Re: Blu-ray Numbers Too Low To Release

Bond Is Gay wrote:
> If you thought the death of HD DVD would help Blu-ray, you'd be wrong. Sales
> of stand alone players fell 40% at the beginning of the year, recovered 2%
> of that and has remained so low that NPD will not release actual numbers
> Ouch. In fact, sales of Blu-ray standalone players remain so low that NPD
> has not yet released actual numbers, for fear that it would be easy to
> identify individual retailers. The research group will start to give actual
> figures later this year, said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at
> NPD.
>
> http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/0...-been-delayed/
>
>

Hmmm, yes, I'm one of the guilty.

When there was an active "war" going on, I tried
to read widely and consider the relative merits
of each format. I was leaning toward Blu-Ray
despite its onerous "security" and DRM qualities.

Now that the battle is "over" and it's
get-out-the-checkbook time my interest has
waned. Last week I went to the store and bought
a vanilla DVD player for the HT. I suspect
several years will pass before my interest is
piqued again.

As we've settled into HDTV, the 'shock and awe'
of high resolution and contrast has worn off.
We seem to be returning to content as the most
important quality of what we watch.

--
pj

pj

On Thu, 01 May 2008 15:09:07 -0700, pj <> wrote:

>When there was an active "war" going on, I tried
>to read widely and consider the relative merits
>of each format.


First, you need the technical aptitude to make anything close to a
valid assessment.

MassiveProng@thebarattheendoftheuniverse.org

In article <ncrSj.59229$>, pj <>
wrote:

> As we've settled into HDTV, the 'shock and awe'
> of high resolution and contrast has worn off.
> We seem to be returning to content as the most
> important quality of what we watch.

Fascinating.

I agree, of course--but content was ALWAYS the overriding concern for
me. That probably comes from me being an avid reader.

Junk is junk, and no amount of picture resolution can change that.
Conversely, a high quality story is a high quality story, and not being
in HD (or even digital) can change that.

Elmo P. Shagnasty

On Thu, 01 May 2008 20:16:49 -0400, "Elmo P. Shagnasty"
<> wrote:

>In article <ncrSj.59229$>, pj <>
>wrote:
>
>> As we've settled into HDTV, the 'shock and awe'
>> of high resolution and contrast has worn off.
>> We seem to be returning to content as the most
>> important quality of what we watch.
>
>Fascinating.
>
>I agree, of course--but content was ALWAYS the overriding concern for
>me. That probably comes from me being an avid reader.
>
>Junk is junk, and no amount of picture resolution can change that.
>Conversely, a high quality story is a high quality story, and not being
>in HD (or even digital) can change that.


MacKenna's Gold

I think that would be cool in HD.

MassiveProng@thebarattheendoftheuniverse.org

In article <_bqSj.107428$Cj7.36554@pd7urf2no>, Bond Is Gay says...
> If you thought the death of HD DVD would help Blu-ray, you'd be wrong. Sales
> of stand alone players fell 40% at the beginning of the year, recovered 2%
> of that and has remained so low that NPD will not release actual numbers
> Ouch. In fact, sales of Blu-ray standalone players remain so low that NPD
> has not yet released actual numbers, for fear that it would be easy to
> identify individual retailers. The research group will start to give actual
> figures later this year, said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at
> NPD.
>
> http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/0...-been-delayed/
>
The only problem is that they're not including the sales of PS3's which
skews it quite dramatically as there are plenty of people who buy a PS3
to use as a Media Center/Bl-Ray player because they're cheaper than
many standalones and can easily do firmware upgrades.


