Perhaps you'd end up buying 3-4 discs at a lower price, versus 1 or 2 at the higher price. BluRay software prices are insane for what you get. At most, the discs should be only a couple bucks higher than standard DVD's, and in reality they should be the same price. The picture quality is a bit better than DVD, but the average consumer isn't going to see or hear that detail in their setup.
To build more interest in the format, the studios should price the movies on par with DVD's...it's going to happen eventually, just get it done. Also, perhaps the studios should start building a release window that favors bluray, releasing that version of the movie first, then follow up with the DVD version a month or two later. Or even more radical, release some blockbuster content as bluray exclusive.
When DVD's came out the movies were priced to move. I found myself grabbing movies just because they looked interesting. With the advent of bluray, the software prices are outside that impulse buy range, and I find myself being far far more particular about what I buy.
I agree with you, Rich - Blu-ray prices are too high. I was in Best Buy yesterday for Dark Knight and wanted to pick up a few others, but even their "door busters" at $20-25 are just out of impulse range. That's not to say I am not building a collection slowly but surely (I have about 75 now), but I am waiting for Amazon or Best Buy deals on movies I really want, and watching the rest on NetFlix.
I have to disagree with the statement "the picture quality is a bit better than DVD" though - it's a lot better ;)
"At most, the discs should be only a couple bucks higher than standard DVD's, and in reality they should be the same price."
Don't get me wrong, I want prices to come down just as much as everyone else, but what you just said makes no sense. What company, in their right mind, would come out with a new and improved product and price it the same as their existing product that they're still selling? When does that ever happen? Early adopter ALWAYS pay more. It's the way it always has been and will be. Despite how it may seem, since we've been talking about it for so long, we're still early adopters at this point.
It should be on par or cheaper than DVD, or it will be another betamax.
It was easy to sell DVDs over VHS (no rewind, much better PQ, extra features), but the difference between upscaled DVD and BD is far less compelling.
With new competition from torrents, Apple TV, streaming Netflix (all of which are DVD quality or lower AND gaining market share), quality has plateaued in the mind of consumers, and price+convenience are king.
Sure, there are always the techies and AV-philes that bought Betamax, Laserdisc, SACD, Mini-disc, etc; but unless BD players and media drop significantly, it will remain a niche format.
Something else to ponder before anyone responds with "OMG 1080P QQ," listen to how terrible a 128k MP3 sound on a good system vs a CD. Then take a look at mp3 player sales vs CD player sales. A majority of consumers care about convenience and price over quality.
It should be on par or cheaper than DVD, or it will be another betamax.
It was easy to sell DVDs over VHS (no rewind, much better PQ, extra features), but the difference between upscaled DVD and BD is far less compelling."
Yeah I get that and it's all well and good, but that misses the point of my argument. I wasn't arguing that they shouldn't be cheaper, but that they can't be the same price as DVD and still be considered a meaningful investment for any studio/CE company. If anything, DVDs need to be cheaper. We're still seeing new release DVDs with MSRPs of $35. Don't you think it's about time they come down? Once those come down, then BR can follow to the price that DVDs are right now.
The problem is that people are still buying DVDs at those prices and I believe that's what is artificially holding up the prices of BR.
"Something else to ponder before anyone responds with "OMG 1080P QQ,"listen to how terrible a 128k MP3 sound on a good system vs a CD. Then take a look at mp3 player sales vs CD player sales. A majority of consumers care about convenience and price over quality."
For this point I would argue that it's more based on what's being used to play the file. If I have only an mp3 player to listen to my music, then it would make more sense to me to buy the mp3 rather than buy a CD and rip it to the same quality mp3 I could've just bought. Not to mention, that mp3 player isn't exactly the environment to listen to high quality sound files.
On the other hand, if I just bought a decked-out audio system, then I'm not going to go buy a 128kbps mp3 file to play on that system. I'm going to buy at least CD quality or better. I think the same could be said that if I just bought a brand new HDTV, I'm going to want HD media to play on it.
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Perhaps you'd end up buying 3-4 discs at a lower price, versus 1 or 2 at the higher price. BluRay software prices are insane for what you get. At most, the discs should be only a couple bucks higher than standard DVD's, and in reality they should be the same price. The picture quality is a bit better than DVD, but the average consumer isn't going to see or hear that detail in their setup.
