Sony to ship real live Blu-ray Discs to China
By Darren Murph 
posted Nov 19th 2008 1:26PM
posted Nov 19th 2008 1:26PM
While some studios are backing away from Asian countries due to rampant piracy, Sony's content with diving right in. According to a recent report from Variety, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will begin distributing 30 current and classic Blu-ray Discs to China on Friday, though they won't be exceptionally cheap. In fact, with titles costing around 205 yuan ($30), we'd bet those Chinese "BD" pirates may actually see a spike in sales. Funny how so much Blu-ray manufacturing is going on in China, yet it's just now about to get its first taste of authentic BD software sales. It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world, we tell ya.[Via TechRadar]
Oh oh, things must be worse then I thought. They must be desperate doing this really. Sending discs to China, the capital of piracy, something they fought so vigorously to prevent.
This might be their last hope at larger quantity sales and in order to push larger scale production capacities and to lower costs. Of course we all know that Chinese will completely rip every movie and sell it for 3 bucks on the street in Asia and Europe in full 1080p but Sony obviously thinks that won't happen.
I am failing to understand this company, it constantly continues going against consumer. They pull and do what they can to prevent people from watching any HD movies they have influence on that only hurts them in the long run and then turns around and sells Blu-ray discs in China.
I really can't see their overall strategy. I really can't, are they so ignorant or just don't care.
It may be an attempt to prevent any support for the rival CBHD system. If everything out there's Blu-ray or compatible with most Blu-ray players (AVCHD), then CBHD doesn't stand much of a chance. So it's in Sony's interest to put out Blu-ray discs even if it increases piracy, in the longer run it'll get all Chinese industry singing from the same hymn sheet.
3$ in Europe? You gotta be kindding.
Retail in Denmark is something like 60$
A good price is something like 40$
On sale is around 30$
On top of that the packaging is worse, very few titles with BD Live and none with the "Digital Copy" feature like on US titles and btw. I paid something 1100$ for my Panasonic BD-50 player.
Next time I hear someone in US complain about high prices I am gonna puke.
I wonder if someone claimed "desperation" when studios started selling legit DVDs in China. I sure hope not because it wouldn't make any sense at all. And it doesn't this time either.
I think it is both desperation and keeping CBHD from getting support. Blu-Ray is nowhere near what the BDA thought it would be at this point. They thought they could wipe DVD out in 2010, now 2012 looks to be the year that DVD fades out.
"now 2012 looks to be the year that DVD fades out."
Really?!
On what basis could anyone honestly say DVD looks likely to be in any weaker position with the public between now and 3yrs time?
The movie & CE industry can carry on hating DVD cos their margins are squeezed tighter than a flea's chuff but who cares about that or them?
Besides they make much of it back on sheer volume of sales.
DVD will be chipped away at by downloads and VOD via TV services & DVRs, I agree, but I can see no reason to imagine it'll be anything substantial.
DVD will remain for a long time the king in movie distribution,
the 'step change' (a lá VHS - DVD) just hasn't happened yet.
I really wouldn't expect too much change.
On the otherhand things could have changed and high definition could have become the new standard.
Sadly for the CE industry, that relied upon sane heads realising that high def needed to simply become a new attractive feature (some additional 'added value') for very little extra on the price.
Naturally the blind greed of the industry ensured that they would not accept this and so they chose to go for a high premium on the new tech and now suffer a public who couldn't care less, not at the prices they want.
Afterall, they've been endlessly told that between upscaling on their DVD players and their HD TVs they are getting HD or very near to HD quality as it is.
So why bother paying any of the expected premium the industry insists high def ought to demand?