End of Format War Causing Blu-ray Prices to Increase?
Well despite the fact that most people were thrilled to hear that the high-definition format war had been decided, the reality is now setting in that the death of HD-DVD may not be so good for consumers after all (at least not initially). According to an article over at Tom’s Hardware, the average price of most Blu-ray players has actually increased over the last month or so, putting them at a higher price point than they were at the beginning of 2008. It seems that the lack of competition and the increase in demand has had the opposite effect that some were hoping for.
Granted, the Playstation 3 price still has not changed, and overall the average price across all Blu-ray players is about the same as it was last year. But most of the Blu-ray players on the market right now are going to become borderline obsolete once the new BD Profile 2.0 players are released. (Just as one confusing mess ends, another begins!) So if you were planning on waiting for the prices to drop before investing in a Blu-ray player, you might be waiting for a while still. Unless you’re talking HD-DVD, of course… at the rate they’re going they’ll be giving them away for free by the end of the month!
Comments (37)
ill take a free HD DVD player…maybe the movies will drop down to $5 a pop
Posted by Bob The Slob on March 13th, 2008Will the advent of BD profile 2.0 also make the BD player in the PS3 obsolete? I was thinking about buying a PS3 because I was an early HD-DVD adopter, but if it too may become obselete, I’ll wait. Anyone know?
Posted by Jon Rocks on March 13th, 2008Actually the PS3 is the one Blu-ray player that won’t be obsolete because you will able to update it over the internet.
Posted by Sean on March 13th, 2008I know of several folks who picked up a dirt-cheap priced HDDVD player just to act as an upscaling DVD player for their conventional DVDs.
Posted by Kurt on March 13th, 2008Kurt, does it make much of a difference? I would definitely do this if I thought it would matter.
Posted by Andrew James on March 13th, 2008As an HD DVD owner, all of this has been bittersweet. Last week I picked up six new HD DVD’s, 2 for 10. I’m more than happy to cash in on this dying format.
Posted by Jay C. on March 13th, 2008One interesting thing is that in a lot of cases you can now get HD-DVD combo discs (which include the standard DVD version on the flipside) for a lot cheaper than the price of a standard DVD. How can you pass that up?
Posted by Sean on March 13th, 2008I wish I was a childless 29-year old so my disposable income would be through the roof, and I could join this party! By the time I can afford any of this fancy stuff, it will be right back to anal-raping prices.
Posted by Henrik on March 13th, 2008You have a child?
Posted by Jay C. on March 13th, 2008Now there’s a scary thought. Even though I probably owe it to humanity to reproduce, it hasn’t happened yet. Hopefully.
Posted by Henrik on March 13th, 2008Fuck Blu-Ray. If DVD goes the way of the Dodo, then there is always less expensive ways to get movies when I need to watch them. I’m not falling into any trap that involves buying new tech and spending money to have it replaced by something else in the short term. Nope. Tell the corporates to stick it where the sun don’t shine.
Posted by Baychuk on March 13th, 2008The death of HD-DVD was NEVER good for the consumers.
Posted by scoville on March 13th, 2008i barely have money for gas, hence the HD revolution is useless to me…but I can afford a minimal netflix account and a good dose of “ripping”…which is nice.
Posted by Bob The Slob on March 13th, 2008also…henrik…why would you want HD or Bluray? I wouldnt think, besides Rob Schnieder movies, anything you like would be available on those formats…arent the only movies you dont think are shit only screening at museums, or foriegn arthouses?
Seriously though, The Fast and The Furious is my favortie film ever, followed closely by Cheaper by the Dozen 2, and Daddy Day Camp…i know i know…”why daddy day camp and not daddy day care?” well I just felt that if you consider that both Eddie and Cuba were playing the same cinematic character…CHARLIE HINTON…Cuba just did so much more with it, he used the space around him to react to the stimuli presented with the elegant touch needed for the piece.
Posted by Bob The Slob on March 13th, 2008Foreign arthouses? To me, Rob Schneider movies are foreign. I guess every multiplex in existence here pretty much is a ‘foreign arthouse’.
You talk and write like a moron though, so instead of defending my taste in film for the umpteenth time on here, I’ll just tell you that you’re a cunt.
Posted by Henrik on March 13th, 2008I am a cunt sir. A big steaming rank one. However, I dont remember asking you to defend your “taste in film.” In fact I was trying to joke along with you, but since you decided to our due my cunt-like nature (which is negated by the fact that I was trying to joke around and be your chum, but reversely supported by the fact that I am, outside of this conversation, a cunt.) by calling me a cunt makes you a larger than life cunt that constantly billows out infected oceans of bacon scented foam. So sorry to try and make a joke sir.
