Sony Announces Pricing and Availability on BD Products

[Clint DeBoer]

<A href="http://www.audioholics.com/news/pressreleases/sonyblueraydiscpricingavailability.php"><IMG style="WIDTH: 125px; HEIGHT: 73px" alt=[SonyBDPS11] hspace=10 src="http://www.audioholics.com/news/thumbs/SonyBDPS11_th.jpg" align=left border=0></A>Sony Electronics today debuted its first Blu-ray Disc (BD) products in the US, along with details on suggested pricing and availability for some of the new offerings. These next generation devices include a home player, VAIO desktop and notebook computers, an aftermarket internal computer drive, and recordable/rewritable media. Headlining Sony's new product debuts is the BDP-S1 Blu-ray Disc player targeted to ship in July for about $1,000. The VAIO RC desktop computer with BD will be available for about $2,300. Both are slated to be available by early summer.

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[Sheep]

$1000 !

Argh, I am going to need a good paying job in order to afford that.

SheepStar

[supervij]

You'll need an even better paying job than you think, Sheepy. That one grand is in AMERICAN bucks. Once those players make it to us north of the border, we'll be paying even more than the exchange rate would have you think. $1500 CND wouldn't surprise me in the least.

But oh! they look shiny, don't they? :)

cheers,
supervij

[Bluesmoke]

Or you guys can just wait for the PS3 - which will support the latest HDMI and Blu-Ray. That's what I'm gonna do. No way am I paying $1000+ to watch HD movies.

[Hi Ho]

All I know is I'm not going to spend any money on any player until a clear winner is chosen. Right now HD-DVD has a definite advantage in price and release dates with HD-DVD on the way this month for $500. With the PS3, which was to be the cheapest Blu-Ray player, delayed until November, I see HD-DVD pulling ahead.

[supervij]

Of course, there have been reports about combo players. I haven't kept up with the reports, so I don't know what the pricing is like. I just know I'm not buying the first generation of hi-def players. And maybe not even second generation players either. I'm quite happy to wait for bugs to be fixed and prices to drop.

I'm really curious to see what the first few months' sales will be like for the hi-def players.

cheers,
supervij

[ian1386]

If the player is $1000, I'm getting worried about how much the PS3 is going to run for :confused:

[mfabien]

Of course, there have been reports about combo players. I haven't kept up with the reports, so I don't know what the pricing is like. I just know I'm not buying the first generation of hi-def players. And maybe not even second generation players either. I'm quite happy to wait for bugs to be fixed and prices to drop.

I'm really curious to see what the first few months' sales will be like for the hi-def players.

cheers,
supervij

http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/ultra-multi-the-new-platform-for-hd-discs/

[jcPanny]

I don't know why everyone is so concerned about complex copy protection algorithms. By making the writable BluRay media $20-50 per disc, they are more expensive then buying the movie from a retail store.

I also don't understand why the copy protection standards delayed the release of the PS3 but not the BlueRay drives and player. Obviously they will be available in different volumes (millions vs. thousands).

[ht_addict]

Analog component output for 1080i has been included so people who own HD-capable televisions without HDMI can enjoy the Blu-ray Disc experience.

:D So my 47" panny rptv with component will still work. 1080i is good enough for me right now.

[Pyrrho]

I don't know why everyone is so concerned about complex copy protection algorithms. By making the writable BluRay media $20-50 per disc, they are more expensive then buying the movie from a retail store.

I also don't understand why the copy protection standards delayed the release of the PS3 but not the BlueRay drives and player. Obviously they will be available in different volumes (millions vs. thousands).


One can always copy it onto something else, as access to the data allows one to do with it what one will. Also, the writable media is almost certain to come way down in price, just like CDRs did.

The Sony equipment is just being shown now; you can't get it yet, and is expected to be released in July. Of course, they can always change it to a later date if they have any issues with the copy protection.

[Pyrrho]

:D So my 47" panny rptv with component will still work. 1080i is good enough for me right now.

Maybe it will work:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20781

[Zer0beaT]

I noticed it's backwards compatible with "old recievers" and will play DD 5.1/DTS through an optical cable.

To me this sounds like we won't be able to play higher resolution audio (DTS HD/DolbyTrueHD) through multi-channel analog inputs like I had read a few months ago.

Wow, so I need an HDTV, a reciever with HDMI (probably the most current spec required), and a $1000 player to enjoy any benefits from this.

And how much did they say a blank single layer BR disc is? $25 dollars per disc?

That's one way to stop piracy.

I understand that this is new technology, and by the time it hits mass market all this stuff will be standard and the manufacturing costs will have dropped majorly, but the way all these movie studios and Sony are treating BluRay it seems like they expect this format to sky rocket to mass appeal.

Perhaps if it was a little more consumer friendly, but right now I've scratched BluRay off the list of things to buy. Hopefully HDDVD is more friendly to current specs. After all, we're just getting HD resolutions here, requiring HDMI and such high cost writable discs tells me this is all about curbing piracy more than providing a better experience for the consumer.

[Hi Ho]

And how much did they say a blank single layer BR disc is? $25 dollars per disc?
That's another advantage HD-DVD has. It can be made on existing equipment just as cheap as DVD's and CD's today.

Also, HD-DVD can have a seperate layer that is readable in any current DVD player so people can buy HD-DVD's in anticipation of watching them in HD in the future.