Shannon Nutt

That's because in the past, video game consoles that played movies were subpar in quality. The PS3 just might be the best Blu-ray player on the market. It's certainly the best in its price range. I'm guessing most people are like myself - recommending a PS3 for those looking to pick up a Blu-ray player. I don't think the above stats mean anything without including PS3 sales since HD DVD folded.

Mr. Cinema

It's sort of a dry spell again for these old BD standalones. Some sites are out of at least 1 or 2 of them. The Sammy 1400 and the Sony 300 should not be $399 today. Those are some old, old units. But with the new models coming in at that list price, they should street at $350 or less, depending on who is selling.

kefrank

See my earlier post in this thread. The PS3 numbers are widely available from NPD and they don't change the conclusions of the article at all. Sales of the PS3 rose 4% from Jan. to Feb. and declined 8% from Feb. to March.

BuckNaked2k

Go back and read my second paragraph....it addressed that exact point.

chanster

I'm sorry I stopped reading after the first paragraph when you said "all optical media sales" To say all and then attempt to qualify it in the next paragraph doesn't make a lot of sense.

DVDGamer

It's hard to jump on the Blu band wagon just because of HD DVDs demise. I'm on the fence myself, but it seems like they're just assuming that w/o competition, people will buy blu 'just because'. Well, I'd rather be spending my money on HD DVD software that I still have yet to purchase given the big disparity in prices. And as a potential Blu buyer, I'm looking for a good deal b4 I really jump on Blu. A 5 free software deal, good discounts, et al. Maybe it won't happen, but I'll hold off on a purchase until some good deal comes around. I'm sure that is what others are doing as well.

beebs

The fast NICHE followers NICHE aren't NICHE following NICHE so NICHE fast.

-beebs

bunkaroo

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

-bunkaroo

Michael Corvin

Wasn't it always neck and neck anyway excluding PS3 sales?

bunkaroo

I don't recall personally. I believe the last few months before HD DVD folded did have Blu standalones selling more, but I don't have the numbers right now to post.

DVD Polizei

It's called credit. Still, I think Blu-ray is going to have a hard time this year, but I say this with a little caution. Hardware sales will be low, but I think software sales will be pretty good--well, for Blu-ray sales anyway and compared to nothing else other than previous Blu-ray sales. The reason being owners who already have a player, will be buying more titles. Going cold turkey into a Blu-ray system, won't be so easy this year. But then again, we don't know the consumer's priorities. If they buy an HDTV for $1500, what's another $400 for a Blu-ray player. But this goes back to the credit comment.

Traxan

This is not a very honest debate for two reasons:

1) Seasonality. Q1, from January to March, is the slowest of the year after the big fourth quarter leading into Christmas. So sales are going to be slow.

2) Have some of you guys heard about this little recession?

Gizmo

1. Yet sales for Blu-ray discs are apparently "amazing" according to studios. Shouldn't people be buying players as well to watch these discs?

2. Yes, we all have. However that means little to me but should matter to the CEs that make Blu-ray stand alones. If they priced them lower, people might actually buy them. By keeping the prices high, especially in a recession, means very little will buy which may mean the death of the format.

Qui Gon Jim

TOTALLY INCORRECT.

That 6% is ONE week of the TOP 10 ONLY. The 11th best seller in DVD on any given week probably sells more than all the top 10 BDs combined.

We are seeing that roughly 5% of week 1 sales (because the top 10 for DVD shifts every week) is going to BD, and that is a generous interpretation of that weekly chart, which is, once again,

WORTHLESS WITHOUT HARD NUMBERS.

On the other hand, I agree wioth the post above by Mr. Cinema. Any comparison that leaves off the PS3 is not a valid one at all. He's also right that Feb-Mar-Apr is probably not a big time for this kind of stuff to sell.

clappj

[LIL' BUSH]I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about![/LIL' BUSH]

Grubert

Just last January, I bought a player. Mind you, it is glossy black, it has a weird ellipsoidal shape and it loads the discs like a car CD player does.

But it plays the movies just fine.

lizard

Maybe I'm the only one who thinks in these terms, but my assumption is that BD player sales are soft because most of what's available are dated Profile 1.0 models, save for the PS3 and the Panny BD30.

When numerous 1.1 and 2.0 models are available I would expect to see sales pick up a bit, although the recession (or near-recession, if one believes the 1Q GDP numbers) may have an impact. Food and gasoline would seem to be a higher priority than $350-$600 disc players for some potential customers.

thecrackedjack2

You'd think expensive dining, Mercedez Benz's, HDTV's, digital cameras, a literally floodload of other items would be as well. But, I don't see them dying, or see extravagant restaurants any less packed, I don't see 2K HDTV's any less trafficked or inquired about and bought in stores, I don't see luxury car makers going out of business.

I see hundreds of thousands of $300+ video game systems (360, PS3, Wii, etc) flying off the shelves every month though. I see a $60 video game looking to smash all sales records in spite of all the talk of people cutting back. That's what I see.

So, I can't say I see people changing their habits that much. If people want to buy something, they make a little sacrifice here and there, if they have to, and buy it. You'd think everyone was living in little cardboard shanty towns like the Great Depression, the way some people talk about our economy today (not referring to you, but others).

PopcornTreeCt

Well, I always figured HD DVD's demise wouldn't have anything to do with Blu-ray's success. Manufacturers are still too arrogant lower the price of players. There has not been a plethora of titles. In fact, my purchases have gone down drastically. And then there's DVD.

Would things be different if HD DVD had won? $100 players would have much better chance at succeeding than $300 ones that do the exact the same thing.

Flynn

Well I for one bought a PS3 only to use as a BR Player. The fact that it is a video game console is secondary, and I've only bought one game in over a year. I think the PS3 should definitely be included in their data.

kefrank

I can't believe anyone is still bringing up the PS3 in this discussion. Has no one read my posts in this thread??? I've stated multiple times: the PS3 numbers are widely available and they support the conclusions of the article: there has not been an increase in harware sales since HD DVD died PS3 included.

Traxan

Come on now, you know better than that. We're not being gouged, Blu-ray discs are expensive because they are a new design, which means new production lines instead of the old ones. That's why HD was cheaper. As it creeps into mass market status, the price will come down.

DVD Polizei

Why are Disney DVDs so expensive.

PopcornTreeCt

Then why did prices go up on titles rather than down?

chanster

Actually its not the people that can afford "Mercedes Benz or expensive dining" that are getting hit right now, and the sucess of mass merchandise consumer electronics really has little to due with that market.

Yeah and the PS3 sales figures went down from Feb. to March, so "what you see" is wrong. And the fact that people are paying $60 for a game they expect to play over the next couple of months is a "bargain" in my book.

I can speak from personal experience with a commodity that is considered purely entertainment expenditures - tickets to sporting events and concerts. I sell a lot of tickets for events in the Chicago market, and trust me people are cutting back by not buying them.