I would like to inquire from you a few sentences about your “taste” in film, which you have so gallantly defended on this site. A site which is ran by some very smart, grounded guys with film tastes (denoted by thier top 50 lists) that dont make them irrational elitist assholes (which I’m not, however true it may be, saying you are…yet). I guess I’m just wondering if your as richly pretentcious as you seem to be then why visit this site constantly?
p.s. You’re a cunt. That’s why your cool.
Posted by Bob The Slob on March 14th, 2008I’m sorry, I thought you were being serious. I can’t tell you how many assholes have said that to me (and I hate to say it, but 98% of them have been americans) – with that exact grammar and spelling. I’m sorry for jumping at you.
“As columnist Tom O’Neil says, “Great critics tend to be social misfits with extraordinary powers of observation. Being misfits, they tend to bash sentimental movies because they remind them of a loving, nurturing world to which they do not belong.—
This describes my love/hate relationship with filmjunk.com
.
Posted by Henrik on March 14th, 2008It’s no big deal man. I still am a cunt, at least that is what my grandmother says. I dont know into where on the spectrum related to Tom O’Neil’s quote I fit, but I do hate alot of stuff, mostly recent and mostly that which is geared toward women or college students. However I fully admit I love quality mainstream cinema (well mainstream cinema of 1970-1995) without any shame. Still, I don’t think less of someone for liking mindless shit (just less of thier ability to function on any human level that isnt banal), or only championing the highest level of the craft. Elite or not, I dig your style, if only because you piss others off and have a stance…
As for this site, I dig it cause I like the same movies as these guys, I usually agree with sean, and the podcasts are some of the best out there…plus, unlike say AINTITCOOL, it’s not overflowing at the brim with insurmountable waves of hate and fanboy howls of pain.
I also think Troll 2 is genius.
Sorry for calling you a bacon secented foam billowing cunt.
Posted by Bob The Slob on March 14th, 2008Hey mate, we agree on the quality of commenting on this site being way beyond anything else you find online. I’ll take assholes over idiots any day.
Posted by Henrik on March 14th, 2008Yes we do, filmjunk is a far superior forum. I also agree about idoits…assholes usually are at least smart, of course they are assholes too.
Posted by Bob The Slob on March 14th, 2008‘Bacon-scented, foam-billowing cunt.’
I really need to remember that. Do you mind if I use it, Bob?
Posted by Greg on March 14th, 2008This thread just turned into one of the most sentimental, loving discussions ever to come out of Film Junk. It warms my heart… it really does.
Posted by Sean on March 14th, 2008Sorry, Reed has just pointed out I said 2 for 10 HD DVD’s, when really I meant 2 for 20, 10 each.
I sincerely apologize to everyone in the world, especially the children.
Posted by Jay C. on March 14th, 2008sorry it took so long to get back to you GREG, had to sleep, no feel free to use “bacon-scented foam billowing cunt” any time…
Posted by Bob The Slob on March 14th, 2008ENJOY.
Reed Farrington says:
Hey, in a FilmJunk post, you said you got some HD DVDs at 2 for 10. You meant 2 for 20, right?
Jay C. says:
yes
Jay C. says:
10 each
Reed Farrington says:
I think you should correct yourself in a post. You’re misleading consumers! BTW, in Henrik’s post, the childless 29 year-old is you! I can see how you might think Henrik was implying that he had a child, but he meant when he becomes 29 years old and was still childless, that’s what he would wish for. Man, English is so hard to understand.
Jay C. says:
no, it read as though he was complaining that he wasn’t childless
Jay C. says:
like someone who has a child and is 40 would say ‘if i were childless and 29, i could afford such things.’
Jay C. says:
and i did correct myself
Reed Farrington says:
Oh, I skipped your correction. But he’s not 29 either! You misread it.
Jay C. says:
i know
Jay C. says:
I am
Jay C. says:
i never said he was twenty nine
Jay C. says:
i said it sounded like someone who was older or younger with a child
Jay C. says:
saying they wish they were 29 without a child
Jay C. says:
then they could afford things
Jay C. says:
it’d be like me saying to someone ‘if i were 45 and living with my parents, maybe i could afford such things’
Jay C. says:
i would assume that person did not live with their parents
Reed Farrington says:
No, he could be living with his parents right now, but saying that when he became 45 and was still living with his parents, then yada, yada, yada. That’s why English is messed up!
Jay C. says:
yes, he could, but i would assume he isn’t
Jay C. says:
why would he mention it otherwise
Reed Farrington says:
childless is important to the disposable income argument.
Jay C. says:
‘if i was your age and didn’t have a kid’ sounds like someone saying they are not your age and have a child
Jay C. says:
yes, which is why it’s stupid because he IS childless
Jay C. says:
so where’s his income going>?