--
Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't
looking good either. - Scott Adams

Conor

On Thu, 01 May 2008 15:09:07 -0700, pj <> wrote:

>Bond Is Gay wrote:
>> If you thought the death of HD DVD would help Blu-ray, you'd be wrong. Sales
>> of stand alone players fell 40% at the beginning of the year, recovered 2%
>> of that and has remained so low that NPD will not release actual numbers
>> Ouch. In fact, sales of Blu-ray standalone players remain so low that NPD
>> has not yet released actual numbers, for fear that it would be easy to
>> identify individual retailers. The research group will start to give actual
>> figures later this year, said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at
>> NPD.
>>
>> http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/0...-been-delayed/
>>
>>
>
>Hmmm, yes, I'm one of the guilty.
>
>When there was an active "war" going on, I tried
>to read widely and consider the relative merits
>of each format. I was leaning toward Blu-Ray
>despite its onerous "security" and DRM qualities.
>
>Now that the battle is "over" and it's
>get-out-the-checkbook time my interest has
>waned. Last week I went to the store and bought
>a vanilla DVD player for the HT. I suspect
>several years will pass before my interest is
>piqued again.
>
>As we've settled into HDTV, the 'shock and awe'
>of high resolution and contrast has worn off.
>We seem to be returning to content as the most
>important quality of what we watch.


Currently, I have little interest in Blu-ray (or any other hi-def
format) as well. I'm waiting for more titles and lower Blu-ray
burner prices before making the switch. I can wait two months or two
years. Since we are in an economic pullback (recession?) with higher
gas prices, most people are watching spending. The hi-def battle has
hurt the industry so it will be interesting to see how the recovery
goes. Make Blu-ray prices the same as regular DVD and this industry
will take off.

Phisherman

Heck and I'm on of them.

"Conor" <> wrote in message
news:...
> In article <_bqSj.107428$Cj7.36554@pd7urf2no>, Bond Is Gay says...
>> If you thought the death of HD DVD would help Blu-ray, you'd be wrong.
>> Sales
>> of stand alone players fell 40% at the beginning of the year, recovered
>> 2%
>> of that and has remained so low that NPD will not release actual numbers
>> Ouch. In fact, sales of Blu-ray standalone players remain so low that NPD
>> has not yet released actual numbers, for fear that it would be easy to
>> identify individual retailers. The research group will start to give
>> actual
>> figures later this year, said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis
>> at
>> NPD.
>>
>> http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/0...-been-delayed/
>>
> The only problem is that they're not including the sales of PS3's which
> skews it quite dramatically as there are plenty of people who buy a PS3
> to use as a Media Center/Bl-Ray player because they're cheaper than
> many standalones and can easily do firmware upgrades.
>
>
> --
> Conor
>
> I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't
> looking good either. - Scott Adams

David

"David" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Heck and I'm on of them.
>

Me too. I've got two games for my PS3 (Might get GTA4 as well) both came
with it. I got the PS3 because it was a cost effective easily updatable BR
player.

Anyone who thinks that BR won't eventually catch on frankly moronic. HD is
the future of video media and computers are crying of for a storage medium
to replace DVD. There were naysayers when DVD came out. There always will
be.

Morgan

Morgan wrote:
> "David" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Heck and I'm on of them.
>>
>
> Me too. I've got two games for my PS3 (Might get GTA4 as well) both came
> with it. I got the PS3 because it was a cost effective easily updatable
> BR player.
>
> Anyone who thinks that BR won't eventually catch on frankly moronic. HD
> is the future of video media and computers are crying of for a storage
> medium to replace DVD. There were naysayers when DVD came out. There
> always will be.

BR wont take off and i dont care being labeled moronic.

lol.

scoopex

"Morgan" <> wrote in message
news:%2HSj.92806$...
> "David" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Heck and I'm on of them.
>>
>
> Me too. I've got two games for my PS3 (Might get GTA4 as well) both came
> with it. I got the PS3 because it was a cost effective easily updatable
> BR player.
>
> Anyone who thinks that BR won't eventually catch on frankly moronic. HD
> is the future of video media and computers are crying of for a storage
> medium to replace DVD. There were naysayers when DVD came out. There
> always will be.

The problem is that BR doesn't give the quantum leap over DVD that DVD had
over VHS. When DVD became mainstream the convenience of the format was as
much of a selling point as the image / audio quality. For the vast majority
of consumers DVD (even when upscaled on a HDTV) is "good enough". I agree
that BR (and HD-DVD) offer a big increase in picture and audio, but so
relatively soon after the last paradigm shift in formats, it's not enough of
a carrot.

Turbohat