To build more interest in the format, the studios should price the movies on par with DVD's...it's going to happen eventually, just get it done. Also, perhaps the studios should start building a release window that favors bluray, releasing that version of the movie first, then follow up with the DVD version a month or two later. Or even more radical, release some blockbuster content as bluray exclusive.
When DVD's came out the movies were priced to move. I found myself grabbing movies just because they looked interesting. With the advent of bluray, the software prices are outside that impulse buy range, and I find myself being far far more particular about what I buy.
I agree with you, Rich - Blu-ray prices are too high. I was in Best Buy yesterday for Dark Knight and wanted to pick up a few others, but even their "door busters" at $20-25 are just out of impulse range. That's not to say I am not building a collection slowly but surely (I have about 75 now), but I am waiting for Amazon or Best Buy deals on movies I really want, and watching the rest on NetFlix.
I have to disagree with the statement "the picture quality is a bit better than DVD" though - it's a lot better ;)
Rich @ Dec 10th 2008 4:40AM
"At most, the discs should be only a couple bucks higher than standard DVD's, and in reality they should be the same price."
Don't get me wrong, I want prices to come down just as much as everyone else, but what you just said makes no sense. What company, in their right mind, would come out with a new and improved product and price it the same as their existing product that they're still selling? When does that ever happen? Early adopter ALWAYS pay more. It's the way it always has been and will be. Despite how it may seem, since we've been talking about it for so long, we're still early adopters at this point.
You need to play the game...
I have well over 150 Blus, nearing 200 if not there already, and my average price is somewhere around $12 for them.
And yes I have all the big ones, Transformers, Iron Man, Dark Knight, 007, Pirates, Spidermans, Harry Potters and so on.
The stores don't offer the deals you get online.
Buy there. I just bought over 25 discs for $7.50 each...including all the 007s. You can't get them on DVD for that price.
@ daaper
It should be on par or cheaper than DVD, or it will be another betamax.
It was easy to sell DVDs over VHS (no rewind, much better PQ, extra features), but the difference between upscaled DVD and BD is far less compelling.
With new competition from torrents, Apple TV, streaming Netflix (all of which are DVD quality or lower AND gaining market share), quality has plateaued in the mind of consumers, and price+convenience are king.
Sure, there are always the techies and AV-philes that bought Betamax, Laserdisc, SACD, Mini-disc, etc; but unless BD players and media drop significantly, it will remain a niche format.
Something else to ponder before anyone responds with "OMG 1080P QQ," listen to how terrible a 128k MP3 sound on a good system vs a CD. Then take a look at mp3 player sales vs CD player sales. A majority of consumers care about convenience and price over quality.
THJ @ Dec 10th 2008 10:57AM
"@ daaper
It should be on par or cheaper than DVD, or it will be another betamax.
It was easy to sell DVDs over VHS (no rewind, much better PQ, extra features), but the difference between upscaled DVD and BD is far less compelling."
Yeah I get that and it's all well and good, but that misses the point of my argument. I wasn't arguing that they shouldn't be cheaper, but that they can't be the same price as DVD and still be considered a meaningful investment for any studio/CE company. If anything, DVDs need to be cheaper. We're still seeing new release DVDs with MSRPs of $35. Don't you think it's about time they come down? Once those come down, then BR can follow to the price that DVDs are right now.
The problem is that people are still buying DVDs at those prices and I believe that's what is artificially holding up the prices of BR.
THJ @ Dec 10th 2008 10:57AM
"Something else to ponder before anyone responds with "OMG 1080P QQ,"listen to how terrible a 128k MP3 sound on a good system vs a CD. Then take a look at mp3 player sales vs CD player sales. A majority of consumers care about convenience and price over quality."
For this point I would argue that it's more based on what's being used to play the file. If I have only an mp3 player to listen to my music, then it would make more sense to me to buy the mp3 rather than buy a CD and rip it to the same quality mp3 I could've just bought. Not to mention, that mp3 player isn't exactly the environment to listen to high quality sound files.
On the other hand, if I just bought a decked-out audio system, then I'm not going to go buy a 128kbps mp3 file to play on that system. I'm going to buy at least CD quality or better. I think the same could be said that if I just bought a brand new HDTV, I'm going to want HD media to play on it.