A Poem to Blu-ray: Let Me Count The Ways In Which I Loathe Thee...

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/05/03/blu-ray-sales-tank-reason' target='_blank'>http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inqui...les-tank-reason</a><br /><br /></div><em>&quot;Blu-ray player sales are sucking wind as well they should. According to Cnet, sales of the DRM infected format players are dropping like rocks. The not so bright people out there had expected sales to skyrocket once the format war was done, but it didn't. They thought was people would ignore the massive defects of Blu-ray and buy like the dumb sheep that they are, handcuffing themselves to the Sony bank account. Surprise, it didn't happen. US consumers are still dumb sheep, but this time they are realizing what is being done to them and they aren't biting. Sony's hope of having 50% of disc sales this year be Blu-ray are more likely to happen because of falling DVD sales than rocketing Blu-ray.&quot;</em><br /><br /><img alt="" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//dht/auto/1210289682.usr1.gif" /><br /><br />It's official, Charlie Demerjian is my new hero. Why? Because he wrote this article that, with all the subtlety of a wolverine tearing into a pack of bacon, points out (with a sharp, bloody stick) the problems that Blu-ray has. Some of these are similar to what HD-DVD struggled with (high disc prices, marginally better quality), and some are uniquely Blu-ray issues. This delightful article will be sure to get your blood boiling if you're a big Blu-ray fan, though if you are, I'd love to hear your counter-points.

[David Tucker]

Viva la (downloadable content) revolution! :D

[dtanderson]

It is funny, all the Blu-ray fans were cheering when HD-DVD folded saying that Blu-ray was the winner. Well, it still has not won and could still turn out to be a flop just like laserdisc :) I am not falling for Sony's crap. I am not about to by a Blu-ray player since the spec is still not finalized because they rushed it to market so the HD-DVD would not get to much of a head start. They basically are screwing over their customers by doing this because all of the early adopters are going to have to buy new players once the spec is final and movies are released with the final spec.

[Jason Dunn]

I am not about to by a Blu-ray player since the spec is still not finalized because they rushed it to market so the HD-DVD would not get to much of a head start.

Yeah, I started looking at Blu-ray players about a month ago once it was official that HD-DVD was completely dead, but the prices are all quite high, and as much as I love the quality of HD content, and as much as I believe in the advantages of physical discs over downloadable content, I won't be buying a Blu-ray player until at LEAST the holiday season - and that's only if there's a new generation of players out, disc prices drop, and things appear to be more "settled down".

[Jason Dunn]

Viva la (downloadable content) revolution! :D

It seems like we're so far away from that though - downloadable content comes in baby steps...we need huge improvements in bandwidth, storage, and reliability before it becomes a valid model. And then that's just for the geeks. Normal people will be buying DVDs for the next 20 years...

[Felix Torres]

Yeah, I started looking at Blu-ray players about a month ago once it was official that HD-DVD was completely dead, but the prices are all quite high, and as much as I love the quality of HD content, and as much as I believe in the advantages of physical discs over downloadable content, I won't be buying a Blu-ray player until at LEAST the holiday season - and that's only if there's a new generation of players out, disc prices drop, and things appear to be more "settled down".

Have you looked at the
Lite-On DH-401S-08 BD-Rom drive for PCs?

Blu-Ray Internal Playback Drive - 4x BD-ROM, 12x DVD±R SL Read, 8x DVD±R DL Read, 8x DVD±RW SL Read, SATA

It comes with BD playback software for a bit less than what the XBOX HD DVD drive used to go for in the fall. Doesn't help with the absurd disk pricing but if you have an MCE or HT PC, it gets you there this year.

As for dedicated players, don't hold your breath; Sony made it clear that without the pressure of HD-DVD, prices aren't coming down this year. $200 BD players won't be here til late 09 at the earliest.

Since BD refuses to license chinese manufacturers, there will be no cheap second-tier products to undercut the $700 monsters from Pioneer, Panasonic, and Samsung so the field belongs to Sony and PS3...
...as long as you don't need IR remote support...

Pass!

[Jason Dunn]

Since BD refuses to license chinese manufacturers, there will be no cheap second-tier products to undercut the $700 monsters from Pioneer, Panasonic, and Samsung so the field belongs to Sony and PS3...
...as long as you don't need IR remote support...

Indeed. I use a Logitech Harmony remote to control all my home entertainment stuff, and I'm sure as hell not going to integrate a PS3 into that unless it can work with my current setup.