Jay C. says:
most likely school, so he should have said ‘if i were 29 and not paying for school…’
Reed Farrington says:
No, he meant that at 29 he would have more income, but if was still childless…
Jay C. says:
yes, but it reads the other way.
Jay C. says:
i know he doesn’t have a kid
Jay C. says:
i was joking with him
Jay C. says:
but it reads as though he’s complaining that he doesn’t have the income NOW
Jay C. says:
which leads you to assume it’s because he has a child
Reed Farrington says:
Sounds like we have a cantankerous topic!
Jay C. says:
the important thing is he’s talking in terms of not having disposable income NOW
Reed Farrington says:
I didn’t know he doesn’t have a kid.
Jay C. says:
and mentioning a child would make you assume he has a child NOW
Jay C. says:
because he’s sayign he has no money NOW
Jay C. says:
if anything, he should have more disposable income because he’s younger
Reed Farrington says:
I’m turning you off.
Jay C. says:
huh?
Jay C. says:
I didn’t realize you were trying to turn me on
Jay C. says:
Posted by Jay C. on March 14th, 2008GAY
And on the next episode of Misplaced Modifiers…
Jay proclaims “Who goes there?!” and Reed can’t understand why Jay would ever think to go see a Dr Seuss movie.
Posted by Matt Gamble on March 14th, 2008Sean– I know you were also an early HD-DVD adopter– do you have any plans on getting into blu-ray?
Posted by Jon Rocks on March 14th, 2008Yeah I will probably pick up a PS3 at some point, although I wouldn’t mind getting a dual format player if those come down in price. I was kind of waiting to see if I could get any good deals, but so far there’s been nothing special.
Posted by Sean on March 14th, 2008I should have just written “I wish I was in the same position as you guys” so as to avoid the confusion. However, the transcript was immensely entertaining, so I am glad I didn’t!
Posted by Henrik on March 14th, 2008so if i say, I WISH I WAS A UNICORN-LESS 29 YEAR OLD WITH A NON-DISPOSIBLE AMOUNT OF MULCH…what would you take from that?
Posted by Bob The Slob on March 14th, 2008I would assume that you have a unicorn and you do not have as much mulch as you would like.
Posted by Jay C. on March 14th, 2008My head hurts.
Posted by Greg on March 14th, 2008About the income thing, I am currently in school, but that since I am fortunate enough to have parents that are willing to pay for books, it doesn’t cost me anything. Believe it or not, I am being paid by the state of Danmark because I am in school. But I also am lazy, so I don’t have a job. So the only income I have currently is the money I get from going to school, which isn’t enough to join the HD-fun.
Posted by Henrik on March 14th, 2008i dont have a unicorn, but a minimal amount of mulch…which is more mulch then i want or need.
Posted by Bob The Slob on March 14th, 2008I wanted to echo Sean’s sentiments, and I do mean this sincerely, that I do find it heartwarming that Henrik and Bob the Slob were able to work out their differences and avoid a flame war on their own without a mediator. I did find Henrik’s use of the “c” word kind of harsh, and I admire Bob the Slob’s defusing of the comment. I’m sure Bob’s grandmom does not have that opinion of her grandson.
On the topic of the original post, Jay did convince me to buy the HD Drive for the Xbox 360. It is selling for $50 right now. I don’t know why I bought it. I don’t have a HD TV. The only reason I bought it is so that I can watch the extras on Season 1 of Star Trek: The Original Series which I don’t have, yet. When my Xbox 360 dies, I’ll have a useless piece of hardware to add to my useless piece of hardware collection. When I have the time, maybe I’ll dub the extras onto VHS before my Xbox 360 dies.
I’m currently backing up the Internet.
Posted by Reed Farrington on March 14th, 2008Hey Reed, I think you can actually download some drivers to connect the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive to your computer, so there is at least a chance it could outlast your 360.
But let’s face it, we all know that the real reason you bought it is because you can’t resist a bargain and also because you have an innate need to acquire obsolete technology (aka junk)!
Posted by Sean on March 14th, 2008Thanks Reed, and you are right. My grandmom doesn’t think I am one, or even know what that word means…However it might be worth her thinking I am one for the sake of comedy.
Also on the topic, I cant even afford a 360, but if I had one then I also might plunk down $50 for a HDdrive…I am good at making purchases that make me hate myself. Can we all not just agree that life, movies, and the constant edge-of-technology anxiety that we all feel was much, much, much better and enjoyable when VHS was king? Back then the movies were good, the choice was simple, and PICTURE QUALITY wasnt the issue, just the size of your TV…back then you could have had a 80 inch TV and everyone was in awe…picture be dammed.
Now if you will excuse my I am going to go get an upside down VHS tatoo above my belly button.
Posted by Bob The Slob on March 14th, 2008Leave a Reply