have commen sense.

RockStrongo

Cost is very likely another reason that its being delayed....they might be waiting as long as possibly so prices will come down. Specs stay the same, but the parts come down in price as time goes on.

I wouldnt be surprised if the PS3's manufacturing costs were between $600-$700 by fall and they retail it at $450-500. Im just surprised that they are being silent.

Lets see what happens at E3. If nothing is said by Sony (as they did in the past), there could be problems for them.

I would think they would want pre-order availability by the time the Bluray players emerge in the market (late summer). Announcements must come soon though or the silence will be very telling.

awmurray

The other non-Xbox component would be the Sony Cell processor which ML estimates to cost about $230 to manufacture.

I know they're somewhat similar, but the report singles out the Cell processor as being an expensive component for the PS3. The Cell and BR drive are more than half the cost.

RockStrongo

There is also no HDMI ports on the 360.

(Damn, I wanna leave work and go home to play Oblivion now)

lizard

Oh come now. That post is pretty tempered in tone and language. I was referring to this post:I haven't noticed such puerile language as that in posts by BD fans here. Hence my suggestion that it was hyperbole. Adam Tyner says otherwise and he ought to know, being a mod.

RockStrongo

The BD fanboys are just making outrageous speculations and passing them off as facts. They are criticizing the hd-dvd format by comparing it to BD players that dont even exist yet (in the market that is).

"Well, let's not start sucking each other's dicks just yet."

RoboDad

Of course dharding was using hyperbole. He was exaggerating to make a point. Have any of the BD fanatics used exactly that language? No. But even the post you claimed to be tempered made exaggerated claims about the absolute failure of HD-DVD when the PS3 is released. Is that not also hyperbole?